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BUCKEYE WATER DISTRICT - OHIO RIVER vs CLEVELAND PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM

Water quality comparison — risk levels, violations, PFAS records, and contaminants

Quick Answer

CLEVELAND PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM has a lower risk classification (safe). BUCKEYE WATER DISTRICT - OHIO RIVER has 1 open health-based violation and 116 PFAS records. CLEVELAND PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM has 0 open health-based violations and 464 PFAS records.

Overall Risk Level

Low Concern

No Concern
Low
Moderate
High
Critical

Minor detections below regulatory limits. Routine monitoring adequate.

1

Open violations

116

PFAS records

Overall Risk Level

No Concerns Detected

No Concern
Low
Moderate
High
Critical

Water meets all safety standards with no detected exceedances.

0

Open violations

464

PFAS records

Head-to-Head Comparison

MetricBUCKEYE WATER DISTRICT - OHIO RIVERCLEVELAND PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM
StateOhioOhio
Risk LevelLow ConcernNo Concerns Detected
Population Served10,3001,308,955
Open Health Violations10
Total Violations159
PFAS Records116464
OwnershipPrivateLocal
Service TypeSurface waterSurface water
City ServedCleveland

Contaminants in Violation Records

BUCKEYE WATER DISTRICT - OHIO RIVER

  • Nitrate
  • Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
  • Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)

CLEVELAND PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM

  • Lead

Key Differences

BUCKEYE WATER DISTRICT - OHIO RIVER has a low risk rating vs. safe for CLEVELAND PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM.

BUCKEYE WATER DISTRICT - OHIO RIVER has 1 open health-based violation vs. 0 for CLEVELAND PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM.

BUCKEYE WATER DISTRICT - OHIO RIVER has 116 PFAS records vs. 464 for CLEVELAND PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM.

What Should I Do?

If either utility shows open violations or elevated PFAS records, consider:

  • Installing a reverse osmosis filter — removes PFAS, lead, arsenic, nitrates, and most heavy metals.
  • Requesting your utility’s annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) for the most current test results.
  • Ordering a certified lab water test if you want contaminant-specific data for your address.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is safer — BUCKEYE WATER DISTRICT - OHIO RIVER or CLEVELAND PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM?

CLEVELAND PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM has a lower risk classification (safe). CLEVELAND PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM has 0 open health-based violations compared to 1 for the other system.

What does "open health-based violation" mean?

An open health-based violation means a water system has exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) or failed to meet a treatment technique — and the violation has not yet been resolved. These are the most serious type of water quality violations.

How current is this data?

Violation data comes from EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), which is updated as utilities report. PFAS data comes from EPA's UCMR 5 monitoring (2023–2025). Risk levels are recalculated daily.

What does PWSID mean?

PWSID stands for Public Water System ID — a unique federal identifier assigned to each community water system. You can use it to look up a system in EPA's ECHO database.

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