Is Tacoma Tap Water Safe to Drink?
Short answer: In the 2023–2025 records we hold for Tacoma, no listed result is above a legal limit. 2 substances were detected and 29 were tested and not detected. The water is from Tacoma Water, serving 446,245 residents.
- Year 2026
- Utility Tacoma Water
- Coverage 31 records
- Updated 2026-10-15
Where Tacoma’s water comes from
- Utility
- Tacoma Water
- Water system
- TACOMA WATER DIVISION CITY OF · WA5386800
- Source water
- Surface water
- Disinfectant
- not on record
- Population served
- 446,245
- Reporting period
- Sampled 2023–2025
- Monitoring coverage
- 31 records · 3 of 4 groups measured
- Your water utility
- Tacoma Water: contact and record
Your water bill or annual water quality report names your actual supplier.
- TACOMA WATER DIVISION CITY OFThis reportWA5386800 · 446,245 served
Also supplies: University Place, Prairie Ridge, Ruston
- 1Source
Surface water
- 2Treatment
The treatment details are not on record.
- 3Distribution
Mains, then your building’s service line.
- 4Your tap
Plumbing inside the building is outside this record.
Tacoma water in four numbers
No measured result is above a legal limit.
2 detected results, by distance from their limit
Each bar runs to the named reference; the tick marks it. Open a row for five layers: measured, compared, meaning, where it matters, what to do.Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS)Within reference · Federal MCL10 ng/L federal MCL (2024)5.1ng/L
5.1 ng/L, sampled 2025-01-28 to 2025-10-08. EPA UCMR 5.
10 ng/L federal MCL (2024): a legal limit. That limit is judged on a yearly average, and water systems have until 2029 to meet it.
Detected at up to 5.1 ng/L (below the 10 ng/L limit EPA set in 2024). That limit is judged on a yearly average, and water systems have until 2029 to meet it.
Comes with the source water; home plumbing does not add it.
Test your own tap first. To reduce it: Reverse osmosis, or carbon certified for PFAS (NSF/ANSI 53 or 58, with PFHxS named on the listing).
Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS)Within reference · Screening level2,000 ng/L EPA health advisory (screening, not a legal limit)3.3ng/L
3.3 ng/L, sampled 2025-01-28 to 2025-10-08. EPA UCMR 5.
2,000 ng/L EPA health advisory (screening, not a legal limit).
Detected at up to 3.3 ng/L (below the 2,000 ng/L EPA health advisory; a screening level, not a legal limit).
Comes with the source water; home plumbing does not add it.
Test your own tap first. To reduce it: Reverse osmosis, or carbon certified for PFAS (NSF/ANSI 53 or 58, with PFBS named on the listing).
29 others tested, none detectedshow
- 11Cl-PF3OUdS
- 8:2 FTS
- 4:2 FTS
- 6:2 FTS
- ADONA
- 9Cl-PF3ONS
- HFPO-DA (GenX)
- Lead (90th percentile)
- Lithium
- NEtFOSAA
- NMeFOSAA
- NFDHA
- PFEESA
- PFMPA
- PFMBA
- PFBA
- PFDA
- PFDoA
- PFHpS
- PFHpA
- PFHxA
- PFNA
- PFOS
- PFOA
- PFPeS
- PFPeA
- PFTA
- PFTrDA
- PFUnA
TACOMA WATER DIVISION CITY OF (EPA PWSID WA5386800) delivers surface water to 446,245 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.
0health-based violations in the last 10 years
From EPA SDWIS. A clean violation history means no enforcement action was recorded; it does not cover contaminants without a limit.
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.
Your tap can differ from the city record
The record describes water leaving treatment and samples across the system. Pipes, solder and fixtures inside a building can add lead the record can’t see, especially in older buildings with lead service lines.
Test your water- CityTreated water
Measured in this report
- MainsDistribution network
Sampled across the system
- BuildingService line and plumbing
Not in this record
- TapYour glass
Only a tap test measures it
Three steps from a record to your glass
- 01Test
Know what comes from your tap, starting with a first-draw lead sample.
- 02Match
Compare each result with its named reference in our test reader.
- 03Treat
Choose a technology certified for what your test found.
