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Mississippi Tap Water Quality 2026

EPA drinking water data for 398 cities across Mississippi — covering lead levels, violation history, and compliance status.

Systems tracked: 363 Cities covered: 398 Updated: 2026 Q2
A

Mississippi earns an A for overall water quality

398 communities across 82 counties and 363 water systems. 98.2% have no open violations.

Median lead where detected: 1.30 ppb
15.3% of systems report lead as not detected — a state filing convention, not a water quality measure
PFAS tested at 32.2% of communities; 5 above the federal limit
Lead reported for 100.0% of communities
98.2% of communities have no open violations
Water Systems
363
Active community systems
Median Lead Level
1.3 ppb
9% of EPA action level
Fully Compliant
98.2%
of systems — no active violations
How we grade states Grades are based on actual EPA enforcement data — MCL violations and lead levels measured against the 15 ppb federal action level. We do not use MCLG-based detections, which are aspirational zero-tolerance goals that would make nearly every state look dangerous. Read our full methodology →

Best & Worst Cities in Mississippi

✓ Cleanest Water
Maben
Oktibbeha County
0.7 ppb B
Toomsuba
Lauderdale County
0.5 ppb A
Tupelo
Lee County
0.0 ppb A
Hattiesburg
Forrest County
0.0 ppb A
Gulfport
Harrison County
1.5 ppb A
Pearl
Rankin County
1.2 ppb A
⚠ Needs Attention
Bogue Chitto
Neshoba County
19.0 ppb D
Indianola
Sunflower County
0.5 ppb D
Brooksville
Noxubee County
0.6 ppb D
Friars Point
Coahoma County
0.6 ppb D
Oxford
Lafayette County
0.0 ppb D
Bay St. Louis
Hancock County
9.0 ppb D

Water Quality by County

82 of 82
Sort:
CountySystemsLead LevelViolationsGrade
Bolivar County 18 1.9 ppb 0 A
Jackson County 10 1.6 ppb 0 A
Harrison County 9 1.3 ppb 0 A
DeSoto County 9 0.9 ppb 0 A
Hinds County 9 2.0 ppb 0 B
Rankin County 9 1.2 ppb 0 A
Washington County 9 1.0 ppb 0 A
Coahoma County 8 1.9 ppb 0 B
Jones County 8 2.3 ppb 0 A
Lee County 7 0.6 ppb 0 A

About Mississippi Drinking Water

Mississippi is served by 363 community water systems covering 398 communities across 82 counties. 98.2% have no open violation on record.

Lead was detected in 337 communities, with a median of 1.30 ppb — 9% of the federal action level. A further 61 reported none detected. That share is a state reporting convention rather than a measure of water quality, so it is stated separately rather than averaged in.

PFAS has been tested at 32.2% of communities here, and 5 are above the limits EPA set in 2024. Coverage matters: states that test more find more, so this figure is not comparable with a state that has tested less.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Mississippi tap water safe to drink? ▼
98.2% of communities have no open violation on record. 5 have PFAS above the federal limit set in 2024, which is the main open concern.
Does Mississippi have a lead problem? ▼
10 water systems report a 90th-percentile lead result at or above the 15 ppb action level. The action level is a treatment trigger, not a legal maximum, and 61 communities report no detection at all.
How complete is the data for Mississippi? ▼
Lead results are reported for 100.0% of communities and PFAS for 32.2%. Where a figure is missing it is shown as not reported rather than assumed safe.
How does Mississippi compare with other states? ▼
We do not rank states against each other. Lead reporting completeness ranges from under 20% to 100% depending on the state, so a national ranking would compare filing practice rather than water quality.