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22 cities ranked best to worst by EPA-record water quality score
Baton Rouge has the best tap water grade in Louisiana (A, 100/100); Shreveport is lowest (F, 57/100). 6 of the 22 graded systems have a health-based EPA violation in the last five years; 82% earn a B or better, so safety depends on your utility.
This page ranks the 22 Louisiana 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 (Baton Rouge) down to the lowest (Shreveport); ties are ordered by population served. See the full scoring methodology for every deduction and the data vintages. 8 further Louisiana 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 Louisiana contaminant breakdown or drill into the county-level rankings.
What the EPA service line inventory and our Louisiana guide say, beyond the scores.
We track 30 cities in Louisiana. 22 of them are matched to an active EPA-registered community water system (PWSID). Those 22 systems report serving 1,949,658 people in EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS).
Of 22 cities of the 30 Louisiana cities we can grade from EPA records, 18 cities (82%) grade B or better, 0 sit in the C range and 4 grade D or F. The average score is 91/100. 8 cities are not graded because they have not been matched to an EPA system yet.
EPA records 33 health-based violations in the last five years across 6 cities. Monitoring and reporting violations (5 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 5 cities, and PFOA or PFOS reached EPA's 4 ppt limit in 1 city.
Alexandria scores highest (100) and Shreveport lowest (57), a 43-point spread.
Lead pipes are the part of tap-water risk a treatment-plant grade cannot see, so start with EPA's service line inventory (Q2 2026 snapshot). 1,032 Louisiana systems inventoried 1,950,867 service lines: 16,640 confirmed lead plus 3,918 galvanized lines requiring replacement, spread across 6 systems. The bigger number is 719,309 lines (37%) whose material is still unknown — more than one line in four — and EPA treats unknown lines as possible lead until a utility verifies them.
Of the 22 city-linked Louisiana utilities with an inventory on file, 6 report at least one lead or galvanized-requiring-replacement line, 8 report none but still have a quarter or more of their lines unverified, and 8 report no lead with most lines verified. The largest, BATON ROUGE WATER COMPANY (Baton Rouge, 596,844 served), reports 0 lead lines and 1,007 galvanized requiring replacement. The most lead lines among city-linked systems belong to NEW ORLEANS CARROLLTON WATER WORKS (New Orleans): 13,927.
| Contaminant | Federal limit | Cities elevated | Over limit | Highest reading | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Trihalomethanes | EPA MCL 0.080 mg/L (80 ppb) | 4 | 0 | New Iberia | 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 | 0 | Thibodaux | Haloacetic Acids is associated with increased cancer risk over long exposure. |
| PFAS | EPA 2024 MCLs of 4.0 ppt for PFOA and PFOS | 1 | 1 | New Orleans | PFAS are linked to immune, developmental, liver and some cancer effects. |
Service line counts: EPA SDWIS Service Line Inventory, Q2 2026 snapshot (updated 2026-08-18). Limits: EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations.
How Louisiana's 22 cities are distributed by water quality grade
18 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 | Baton Rouge | 100/100 | A |
| 2 | Lafayette | 100/100 | A |
| 3 | Lake Charles | 100/100 | A |
| #4 | Alexandria | 100/100 | A |
| #5 | New Iberia | 100/100 | A |
| #6 | Chalmette | 100/100 | A |
| #7 | Laplace | 100/100 | A |
| #8 | Zachary | 100/100 | A |
| #9 | Sulphur | 100/100 | A |
| #10 | Ruston | 100/100 | A |
| #11 | Hammond | 100/100 | A |
| #12 | Thibodaux | 100/100 | A |
| #13 | Mandeville | 100/100 | A |
| #14 | Bossier City | 99/100 | A |
| #15 | Natchitoches | 98/100 | A |
| #16 | Houma | 96/100 | A |
| #17 | Slidell | 90/100 | A |
| #18 | Baker | 90/100 | A |
| #19 | Opelousas | 60/100 | D |
| #20 | New Orleans | 58/100 | F |
| #21 | Monroe | 58/100 | F |
| #22 | Shreveport | 57/100 | 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 Louisiana 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 Louisiana city next to where you're moving from (or to) and see every contaminant head to head.
The best water quality in Louisiana is found in Baton Rouge with a score of 100/100 and a grade of A. This puts Baton Rouge among the top-performing cities in the country for drinking water safety.
The most concerning water quality is in Shreveport scoring 57/100 with a grade of F. Residents may want to consider home water testing and filtration options.
4 cities with D or F grades:
The statewide average score is 91/100, which is 3 points above the national average of 88/100. A strong majority (82%) of Louisiana cities exceed the national average, indicating generally good water infrastructure across the state.
4 Louisiana 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 Louisiana water systems.
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Baton Rouge has the best water quality grade among the 22 Louisiana 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. 13 cities share this top score; the largest system is listed first.
It varies by utility. Across the 22 Louisiana cities we grade from EPA records, the average score is 91/100 and 82% earn a B or better. 6 cities have at least one health-based EPA violation in the last five years. 4 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: Baton Rouge grades A (100/100, #1 of 22); New Orleans grades F (58/100, #20 of 22, 1 health-based EPA violation in 5 years); Shreveport grades F (57/100, #22 of 22, 20 health-based EPA violations in 5 years); Lafayette grades A (100/100, #2 of 22); Bossier City grades A (99/100, #14 of 22). Each city report lists the utility's violations, lead 90th-percentile result and PFAS results.
Of the 22 graded Louisiana cities, 4 cities have a D or F grade. 18 of 22 (82%) score above the national average of 88/100 across all graded U.S. cities in our dataset. 8 further Louisiana cities are not graded because we have not matched them to an EPA water system yet.
This page ranks 22 Louisiana 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 Louisiana 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 Louisiana water
Certified filters matched to your contaminants