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22 cities ranked best to worst by EPA-record water quality score
Montgomery has the best tap water grade in Alabama (A, 100/100); Prichard is lowest (F, 52/100). 5 of the 22 graded systems have a health-based EPA violation in the last five years; 55% earn a B or better, so safety depends on your utility.
This page ranks the 22 Alabama cities whose water systems we have matched to EPA records. Every city starts at 100 points and loses points for health-based EPA violations in the last five years (SDWIS 2026Q2), its most recent Lead and Copper Rule 90th-percentile result, PFAS detected in EPA's 2023–2026 UCMR5 monitoring, and 2012–2019 compliance samples that averaged near or above a limit. Letters follow fixed bands (A ≥90, B ≥80, C ≥70, D ≥60, F below 60). Cities run from the highest score (Montgomery) down to the lowest (Prichard); ties are ordered by population served. See the full scoring methodology for every deduction and the data vintages. 3 further Alabama cities are listed at the bottom without a grade because we have not yet matched them to an EPA water system.
An A or B grade points to water that consistently tests within federal safety limits, while a C suggests moderate issues worth watching and a D or F flags contaminants or compliance problems serious enough to act on. These grades describe system-level water leaving the treatment plant — they can't account for your home's own plumbing, so older houses with lead service lines or fixtures can add contaminants after the water arrives. For a contaminant-by-contaminant view, see the Alabama contaminant breakdown or drill into the county-level rankings.
What the EPA service line inventory and our Alabama guide say, beyond the scores.
25 Alabama cities have a report on this site. 22 of them are matched to an active EPA-registered community water system (PWSID). Those 22 systems report serving 2,565,357 people in EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS).
Of 22 cities of the 25 Alabama cities we can grade from EPA records, 12 cities (55%) grade B or better, 5 sit in the C range and 5 grade D or F. The average score is 82/100. 3 cities are not graded because they have not been matched to an EPA system yet.
EPA records 13 health-based violations in the last five years across 5 cities. Monitoring and reporting violations (109 in the same window) are paperwork lapses and cost far fewer points.
22 cities have a Lead and Copper Rule 90th-percentile result from 2020 or later: 1 city at 5 ppb or more.
EPA's UCMR5 PFAS monitoring (2023–2026) covers 22 cities: PFAS were detected in 14 cities, and PFOA or PFOS reached EPA's 4 ppt limit in 9 cities.
Montgomery scores highest (100) and Prichard lowest (52), a 48-point spread.
Because lead enters water after treatment, the most useful statewide number is the service line inventory Alabama utilities filed with EPA (Q2 2026). 521 Alabama systems inventoried 2,279,909 service lines: 14,083 confirmed lead plus 55,147 galvanized lines requiring replacement, spread across 22 systems. Only 192,508 lines (8.4%) remain unverified, so Alabama's inventory is comparatively complete.
Of the 22 city-linked Alabama utilities with an inventory on file, 13 report at least one lead or galvanized-requiring-replacement line, 2 report none but still have a quarter or more of their lines unverified, and 7 report no lead with most lines verified. The largest, CENTRAL ALABAMA WATER SYSTEM (Birmingham, 585,000 served), reports 12,350 lead lines and 18 galvanized requiring replacement.
| Contaminant | Federal limit | Cities elevated | Over limit | Highest reading | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PFAS | EPA 2024 MCLs of 4.0 ppt for PFOA and PFOS | 9 | 9 | Gadsden | PFAS are linked to immune, developmental, liver and some cancer effects. |
| Total Trihalomethanes | EPA MCL 0.080 mg/L (80 ppb) | 5 | 0 | Auburn | Total Trihalomethanes is associated with liver, kidney and nervous-system effects and increased cancer risk over long exposure. |
| Haloacetic Acids | EPA MCL 0.060 mg/L (60 ppb) for HAA5 | 3 | 0 | Auburn | Haloacetic Acids is associated with increased cancer risk over long exposure. |
| Radium | EPA MCL 5 pCi/L (combined radium-226/228) | 1 | 0 | Daphne | Radium increases cancer risk with long exposure. |
Service line counts: EPA SDWIS Service Line Inventory, Q2 2026 snapshot (updated 2026-08-18). Limits: EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations.
