PFHxS
1.8× the limitPerfluorohexanesulfonic acid
18.2ng/L
Each block = 10 ng/L federal MCL (2024)
EPA UCMR 5 · sampled 2023Evidence
City water report · 2026
Is Salt Lake City Tap Water Safe? 2026 Water Quality Report
Short answer: Two PFAS, PFHxS and PFOS, are above their federal limits (2024 limits that water systems have until at least 2029 to meet); lithium sits above a screening level. Salt Lake City Water System serves 383,612 residents.
Likely match, check your bill
SALT LAKE CITY WATER SYSTEM serves Salt Lake City
Your water bill or annual water quality report names your actual supplier.
- Source
- Surface water
- Lead service lines
- 120 lead, 102 galvanized, 31,866 unknown
- SALT LAKE CITY WATER SYSTEMThis reportUTAH18026 · 383,612 served
Your water utility
What stands out
Two PFAS above the 2024 federal limit
Each bar is drawn in blocks of its own limit, so the length shows how far above it the result sits.
PFOS
1.8× the limitPerfluorooctanesulfonic acid
7.1ng/L
Each block = 4.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024)
EPA UCMR 5 · sampled 2023Evidence
Coverage by group
31 results on record- PFAS (forever chemicals)2 above · 2 detected · 25 not detected
- Metals & lead1 detected
- Disinfection by-productsNot monitored
- Other1 above
Every detected result
6 detected results, by distance from their limit
SALT LAKE CITY WATER SYSTEM (EPA PWSID UTAH18026) delivers surface water to 383,612 residents. This report reflects 29 individual PFAS result(s) from the source UCMR5 observations and the latest Lead & Copper Rule 90th-percentile result. Water hardness and disinfectant type are pending the utility's own annual report.
- LithiumEPA UCMR 5 · 202310 µg/L EPA health reference level (screening, not a legal limit)42.8µg/LAbove screening
- Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS)EPA UCMR 5 · 202310 ng/L federal MCL (2024)18.2ng/LAbove limit
- Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)EPA UCMR 5 · 20234.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024)7.1ng/LAbove limit
- Lead (90th percentile)EPA SDWIS (Lead & Copper Rule) · 202215 µg/L federal action level2.506µg/LWithin reference
- Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA)EPA UCMR 5 · 2023400,000 ng/L Michigan EGLE state MCL (strictest US state)5.7ng/LWithin reference
- Perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA)EPA UCMR 5 · 2023No federal or state limit; shown for transparency6.2ng/LDetected · no limit
25 other contaminants tested, none detected
- 11Cl-PF3OUdS
- 4:2 FTS
- 6:2 FTS
- 8:2 FTS
- 9Cl-PF3ONS
- ADONA
- HFPO-DA (GenX)
- NEtFOSAA
- NFDHA
- NMeFOSAA
- PFBA
- PFBS
- PFDA
- PFDoA
- PFEESA
- PFHpA
- PFHpS
- PFMBA
- PFMPA
- PFNA
- PFOA
- PFPeS
- PFTA
- PFTrDA
- PFUnA
Track record
1health-based violation in the last 10 years
From EPA SDWIS. Counted once per contaminant per year, as in the Track record score.
Not in this recordDisinfection by-products weren't monitored in this dataset
No result is not a pass. Your utility's annual water quality report may list them, and a certified lab test covers your own tap.
Health-based violations, last 10 years
Every filing is listed; the Track record score counts at most one per contaminant per year.
- Groundwater Rule
Resolved
- Groundwater RuleTT
to Resolved
What you can do
Test first, then treat what was found
- 01 · TestTest your own tap
Plumbing inside a home can add lead that the system record can't show. A tap test tells you what reaches your glass.
Certified labHow to test your tap → - 02 · Treat PFASReverse osmosis, or carbon certified for PFAS
PFHxS 18.2 ng/L, above the 10 ng/L limit (+3 more PFAS detected)
NSF/ANSI 58 or 53, with PFHxS/PFOS/PFHxA/PFPeA named on the listingTreatment for PFAS → - 03 · LeadLead-certified carbon filter, or reverse osmosis
lead 2.51 µg/L, below the 15 µg/L action level (detected below the limit); 120 lead service lines; 102 galvanized lines to replace (context, not a tap measurement)
NSF/ANSI 53 (lead)Treatment for Lead →
Test your own tap
Screening tells you if something is worth a closer look; a lab result is the number you can act on.
As an Amazon Associate, PurityMap earns from qualifying purchases. Affiliate disclosure.
