State Hub
Ohio Water Quality
698
Utilities in database
11.7M
Residents served
2
With open violations
328
PFAS monitored
Quick Answer
Ohio public drinking water is served by 698 EPA-tracked water systems, providing service to approximately 11.7 million residents through public utilities. 2 of those systems currently have open health-based violations on record in the EPA federal database. 328 systems have official PFAS monitoring records from the EPA UCMR 5 program (2023–2025). About 12% of OH residents use private wells, which fall outside federal utility compliance monitoring.
2 Ohio water systems have open health-based violations recorded in EPA SDWIS. An open violation means a contaminant exceeded a federal limit and the violation has not been formally resolved in the federal database. Check individual utility pages for current status.
Open Health-Based Violations in Ohio
Records sourced from EPA SDWIS. A record may be under review or resolved at the utility level but not yet updated in federal records. Water Utility Report does not determine whether water is safe to drink.
Drinking Water in Ohio
Ohio draws water from Lake Erie and inland rivers. Lead contamination in older housing stock — particularly in cities like Toledo and Cleveland — is a documented concern. Agricultural runoff contributes nitrate loading near Lake Erie. Several communities near industrial sites have documented PFAS detections. Ohio EPA holds primary enforcement authority.
Highest Risk Utilities
Ohio systems with open health-based violations in EPA records.
Safest Large Utilities
Ohio systems with no open health violations serving 10,000+ residents.
Utilities in Ohio
51–75 of 698Aqua Ohio - Ashtabula
OH0400711 · 32,408 served
Brown County Rural Water
OH0802012 · 32,090 served
Painesville City Pws
OH4301611 · 31,728 served
Bowling Green City
OH8700311 · 31,578 served
Barberton City
OH7700411 · 31,298 served
Kent City Pws
OH6701812 · 29,662 served
North Ridgeville City Pws
OH4700803 · 29,465 served
Zanesville Pws
OH6002712 · 29,381 served
Xenia City Pws
OH2902812 · 29,000 served
Highland County Water Company, Inc.
OH3600514 · 28,421 served
Perrysburg City Pws
OH8701803 · 27,000 served
Belmont Co. Sanitary District 3 Pws
OH0700412 · 26,822 served
Wooster City Pws
OH8504512 · 26,618 served
Troy City Pws
OH5501612 · 26,305 served
Medina City Pws
OH5200514 · 25,956 served
Sandusky City
OH2201411 · 25,793 served
Marysville City Pws
OH8000314 · 25,571 served
Nawa
OH5553612 · 24,766 served
North Canton City Pws
OH7604312 · 24,747 served
Wadsworth City Pws
OH5201712 · 24,356 served
Tate-monroe Water Association Pws
OH1301312 · 24,092 served
Oxford City Pws
OH0902312 · 24,000 served
Avon City Pws
OH4700203 · 23,800 served
Avon Lake City Pws
OH4700311 · 23,659 served
Alliance City Pws
OH7600011 · 22,232 served
Key Contaminant Concerns in Ohio
These contaminants appear most frequently in Ohio utility records or pose elevated risk in this region based on EPA data.
PFAS
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of over 12,000 synthetic chemicals characterized by strong carbon-fluorine bonds that resist degradation. The two most studied — PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) and PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonic acid) — have been phased out of U.S. manufacturing but persist widely in the environment.
EPA limit: 4 ppt
Lead
Lead is a naturally occurring heavy metal that was widely used in plumbing infrastructure until it was banned for new installations in 1986. An estimated 9.2 million lead service lines still connect homes to public water mains across the United States, along with millions of homes with lead solder in their internal plumbing. Critically, a utility's water quality report can show zero detected lead at the treatment plant while your specific tap still delivers elevated lead — because the contamination happens inside the distribution system and your home's plumbing, not at the source.
EPA limit: 15 ppb (action level)
Nitrates
Nitrate (NO₃⁻) is a nitrogen-containing compound that forms naturally through the decomposition of organic matter. At elevated concentrations — almost always caused by human activity — nitrate is converted in the digestive system to nitrite, which then reacts with hemoglobin to form methemoglobin, a form of hemoglobin that cannot carry oxygen. In the body, nitrite also reacts with amines in food to form N-nitroso compounds (nitrosamines) — known carcinogens classified by the IARC as Group 2A (probable human carcinogens). The United States applies over 23 million tons of nitrogen fertilizer annually, making agricultural runoff the dominant source of nitrate contamination in U.S. groundwater.
EPA limit: 10 mg/L
DBPs
When utilities add chlorine to water to kill pathogens, it reacts with dissolved organic matter — leaves, algae, soil — to produce disinfection byproducts (DBPs). Over 600 DBPs have been identified. The EPA regulates two groups: total trihalomethanes (TTHMs, including chloroform) and haloacetic acids (HAA5). DBP levels tend to be highest in surface water systems and in warm months when organic matter is elevated.
EPA limit: 80 µg/L (TTHMs) / 60 µg/L (HAA5)
City Water Reports in Ohio
Tap water quality pages for Ohio cities — violations, PFAS records, utility profiles, and official source links.
Ohio PFAS Watchlist — all utilities with official recordsIndependent Water Testing
Find a certified lab in Ohio
Utility compliance records show what water systems report to the EPA. An independent test from a certified laboratory confirms what's actually in your tap water. Ohio labs can test for PFAS, lead, nitrates, bacteria, and dozens of other contaminants.
Explore Water Quality in Ohio
Aqua Ohio - Ashtabula
Violation history, PFAS records, and official source links
Brown County Rural Water
Violation history, PFAS records, and official source links
Painesville City Pws
Violation history, PFAS records, and official source links
PFAS monitoring records — Ohio
328 water systems in Ohio with EPA UCMR 5 records
Active drinking water violations
2 open health-based violations on record — view official EPA SDWIS data
Lead in Ohio drinking water
State-specific lead data, violation utilities, and testing guidance
PFAS in Ohio drinking water
State-specific PFAS data, MCL context, and treatment options
Certified water testing labs in Ohio
Labs certified for PFAS (EPA 533/537.1), lead, and bacteria testing
Water treatment options
Reverse osmosis, activated carbon, and filtration guides with cost ranges
Data sources and methodology
How WaterUtilityReport.com sources and validates official EPA data
Common Questions About Ohio Drinking Water
Does Ohio drinking water have PFAS?
328 Ohio water systems have EPA UCMR 5 PFAS monitoring records (2023–2025)
Which Ohio water utilities have open violations?
2 systems have open health-based violations in EPA SDWIS — search for your utility
How do I test my water in Ohio?
State-certified labs for PFAS (EPA 533/537.1), lead, nitrate, and bacteria testing
What treatment removes PFAS from OH tap water?
Reverse osmosis removes PFAS, lead, arsenic, and nitrates — cost, maintenance, and NSF certification explained
What do Ohio PFAS records tell me about my water?
EPA limits, health context, and what UCMR 5 detection above MRL means for your water
How is Ohio water quality data sourced here?
EPA SDWIS violations, UCMR 5 PFAS records, and CCR data — sources, accuracy notes, and limitations
Ohio Water FAQs
Data sources: Utility compliance and violation data from EPA SDWIS (Safe Drinking Water Information System). PFAS monitoring records from EPA UCMR 5 (Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule 5, 2023–2025). Contaminant data from EPA and ATSDR public references. This page summarizes public records — it is not a compliance determination. Methodology →
Last updated: 2025-01-10