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Not health advice. Contact your local water utility for concerns.
Data from EPA Water Quality Reports. For official information, contact your water utility or health department.
Side-by-side EPA records for the two public water systems · EPA SDWIS/ECHO 2026Q2 · UCMR5 (2023–2026, July 2026 release) · SYR4 six-year review 2012–2019 · methodology
Washington has the better EPA record — grade A (92/100) vs grade C (72/100).
D.C. WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY · serves 632,323
CITY OF BALTIMORE · serves 1,600,000
| Metric | Washington | Baltimore |
|---|---|---|
| Grade / score | A · 92/100 | C · 72/100 |
| Health-based EPA violations, last 5 yrs | 0 | 2 |
| Health-based violations unresolved | 0 | 0 |
| Monitoring / reporting violations, last 5 yrs | 4 | 6 |
| Lead 90th percentile (action level 15 ppb) | 2 ppb (2025–2025) | 2.7 ppb (2022–2024) |
| PFAS detected (UCMR5 2023–2026) | PFHxA, PFPeA | PFPeA |
| Primary water source | Purchased surface water | Surface water |
| Population served | 632,323 | 1,600,000 |
| EPA PWSID | DC0000002 | MD0300002 |
Green = the better value where the two systems differ. Lead and PFAS figures describe water leaving the plant, not any individual tap.
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Washington — it scores 92/100 (grade A) against 72/100 (grade C) on EPA records. Washington has fewer health-based EPA violations in the last five years (0 vs 2)
Washington grades A (92/100): no health-based EPA violations in the last five years, lead 90th percentile 2 ppb, PFAS detected (PFHxA, PFPeA).
Baltimore grades C (72/100): 2 health-based EPA violations in the last five years, lead 90th percentile 2.7 ppb, PFAS detected (PFPeA).