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Updated 2026-10-15
County water report

Pierce County Water Quality: 13 Cities Ranked by the Records

Pierce County, Washington: 13 city reports built from EPA and utility records. A county has many suppliers; each city shows the system that serves it.

Find my systemOpen on the mapPrivate wells in Pierce County
Across the county's systems

Highest result for each contaminant

One row per contaminant: the highest result any system in the county reported, against its limit. Open a row for the systems behind it.

Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)Detected in 5 systems of 13 tested4.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024) · US EPAHighest13.8 ng/L
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)Detected in 4 systems of 13 tested4.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024) · US EPAHighest6.8 ng/L
Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS)Detected in 5 systems of 13 tested10 ng/L federal MCL (2024) · US EPAHighest8.8 ng/L
Lead (90th percentile)Detected in 11 systems of 13 tested15 µg/L federal action level · US EPAHighest4 µg/L
Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS)Detected in 9 systems of 13 tested2,000 ng/L EPA health advisory (screening, not a legal limit) · US EPAHighest7.5 ng/L
Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA)Detected in 3 systems of 13 tested400,000 ng/L Michigan EGLE state MCL (strictest US state) · Michigan EGLEHighest48 ng/L
Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA)Detected in 2 systems of 13 testedNo federal or state limit; shown for transparencyHighest14 ng/L
Perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA)Detected in 5 systems of 13 testedNo federal or state limit; shown for transparencyHighest110 ng/L
23 substances tested, none detected in any systemShow

Tested in these 13 systems: BONNEY LAKE WATER DEPARTMENT CITY, DUPONT WATER SYSTEM CITY OF, GIG HARBOR WATER DEPT, JBLM Lewis, LAKEWOOD WATER DISTRICT, MOUNTAIN VIEW-EDGEWOOD WATER CO, ORTING CITY OF, PARKLAND LIGHT & WATER COMPANY, PUYALLUP CITY OF, SOUTHWOOD, SPANAWAY WATER COMPANY, SUMNER CITY OF, TACOMA WATER DIVISION CITY OF

  • 11-Chloroeicosafluoro-3-oxaundecane-1-sulfonic acid (11Cl-PF3OUdS)
  • 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorodecane sulfonic acid (8:2 FTS)
  • 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (4:2 FTS)
  • 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (6:2 FTS)
  • 4,8-Dioxa-3H-perfluorononanoic acid (ADONA)
  • 9-Chlorohexadecafluoro-3-oxanone-1-sulfonic acid (9Cl-PF3ONS)
  • Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA) (GenX chemicals)
  • Lithium
  • N-ethyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid (NEtFOSAA)
  • N-methyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid (NMeFOSAA)
  • Nonafluoro-3,6-dioxaheptanoic acid (NFDHA)
  • Perfluoro (2-ethoxyethane) sulfonic acid (PFEESA)
  • Perfluoro-3-methoxypropanoic acid (PFMPA)
  • Perfluoro-4-methoxybutanoic acid (PFMBA)
  • Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA)
  • Perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA)
  • Perfluoroheptanesulfonic acid (PFHpS)
  • Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA)
  • Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA)
  • Perfluoropentanesulfonic acid (PFPeS)
  • Perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTA)
  • Perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA)
  • Perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA)
13 cities

Cities ranked by the records

Showing 6 of 13 cities · scores are system-level, not tap tests

Ranked by the Purity Score of each city's main water system, highest first. Scores belong to water systems; there is no county score. The score is computed only from contaminants measured in the published EPA record, so this ranks the record, not which city's water is safest. How the score works.

PFAS in Pierce County5 of 13 city reports had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit
  1. Parkland13.8 ng/L
  2. Fort Lewis11.1 ng/L
  3. Graham8.9 ng/L
  4. Spanaway8.3 ng/L
  5. Lakewood5.9 ng/L
4.0 ng/L federal MCL · PFOS, ng/LPFAS in Washington
Lead

0of 13 cities above the 15 µg/L action level

Based on each system's 90th-percentile result. Lead from household plumbing isn't in this record.

Lead in Washington
Who supplies the county

Largest water systems

  1. TacomaTACOMA WATER DIVISION CITY OF · WA5386800
    446,245 served
  2. PuyallupPUYALLUP CITY OF · WA5370050
    94,520 served
  3. LakewoodLAKEWOOD WATER DISTRICT · WA5345550
    82,425 served
  4. GrahamSOUTHWOOD · WA5382844
    64,155 served
  5. Bonney LakeBONNEY LAKE WATER DEPARTMENT CITY · WA5307650
    43,371 served
  6. Fort LewisJBLM Lewis · WA5326050
    35,414 served
  7. SpanawaySPANAWAY WATER COMPANY · WA5382850
    34,506 served
  8. ParklandPARKLAND LIGHT & WATER COMPANY · WA5366200
    33,775 served
  9. Gig HarborGIG HARBOR WATER DEPT · WA5327600
    16,510 served
  10. SumnerSUMNER CITY OF · WA5385120
    16,438 served
Questions

Frequently asked

How does Pierce County tap water compare across cities?

PurityMap ranks 13 cities in Pierce County by the Purity Score of each city's main water system, computed only from contaminants measured in the published EPA record. Scores belong to water systems, not to cities. The highest published score is DuPont's main water system: DUPONT WATER SYSTEM CITY OF · PWSID WA5320500 · Purity Score 98 (Excellent) · Confidence: moderate · Assessed at the water-system level. The ranking compares the records, not which city's water is safest, and your own tap can differ with household plumbing.

How many Pierce County cities had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit?

5 of 13 Pierce County city reports had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit in EPA's UCMR 5 testing, including Parkland (PFOS 13.8 ng/L), Fort Lewis (PFOS 11.1 ng/L), Graham (PFOS 8.9 ng/L). That limit is judged on a yearly average, and water systems have until 2029 to meet it, so a single sample is not a violation. PFAS were detected at any level in 9.

Is there lead in Pierce County tap water?

Utilities report lead as a 90th-percentile result from home taps. 11 of 13 Pierce County cities reported a value above zero, and none was above the 15 µg/L federal action level. Lead usually comes from a building's own pipes and fixtures, so only a test at your tap tells you what you drink.

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