How Alabama's 22 cities are distributed by water quality grade
12 out of 22 cities meet or exceed a B grade for water quality
Sorted by water quality score from best to worst. Click any city for a detailed water quality report.
| Rank | City | Score | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montgomery | 100/100 | A |
| 2 | Anniston | 99/100 | A |
| 3 | Northport | 99/100 | A |
| #4 | Enterprise | 97/100 | A |
| #5 | Dothan | 96/100 | A |
| #6 | Decatur | 96/100 | A |
| #7 | Madison | 92/100 | A |
| #8 | Birmingham | 91/100 | A |
| #9 | Athens | 90/100 | A |
| #10 | Mobile | 87/100 | B |
| #11 | Auburn | 82/100 | B |
| #12 | Bessemer | 80/100 | B |
| #13 | Daphne | 79/100 | C |
| #14 | Tuscaloosa | 76/100 | C |
| #15 | Opelika | 76/100 | C |
| #16 | Huntsville | 74/100 | C |
| #17 | Florence | 72/100 | C |
| #18 | Phenix City | 67/100 | D |
| #19 | Prattville | 64/100 | D |
| #20 | Gadsden | 64/100 | D |
| #21 | Alabaster | 61/100 | D |
| #22 | Prichard | 52/100 | F |
Sources: EPA SDWIS/ECHO violations and Lead and Copper Rule results (2026Q2 extract), UCMR5 PFAS occurrence (2023–2026), SYR4 compliance samples (2012–2019). Rubric v2 — methodology.
Found your city above? These guides turn its grade into an action plan.
Pitcher vs. under-sink vs. reverse osmosis, matched to the contaminants reported in Alabama systems.
Taste, odor, trihalomethanes, and why a carbon filter handles them
Where it comes from, how to test, and which filters are NSF 53 certified to remove it
Best filters for lead →EPA's inventory of lead pipes by water system — a risk these plant-level grades cannot capture.
Put a Alabama city next to where you're moving from (or to) and see every contaminant head to head.
The best water quality in Alabama is found in Montgomery with a score of 100/100 and a grade of A. This puts Montgomery among the top-performing cities in the country for drinking water safety.
The most concerning water quality is in Prichard scoring 52/100 with a grade of F. Residents may want to consider home water testing and filtration options.
5 cities with D or F grades:
The statewide average score is 82/100, which is 6 points below the national average of 88/100. Only 41% of Alabama cities score above the national average, suggesting statewide water quality improvement is needed.
5 Alabama cities have a D or F grade. Residents in those areas — and anyone wanting extra protection — should consider a certified water filter that removes the specific contaminants found in Alabama water systems.
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Montgomery has the best water quality grade among the 22 Alabama cities we can grade, with a score of 100/100 (grade A). Scores start at 100 and lose points for health-based EPA violations, lead 90th-percentile results, PFAS detections in EPA's UCMR5 monitoring and historical (2012–2019) readings near a limit.
It varies by utility. Across the 22 Alabama cities we grade from EPA records, the average score is 82/100 and 55% earn a B or better. 5 cities have at least one health-based EPA violation in the last five years. 5 cities grade D or F; residents there should consider a certified filter matched to the finding on the city page. Lead from household plumbing is not captured by any city-level grade.
By population served: Birmingham grades A (91/100, #8 of 22); Huntsville grades C (74/100, #16 of 22); Mobile grades B (87/100, #10 of 22, 1 health-based EPA violation in 5 years); Montgomery grades A (100/100, #1 of 22); Tuscaloosa grades C (76/100, #14 of 22, 2 health-based EPA violations in 5 years). Each city report lists the utility's violations, lead 90th-percentile result and PFAS results.
Of the 22 graded Alabama cities, 5 cities have a D or F grade. Another 5 cities fall in the C range. 9 of 22 (41%) score above the national average of 88/100 across all graded U.S. cities in our dataset. 3 further Alabama cities are not graded because we have not matched them to an EPA water system yet.
This page ranks 22 Alabama cities from EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (violations and lead results, 2026Q2), UCMR5 PFAS monitoring (2023–2026) and Six-Year Review sample data (2012–2019). Each city link opens a report with the utility's violation history, lead 90th-percentile results and PFAS table. For official Consumer Confidence Reports (CCR), contact your local water utility — federal law requires all community water systems to deliver an annual CCR to customers. The Alabama state environmental agency and the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) also publish official water quality data.
State water quality summary and key statistics
Top 20 cities with the cleanest water
Top-ranked cities nationwide
Cities with the most concerning water
Compare water quality across all 50 states
Side-by-side water quality comparison
Which contaminants show up in Alabama water
Certified filters matched to your contaminants