Screening: quick check, not lab-grade
Safe Home DIY Lead in Drinking Water Combo Test Kit
Safe Home (EnviroTestKits)
Lead, read as one of three ranges: 0–4, 5–15 or 15+ ppb
- Turnaround: 5 minutes
What it can't tell you: It shows a lead range, not an exact level, and tests nothing else unless you pay extra for the optional lab test.
Lab-certified results
ETR Labs Basic Water Quality Test Kit
ETR Laboratories
50+ substances, including lead, copper, arsenic, nitrate, hardness and coliform bacteria
- Analyzed by Environmental Testing and Research Laboratories (ETR Labs), Leominster, MA · ISO/IEC 17025:2017, ANAB certificate AT-2638
- Turnaround: 2–4 business days after the lab receives it
What it can't tell you: It does not test PFAS, and not every result on the panel falls under the lab's accredited scope.
Commercial
Certified for a concern found here
Each card names which Salt Lake City findings its current certification covers, and which it doesn't.
As an Amazon Associate, PurityMap earns from qualifying purchases. A product appears here only when a current certification record covers at least one identified concern; every concern stays listed. The retail offer is looked up afterwards and never changes which products appear or their order. Affiliate disclosure.
Under-Sink Filter
Aquasana Claryum 3-Stage Max Flow Under-Sink Filter (AQ-6300M)
- PFOS: eligible, evidence match
- Lead: eligible, evidence match
- Not established: PFHxS, Lithium, Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) and 1 more
Not suitable for (5)
- Treating every tap in the home
- A whole-home hard-water or scale problem
- All PFAS: its evidence covers only the compounds it names
- Anyone who can't plumb, drill or hire an installer
- Renters who can't modify plumbing
Countertop System
Aquasana Clean Water Machine Countertop Filter (AQ-CWM2)
- PFOS: eligible, evidence match
- Lead: eligible, evidence match
- Not established: PFHxS, Lithium, Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) and 1 more
Not suitable for (3)
- Treating every tap in the home
- A whole-home hard-water or scale problem
- All PFAS: its evidence covers only the compounds it names
See all 9 products certified for a Salt Lake City concern →
Countertop System
AquaTru Classic Countertop Reverse-Osmosis Purifier (AT2000)
- PFOS: eligible, evidence match
- Lead: eligible, evidence match
- Not established: PFHxS, Lithium, Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) and 1 more
Not suitable for (3)
- Treating every tap in the home
- A whole-home hard-water or scale problem
- All PFAS: its evidence covers only the compounds it names
Under-Sink Filter
Under-Sink Reverse-Osmosis System
- PFOS: eligible, evidence match
- Lead: eligible, evidence match
- Not established: PFHxS, Lithium, Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) and 1 more
Not suitable for (5)
- Treating every tap in the home
- A whole-home hard-water or scale problem
- All PFAS: its evidence covers only the compounds it names
- Anyone who can't plumb, drill or hire an installer
- Renters who can't modify plumbing
Under-Sink Filter
Waterdrop G3P600 Tankless Reverse-Osmosis System
- PFOS: eligible, evidence match
- Lead: eligible, evidence match
- Not established: PFHxS, Lithium, Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) and 1 more
Not suitable for (5)
- Treating every tap in the home
- A whole-home hard-water or scale problem
- All PFAS: its evidence covers only the compounds it names
- Anyone who can't plumb, drill or hire an installer
- Renters who can't modify plumbing
Refrigerator Filter
Whirlpool Filter 3 Refrigerator Water Filter (WHR3RXD1)
- PFOS: eligible, evidence match
- Lead: eligible, evidence match
- Not established: PFHxS, Lithium, Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) and 1 more
Not suitable for (3)
- Treating every tap in the home
- A whole-home hard-water or scale problem
- All PFAS: its evidence covers only the compounds it names
Water Pitcher
Culligan ZeroWater 10-Cup Pitcher (ZEROP10)
- Lead: eligible, evidence match
- Not established: PFHxS, PFOS, Lithium and 2 more
Not suitable for (3)
- Treating every tap in the home
- A whole-home hard-water or scale problem
- All PFAS: its evidence covers only the compounds it names
Faucet Attachment
Faucet-Mount Filter
- Lead: eligible, evidence match
- Not established: PFHxS, PFOS, Lithium and 2 more
Not suitable for (3)
- Treating every tap in the home
- A whole-home hard-water or scale problem
- All PFAS: its evidence covers only the compounds it names
Under-Sink Filter
Under-Sink Carbon Block Filter
- Lead: eligible, evidence match
- Not established: PFHxS, PFOS, Lithium and 2 more
Not suitable for (4)
- Treating every tap in the home
- A whole-home hard-water or scale problem
- All PFAS: its evidence covers only the compounds it names
- Anyone who can't plumb, drill or hire an installer
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is Salt Lake City tap water safe to drink?
