Washington Water Quality Report 2026: 122 Cities Ranked by the Records

PurityMap does not give a statewide safe or unsafe verdict: Washington tap water comes from many separate public water systems, so the answer depends on the one that serves you. Of 122 Washington city reports, 1 city has a health-based violation in the federal SDWIS record in the last 10 years, and 1 city was above the 15 µg/L lead action level. 21 of 122 Washington city reports had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit. EPA's 2024 limits are judged on a yearly average, and water systems have until 2029 to meet them, so a single sample is not a violation. 99 of 122 have none of these on record, which is not the same as every contaminant being tested. Your city's report shows its own records, and plumbing inside a building can still change what reaches your tap.

33 Washington cities share the top place in the ranking. The largest of them by population served are Bellevue, Kent, Yakima, Mount Vernon and Soos Creek District. Cities are ranked by the Purity Score of each one's main water system, computed only from contaminants measured in the published EPA record, so the ranking compares the records, not which city's water is safest. Each city report names the water system behind its score.

PurityMap ranks 122 cities in Washington 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 Bellevue's main water system: BELLEVUE CITY OF · PWSID WA5305575 · Purity Score 100 (Excellent) · Confidence: low · 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.

21 of 122 Washington city reports had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit in EPA's UCMR 5 testing, including Moses Lake (PFOS 52.2 ng/L), Vancouver (PFOS 18.6 ng/L), Richland (PFOS 17 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 41.

Utilities report lead as a 90th-percentile result from home taps. 81 of 122 Washington cities reported a value above zero, and 1 city 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.

1 city in Washington has a health-based violation in the federal SDWIS record within about the last ten years. Each city report lists the contaminant, year and whether it was resolved.

Hardness is published in utility water-quality reports for 9 Washington cities on record; the hardest is Vancouver at 5.4 grains per gallon. Hardness affects scale and appliances; it is not a health finding.