States › Virginia

Virginia Tap Water Quality 2026

EPA drinking water data for 543 cities across Virginia — covering lead levels, violation history, and compliance status.

Systems tracked: 328 Cities covered: 543 Updated: 2026 Q2
A

Virginia earns an A for overall water quality

543 communities across 129 counties and 328 water systems. 99.4% have no open violations.

Median lead where detected: 2.00 ppb
51.5% of systems report lead as not detected — a state filing convention, not a water quality measure
PFAS tested at 56.7% of communities; 101 above the federal limit
Lead reported for 99.8% of communities
99.4% of communities have no open violations
Water Systems
328
Active community systems
Median Lead Level
2 ppb
13% of EPA action level
Fully Compliant
99.4%
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 Virginia

✓ Cleanest Water
Onley
Accomack County
5.0 ppb B
Deltaville
Middlesex County
1.8 ppb B
Oak Level
Henry County
3.4 ppb A
Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach city
0.0 ppb A
Arlington
Arlington County
0.6 ppb A
Norfolk
Norfolk city
0.0 ppb A
⚠ Needs Attention
Twin Lakes
Greene County
10.1 ppb F
Stanardsville
Greene County
10.1 ppb F
Wintergreen
Nelson County
2.5 ppb D
New Baltimore
Fauquier County
2.7 ppb C
Roanoke
Roanoke city
0.0 ppb C
Cave Spring
Roanoke County
0.0 ppb C

Water Quality by County

129 of 129
Sort:
CountySystemsLead LevelViolationsGrade
Fairfax County 68 1.2 ppb 0 B
Loudoun County 29 2.9 ppb 0 A
Prince William County 24 2.0 ppb 0 B
Accomack County 14 4.3 ppb 0 A
Augusta County 13 1.0 ppb 0 A
Chesterfield County 13 1.4 ppb 0 A
Henrico County 13 No data 0 A
Rockingham County 12 2.7 ppb 0 A
Albemarle County 12 8.0 ppb 0 A
Tazewell County 11 4.5 ppb 0 A

About Virginia Drinking Water

Virginia is served by 328 community water systems covering 543 communities across 129 counties. 99.4% have no open violation on record.

Lead was detected in 263 communities, with a median of 2.00 ppb — 13% of the federal action level. A further 279 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 56.7% of communities here, and 101 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 Virginia tap water safe to drink? ▼
99.4% of communities have no open violation on record. 101 have PFAS above the federal limit set in 2024, which is the main open concern.
Does Virginia have a lead problem? ▼
7 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 279 communities report no detection at all.
How complete is the data for Virginia? ▼
Lead results are reported for 99.8% of communities and PFAS for 56.7%. Where a figure is missing it is shown as not reported rather than assumed safe.
How does Virginia 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.