PurityMap does not give a safe/unsafe verdict; it shows what the public records measured. For Salt Lake City, PFHxS 18.2 ng/L (limit 10 ng/L) and PFOS 7.1 ng/L (limit 4 ng/L) were measured above their limits in EPA's 2024 testing; the lead 90th-percentile result was 2.51 µg/L against the 15 µg/L action level. SALT LAKE CITY WATER SYSTEM (PWSID UTAH18026) has a Purity Score of 57/100 (confidence: moderate), assessed at the water-system level and computed only from contaminants that were measured. Water can change in your own pipes, so a certified test is the only way to know what comes out of your tap.
Who provides tap water in Salt Lake City?
SALT LAKE CITY WATER SYSTEM (PWS ID UTAH18026) is the public water system on record for Salt Lake City, Utah, serving about 383,612 people. Confirm the utility on your water bill before acting on a specific finding.
Where does Salt Lake City get its drinking water?
Surface water (primary source of record in EPA SDWIS).
Are PFAS "forever chemicals" in Salt Lake City's water?
Yes. In EPA's UCMR 5 testing (2023-10-02 to 2024-10-09), PFHxS was measured at 18.2 ng/L against a 10 ng/L federal limit and PFOS was measured at 7.1 ng/L against a 4 ng/L federal limit. PFHxA (5.7 ng/L, below the 400,000 ng/L state limit) was also detected. PFPeA (6.2 ng/L) was also detected; it has no federal or state limit. Reverse osmosis and filters certified to NSF/ANSI 53 for PFOA/PFOS reduce them at the tap.
Is there lead in Salt Lake City's tap water?
SALT LAKE CITY WATER SYSTEM's most recent lead 90th-percentile result (2022–2024) was 2.51 µg/L, below the 15 µg/L action level. That figure comes from sampled homes; lead usually enters from a building's own pipes and fixtures, so only a test at your tap tells you what you drink.
What does the latest Salt Lake City water report show?
PurityMap's current record for Salt Lake City holds 31 findings: 3 above a reference, 2 detected within the reference, 1 detected with no limit and 25 not detected. Each finding links to its dated public record; a parameter that was never monitored is shown as pending, not as a pass.
Follow this water
Follow Salt Lake City's water
One email when a new sampling round is published, a result moves above or below its reference, or the system's score changes.
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Sources and dataAll 31 records and their sourcesEPA UCMR 5 · EPA SDWIS (Lead & Copper Rule)
25 other PFAS tested — none detected
- Result
- 42.8 µg/L
- Benchmark
- 10 µg/L EPA health reference level (screening, not a legal limit)Screening level, not a legal limit
- Sampled
- 2023-10-02 to 2024-10-09
Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS)
- Result
- 18.2 ng/L
- Benchmark
- 10 ng/L federal MCL (2024)
- Sampled
- 2023-10-02 to 2024-10-09
Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)
- Result
- 7.1 ng/L
- Benchmark
- 4.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024)
- Sampled
- 2023-10-02 to 2024-10-09
- Result
- 2.506 µg/L
- Benchmark
- 15 µg/L federal action level
- Sampled
- 2022–2024 monitoring period
Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA)
- Result
- 5.7 ng/L
- Benchmark
- 400,000 ng/L Michigan EGLE state MCL (strictest US state)
- Sampled
- 2023-10-02 to 2024-10-09
Perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA)
- Result
- 6.2 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal or state limit; shown for transparency
- Sampled
- 2023-10-02 to 2024-10-09
25 other PFAS tested — none detected
11-Chloroeicosafluoro-3-oxaundecane-1-sulfonic acid (11Cl-PF3OUdS)
- Result
- < 5 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal or state limit; shown for transparency
- Sampled
- 2023-10-02 to 2024-10-09
1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorodecane sulfonic acid (8:2 FTS)
- Result
- < 5 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal or state limit; shown for transparency
- Sampled
- 2023-10-02 to 2024-10-09
1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (4:2 FTS)
- Result
- < 3 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal or state limit; shown for transparency
- Sampled
- 2023-10-02 to 2024-10-09
1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (6:2 FTS)
- Result
- < 5 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal or state limit; shown for transparency
- Sampled
- 2023-10-02 to 2024-10-09
4,8-Dioxa-3H-perfluorononanoic acid (ADONA)
- Result
- < 3 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal or state limit; shown for transparency
- Sampled
- 2023-10-02 to 2024-10-09
9-Chlorohexadecafluoro-3-oxanone-1-sulfonic acid (9Cl-PF3ONS)