What can reduce what was found here
Finding → technology → certification → product, in that order. The reference type carries the meaning; there is no severity score.| Finding | Reference type | Technology | Certification to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS)5.1 ng/L | Federal MCL | Reverse osmosis, or carbon certified for PFAS | NSF/ANSI 53 or 58, with PFHxS named on the listing |
| Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS)3.3 ng/L | Screening level | Reverse osmosis, or carbon certified for PFAS | NSF/ANSI 53 or 58, with PFBS named on the listing |
Filters for the PFAS found in Tacoma water
Affiliate linksPurityMap earns a commission from these links. "Best choice" and "Budget pick" go to certified products first; commission never decides them. Affiliate disclosure★ Best available: Aquasana Claryum 3-Stage Max Flow Under-Sink Filter (AQ-6300M), the best fit here; nothing in this group is certified yet.
| Pick | Product | Details and price | Certification | Why it’s listed | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★ Best available | Under-sinkAquasana Claryum 3-Stage Max Flow Under-Sink Filter (AQ-6300M) | Price$$ | Not certified for Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS) and PFHxS | See the evidence | Check price at Aquasana |
| Also good | CountertopAquasana Clean Water Machine Countertop Filter (AQ-CWM2) | Price$$ | Not certified for Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS) and PFHxS | See the evidence | Check price at Aquasana |
| Also good | Reverse osmosisSmartFlow® Reverse Osmosis | TechnologyReverse osmosisPrice$$$ | Not certified for Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS) and PFHxS | See the evidence | Check price at Aquasana |
See all 8 drinking-water options for PFAS
| Pick | Product | Details and price | Certification | Why it’s listed | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also good | Reverse osmosisiSpring RCC7AK Alkaline Reverse Osmosis SystemUse code REFISPRING at checkout: 10% off your first iSpring order. | TechnologyReverse osmosisPrice$$ | Brand lab-tested for PFAS, not independently certified for Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS) and PFHxS | See the evidence | Check price at iSpring |
| Also good | Reverse osmosisiSpring RO5004F Tankless Reverse Osmosis System with UVUse code REFISPRING at checkout: 10% off your first iSpring order. | TechnologyReverse osmosisPrice$$$ | Brand lab-tested for PFAS, not independently certified for Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS) and PFHxS | See the evidence | Check price at iSpring |
| Also good | Reverse osmosisWaterdrop G3P600 Reverse Osmosis System | TechnologyReverse osmosisPrice$$$ | Not certified for Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS) and PFHxS | See the evidence | Check price at Waterdrop |
| Also good | Reverse osmosisWaterdrop G3P800 Tankless Reverse Osmosis System | TechnologyReverse osmosisPrice$$$ | Not certified for Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS) and PFHxS | See the evidence | Check price at Waterdrop |
| Also good | Reverse osmosisWaterdrop X12 Reverse Osmosis System | TechnologyReverse osmosisPrice$$$$ | Brand lab-tested for PFAS, not independently certified for Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS) and PFHxS | See the evidence | Check price at Waterdrop |
★ Best choice: HealthShield™, certified for PFHxS.
| Pick | Product | Details and price | Certification | Why it’s listed | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★ Best choice | Whole-houseHealthShield™ | TreatsPFHxSPrice$$$$ | Certified for PFHxS (NSF/ANSI 53, WQA) | Why it’s listed: its current certification names PFHxS, found in Tacoma’s record.See the evidence | Check price at Aquasana |
| $ Budget pick | Whole-houseiSpring WGB32B-PFKS PFAS & Heavy Metals Whole House FilterUse code REFISPRING at checkout: 10% off your first iSpring order. | Price$$$ | Brand lab-tested for PFAS, not independently certified for Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS) and PFHxS | See the evidence | Check price at iSpring |
PurityMap earns a commission from these links. "Best choice" and "Budget pick" go to certified products first; commission never decides them. Affiliate disclosure.
Choose your situation
Older buildings may have lead service lines, solder or fixtures. Lead is not in Tacoma’s published record, so only a tap test tells you. Test first-draw water, then filter if needed.
2 of 29 PFAS tested were detected in Tacoma’s record (PFHxS 5.1 ng/L and PFBS 3.3 ng/L). If PFAS matters to you, a filter certification names each compound it covers.
