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Updated 2026-10-15
County water report

Providence County Water Quality: 6 Cities Ranked by the Records

Providence County, Rhode Island: 6 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 Providence 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.

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)Detected in 2 systems of 6 tested4.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024) · US EPAHighest7.7 ng/L
Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)Detected in 1 system of 6 tested4.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024) · US EPAHighest6.7 ng/L
Lead (90th percentile)Detected in 3 systems of 6 tested15 µg/L federal action level · US EPAHighest6.6 µg/L
Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS)Detected in 1 system of 6 tested2,000 ng/L EPA health advisory (screening, not a legal limit) · US EPAHighest4.5 ng/L
Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA)Detected in 2 systems of 6 tested400,000 ng/L Michigan EGLE state MCL (strictest US state) · Michigan EGLEHighest7.3 ng/L
1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (6:2 FTS)Detected in 1 system of 6 testedNo federal or state limit; shown for transparencyHighest6 ng/L
Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA)Detected in 1 system of 6 testedNo federal or state limit; shown for transparencyHighest6.7 ng/L
Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA)Detected in 2 systems of 6 testedNo federal or state limit; shown for transparencyHighest3.7 ng/L
1 more contaminant detectedShow
Perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA)Detected in 2 systems of 6 testedNo federal or state limit; shown for transparencyHighest8.3 ng/L
22 substances tested, none detected in any systemShow

Tested in these 6 systems: CUMBERLAND, TOWN OF, EAST PROVIDENCE-CITY OF, LINCOLN WATER COMMISSION, PAWTUCKET WATER SUPPLY BOARD VEOLIA-NA, PROVIDENCE-CITY OF, WOONSOCKET WATER DIVISION

  • 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)
  • 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)
  • Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS)
  • Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA)
  • Perfluoropentanesulfonic acid (PFPeS)
  • Perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTA)
  • Perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA)
  • Perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA)
6 cities

Cities ranked by the records

Showing 6 of 6 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 Providence County2 of 6 city reports had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit
  1. Cumberland6.7 ng/L
4.0 ng/L federal MCL · PFOS, ng/LPFAS in Rhode Island
Lead

0of 6 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 Rhode Island
Who supplies the county

Largest water systems

  1. ProvidencePROVIDENCE-CITY OF · RI1592024
    333,142 served
  2. PawtucketPAWTUCKET WATER SUPPLY BOARD VEOLIA-NA · RI1592021
    98,130 served
  3. East ProvidenceEAST PROVIDENCE-CITY OF · RI1615610
    47,961 served
  4. WoonsocketWOONSOCKET WATER DIVISION · RI1559518
    45,828 served
  5. LincolnLINCOLN WATER COMMISSION · RI1858423
    21,664 served
  6. CumberlandCUMBERLAND, TOWN OF · RI1647530
    21,235 served
Questions

Frequently asked

How does Providence County tap water compare across cities?

PurityMap ranks 6 cities in Providence 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 Pawtucket's main water system: PAWTUCKET WATER SUPPLY BOARD VEOLIA-NA · PWSID RI1592021 · Purity Score 100 (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 Providence County cities had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit?

2 of 6 Providence County city reports had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit in EPA's UCMR 5 testing, including Cumberland (PFOA 7.7 ng/L), Woonsocket (PFOA 5.8 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 3.

Is there lead in Providence County tap water?

Utilities report lead as a 90th-percentile result from home taps. 3 of 6 Providence 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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