- Result
- < 2 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal or state limit; shown for transparency
- Sampled
- 2023-10-02 to 2024-10-09
Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA) (GenX chemicals)
- Result
- < 5 ng/L
- Benchmark
- 10 ng/L federal MCL (2024)
- Sampled
- 2023-10-02 to 2024-10-09
N-ethyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid (NEtFOSAA)
- Result
- < 5 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal or state limit; shown for transparency
- Sampled
- 2023-10-02 to 2024-10-09
N-methyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid (NMeFOSAA)
- Result
- < 6 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal or state limit; shown for transparency
- Sampled
- 2023-10-02 to 2024-10-09
Nonafluoro-3,6-dioxaheptanoic acid (NFDHA)
- Result
- < 20 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal or state limit; shown for transparency
- Sampled
- 2023-10-02 to 2024-10-09
Perfluoro (2-ethoxyethane) sulfonic acid (PFEESA)
- Result
- < 3 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal or state limit; shown for transparency
- Sampled
- 2023-10-02 to 2024-10-09
Perfluoro-3-methoxypropanoic acid (PFMPA)
- Result
- < 4 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal or state limit; shown for transparency
- Sampled
- 2023-10-02 to 2024-10-09
Perfluoro-4-methoxybutanoic acid (PFMBA)
- Result
- < 3 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal or state limit; shown for transparency
- Sampled
- 2023-10-02 to 2024-10-09
Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS)
- Result
- < 3 ng/L
- Benchmark
- 2,000 ng/L EPA health advisory (screening, not a legal limit)Screening level, not a legal limit
- Sampled
- 2023-10-02 to 2024-10-09
- Result
- < 5 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal or state limit; shown for transparency
- Sampled
- 2023-10-02 to 2024-10-09
- Result
- < 3 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal or state limit; shown for transparency
- Sampled
- 2023-10-02 to 2024-10-09
Perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA)
- Result
- < 3 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal or state limit; shown for transparency
- Sampled
- 2023-10-02 to 2024-10-09
Perfluoroheptanesulfonic acid (PFHpS)
- Result
- < 3 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal or state limit; shown for transparency
- Sampled
- 2023-10-02 to 2024-10-09
Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA)
- Result
- < 3 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal or state limit; shown for transparency
- Sampled
- 2023-10-02 to 2024-10-09
- Result
- < 4 ng/L
- Benchmark
- 10 ng/L federal MCL (2024)
- Sampled
- 2023-10-02 to 2024-10-09
- Result
- < 4 ng/L
- Benchmark
- 4.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024)
- Sampled
- 2023-10-02 to 2024-10-09
Perfluoropentanesulfonic acid (PFPeS)
- Result
- < 4 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal or state limit; shown for transparency
- Sampled
- 2023-10-02 to 2024-10-09
Perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTA)
- Result
- < 8 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal or state limit; shown for transparency
- Sampled
- 2023-10-02 to 2024-10-09
Perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA)
- Result
- < 7 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal or state limit; shown for transparency
- Sampled
- 2023-10-02 to 2024-10-09
Perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA)
- Result
- < 2 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal or state limit; shown for transparency
- Sampled
- 2023-10-02 to 2024-10-09
Every value is the published result from the cited public record. A reporting limit is the lowest level the method could reliably quantify; a non-detect is not a guarantee of zero.
UCMR5 Analytical Results
UCMR5 Analytical Results: SALT LAKE CITY WATER SYSTEM (UTAH18026)
US EPA
State SDWIS Compliance Record
Lead & Copper Rule 90th-percentile: SALT LAKE CITY WATER SYSTEM (UTAH18026)
US EPA SDWIS
Methodology: how we analyze water. Prepared with AI assistance and reviewed by the PurityMap Editorial Team before publication.
Something off with your water's smell, color or taste?
Start with the hot-or-cold tap check. Where Salt Lake City Water System reported something related, it's shown below.
- Rotten-egg smell
- Cloudy or milky water
- Chlorine smell
- Brown or yellow water
- Metallic taste
Lead at Salt Lake City Water System: 2.506 µg/L (90th percentile, 2022–2024 monitoring period). Lead has no taste, so a taste neither shows nor rules it out.