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Washington Tap Water Quality 2026

EPA drinking water data for 603 cities across Washington — covering lead levels, violation history, and compliance status.

Systems tracked: 462 Cities covered: 603 Updated: 2026 Q2
A

Washington earns an A for overall water quality

603 communities across 39 counties and 462 water systems. 99.7% have no open violations.

Median lead where detected: 2.00 ppb
29.8% of systems report lead as not detected — a state filing convention, not a water quality measure
PFAS tested at 50.6% of communities; 46 above the federal limit
Lead reported for 95.0% of communities
99.7% of communities have no open violations
Water Systems
462
Active community systems
Median Lead Level
2 ppb
13% of EPA action level
Fully Compliant
99.7%
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 Washington

✓ Cleanest Water
Spokane
Spokane County
2.0 ppb A
Bellevue
King County
No data B
Everett
Snohomish County
3.5 ppb A
Bellingham
Whatcom County
3.4 ppb A
Pasco
Franklin County
1.9 ppb A
Redmond
King County
2.0 ppb A
⚠ Needs Attention
Queets
Jefferson County
0.0 ppb F
Taholah
Grays Harbor County
1.0 ppb F
Sammamish
King County
1.7 ppb D
Neah Bay
Clallam County
2.0 ppb D
Vancouver
Clark County
2.2 ppb D
Kennewick
Benton County
0.0 ppb D

Water Quality by County

39 of 39
Sort:
CountySystemsLead LevelViolationsGrade
Pierce County 69 2.4 ppb 0 B
Snohomish County 63 3.2 ppb 0 A
King County 62 1.6 ppb 0 A
Kitsap County 28 2.0 ppb 0 A
Yakima County 26 2.0 ppb 0 A
Clark County 26 1.8 ppb 0 C
Grays Harbor County 26 2.9 ppb 0 B
Grant County 25 2.5 ppb 0 A
Spokane County 21 1.4 ppb 0 A
Whatcom County 19 2.1 ppb 0 A

About Washington Drinking Water

Washington is served by 462 community water systems covering 603 communities across 39 counties. 99.7% have no open violation on record.

Lead was detected in 402 communities, with a median of 2.00 ppb — 13% of the federal action level. A further 171 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 50.6% of communities here, and 46 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 Washington tap water safe to drink? ▼
99.7% of communities have no open violation on record. 46 have PFAS above the federal limit set in 2024, which is the main open concern.
Does Washington have a lead problem? ▼
25 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 171 communities report no detection at all.
How complete is the data for Washington? ▼
Lead results are reported for 95.0% of communities and PFAS for 50.6%. Where a figure is missing it is shown as not reported rather than assumed safe.
How does Washington 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.