Most utilities keep chlorine or chloramine in the pipes. A carbon filter certified for taste and odor reduces either; your utility can tell you which it uses.
Your utility’s annual water quality report usually lists hardness; a test strip also measures it.
Reverse osmosis reduces many dissolved contaminants, including lead and minerals, at a single faucet, with some water sent to drain.
Tacoma tap water FAQ
Get one email when Tacoma’s record changes.
One email when a new sampling round is published, a result moves above or below its reference, or the system's score changes.Is Tacoma tap water safe to drink?
PurityMap does not give a safe/unsafe verdict; it shows what the public records measured. For Tacoma, PFAS were detected below their limits. TACOMA WATER DIVISION CITY OF (PWSID WA5386800) has a Purity Score of 91/100 (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. What we found →
Who provides tap water in Tacoma?
TACOMA WATER DIVISION CITY OF (PWS ID WA5386800) is the public water system on record for Tacoma, Washington, serving about 446,245 people. Confirm the utility on your water bill before acting on a specific finding. Water utility →
Where does Tacoma get its drinking water?
Surface water (primary source of record in EPA SDWIS). Water utility →
Are PFAS "forever chemicals" in Tacoma's water?
In EPA's UCMR 5 testing (2025-01-28 to 2025-10-08), PFBS was detected at 3.3 ng/L, below the 2,000 ng/L EPA health advisory and PFHxS was detected at 5.1 ng/L, below the 10 ng/L federal limit. What we found →
Is there lead in Tacoma's tap water?
Lead is not in Tacoma's current published record. Lead usually enters from a building's own pipes and fixtures, so a certified home test is the way to know yours. Your household →
What does the latest Tacoma water report show?
PurityMap's current record for Tacoma holds 31 findings: 2 detected within the reference and 29 not detected. Each finding links to its dated public record; a parameter that was never monitored is shown as pending, not as a pass. Records →
31 records, each traceable
- EPA UCMR 5
- EPA SDWIS (Lead & Copper Rule)
UCMR5 Analytical Results
UCMR5 Analytical Results: TACOMA WATER DIVISION CITY OF (WA5386800)
US EPA
State SDWIS Compliance Record
Lead & Copper Rule 90th-percentile: TACOMA WATER DIVISION CITY OF (WA5386800)
US EPA SDWIS
Methodology: how we analyze water. Prepared with AI assistance and reviewed by the PurityMap Editorial Team before publication.
How PurityMap reads Tacoma’s water
- 01Source data
EPA SDWIS, EPA UCMR 5 and utility reports, each dated and linked.
- 02Normalize
Units converted to one basis; a non-detect kept distinct from zero.
- 03Classify
Each result tagged by reference type: MCL, action level, screening level or aesthetic.
- 04Compare to the named reference
Every value sits against its own reference, never a blended one.
- 05Score
Measured subjects summarised at the water-system level; an open health-based violation caps the score.
- 06Match treatment
Treatment is matched to what was found; a product is called certified only when its current certification names it.
What the Purity Score means: a summary of this water system’s published record, capped while a health-based violation is open. It is not a test of any tap. TACOMA WATER DIVISION CITY OF · PWSID WA5386800 · Purity Score 91/100 (Excellent) · Confidence: moderate · Assessed at the water-system level
Full methodology →Something off with your water's smell, color or taste?
Start with the hot-or-cold tap check. Where Tacoma Water reported something related, it's shown below.
- Rotten-egg smell
- Cloudy or milky water
- Chlorine smell
- Brown or yellow water
- Metallic taste
Lead at Tacoma Water: not detected (90th percentile, 2023–2025 monitoring period). Lead has no taste, so a taste neither shows nor rules it out.
ZIP codes in Tacoma
A ZIP code is a postal area, not a water service area. Your water bill names your supplier.- 98401
- 98402
- 98403
- 98404
- 98405
- 98406
- 98407
- 98408
- 98409
- 98411
- 98412
- 98413
- 98415
- 98416
- 98417
- 98418
- 98419
- 98421
- 98422
- 98424
- 98431
- 98433
- 98442
- 98443