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10 cities ranked best to worst by EPA-record water quality score
Juneau has the best tap water grade in Alaska (A, 100/100); Bethel is lowest (C, 73/100). 1 of the 10 graded systems has a health-based EPA violation in the last five years; 80% earn a B or better, so safety depends on your utility.
This page ranks the 10 Alaska 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 (Juneau) down to the lowest (Bethel); ties are ordered by population served. See the full scoring methodology for every deduction and the data vintages.
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 Alaska contaminant breakdown or drill into the county-level rankings.
What the EPA service line inventory and our Alaska guide say, beyond the scores.
This ranking covers 10 Alaska cities. 10 of them are matched to an active EPA-registered community water system (PWSID). Those 10 systems report serving 400,096 people in EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS).
Of all 10 cities Alaska cities we can grade from EPA records, 8 cities (80%) grade B or better, 2 sit in the C range and 0 grade D or F. The average score is 89/100.
EPA records 2 health-based violations in the last five years across 1 city. Monitoring and reporting violations (20 in the same window) are paperwork lapses and cost far fewer points.
10 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 9 cities: PFAS were detected in 3 cities, and PFOA or PFOS reached EPA's 4 ppt limit in 2 cities.
Juneau scores highest (100) and Bethel lowest (73), a 27-point spread.
The clearest hard data for Alaska is EPA's service line inventory, updated 2026-08-18 (Q2 2026). 637 Alaska systems inventoried 137,683 service lines: 0 confirmed lead plus 21 galvanized lines requiring replacement, spread across 0 systems. Another 25,964 lines (19%) are still of unknown material, which EPA counts as possible lead until verified.
Of the 10 city-linked Alaska utilities with an inventory on file, 2 report none but still have a quarter or more of their lines unverified and 8 report no lead with most lines verified. MOA MUNICIPALITY OF ANCHORAGE, which serves Anchorage and 221,351 people, is the biggest and reports no lead lines but 15,451 (27%) still unknown.
| Contaminant | Federal limit | Cities elevated | Over limit | Highest reading | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Trihalomethanes | EPA MCL 0.080 mg/L (80 ppb) | 3 | 0 | Kodiak | 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 | 2 | 1 | Ketchikan | Haloacetic Acids is associated with increased cancer risk over long exposure. |
| PFAS | EPA 2024 MCLs of 4.0 ppt for PFOA and PFOS | 2 | 2 | Anchorage | PFAS are linked to immune, developmental, liver and some cancer effects. |
| Arsenic | EPA MCL 0.010 mg/L (10 ppb) | 2 | 1 | Kenai | Arsenic is linked to skin damage, circulatory problems and increased cancer risk. |
| Lead | EPA action level 0.015 mg/L (15 ppb); health goal 0 | 1 | 0 | Sitka | Lead harms brain development in children and raises blood pressure and kidney risk in adults. |
| Radium | EPA MCL 5 pCi/L (combined radium-226/228) | 1 | 0 | Palmer | 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 Alaska's 10 cities are distributed by water quality grade
8 out of 10 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 | Juneau | 100/100 | A |
| 2 | Kodiak | 100/100 | A |
| 3 | Sitka | 97/100 | A |
| #4 | Ketchikan | 90/100 | A |
| #5 | Palmer | 90/100 | A |
| #6 | Kenai | 90/100 | A |
| #7 | Anchorage | 85/100 | B |
| #8 | Fairbanks | 84/100 | B |
| #9 | Wasilla | 78/100 | C |
| #10 | Bethel | 73/100 | C |
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 Alaska 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 Alaska city next to where you're moving from (or to) and see every contaminant head to head.
The best water quality in Alaska is found in Juneau with a score of 100/100 and a grade of A. This puts Juneau among the top-performing cities in the country for drinking water safety.
The most concerning water quality is in Bethel scoring 73/100 with a grade of C. Residents may want to consider home water testing and filtration options.
The statewide average score is 89/100, which is 1 points above the national average of 88/100. Over half (60%) of Alaska cities score above the national average, though some areas face challenges.
Alaska tap water averages 89/100. Even with solid scores, a certified filter removes trace contaminants and improves taste — especially useful for households with young children or anyone sensitive to chlorine or lead.
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Juneau has the best water quality grade among the 10 Alaska 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. 2 cities share this top score; the largest system is listed first.
It varies by utility. Across the 10 Alaska cities we grade from EPA records, the average score is 89/100 and 80% earn a B or better. 1 city has at least one health-based EPA violation in the last five years. No city grades below C. Lead from household plumbing is not captured by any city-level grade.
By population served: Anchorage grades B (85/100, #7 of 10); Fairbanks grades B (84/100, #8 of 10); Juneau grades A (100/100, #1 of 10); Wasilla grades C (78/100, #9 of 10); Kodiak grades A (100/100, #2 of 10). Each city report lists the utility's violations, lead 90th-percentile result and PFAS results.
Of the 10 graded Alaska cities, 0 cities have a D or F grade. Another 2 cities fall in the C range. 6 of 10 (60%) score above the national average of 88/100 across all graded U.S. cities in our dataset.
This page ranks 10 Alaska 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 Alaska 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
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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 Alaska water
Certified filters matched to your contaminants