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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.
EPA records for METRO WATER SERVICES • Updated September 2026
Grade A — based on EPA compliance records, lead testing and PFAS monitoring
METRO WATER SERVICES has a clean recent record: no health-based violations in the last five years and no lead, PFAS or historical monitoring result that costs it more than a few points.
Yes — by EPA's records Nashville, TN tap water is safe to drink and earns an A. The grade rests on no health-based EPA violations in the last five years and lead at 0.8 ppb (90th percentile, 2025) against the 15 ppb action level. Lead from your own service line or plumbing is the main risk city-level data cannot see, so homes built before 1986 should still test at the tap.
Yes — by EPA's records Nashville, TN tap water is safe to drink and earns an A. The grade rests on no health-based EPA violations in the last five years and lead at 0.8 ppb (90th percentile, 2025) against the 15 ppb action level. Lead from your own service line or plumbing is the main risk city-level data cannot see, so homes built before 1986 should still test at the tap.
METRO WATER SERVICES's most recent Lead and Copper Rule result (2023-01-01 to 2025-12-31) was 0.8 ppb at the 90th percentile, below EPA's 15 ppb action level. Because lead usually comes from service lines and household plumbing, homes built before 1986 should still test at the tap.
No. None of the 232 UCMR5 PFAS results for METRO WATER SERVICES (2023-02-21 to 2023-11-09) were at or above the reporting limit of roughly 3–5 ppt.
METRO WATER SERVICES has 3 violations on file since 2016: 0 health-based in the last five years and 3 monitoring or reporting violations in that window. Monitoring violations are paperwork lapses, not measured contamination.
METRO WATER SERVICES reports surface water as its primary source and serves about 778,153 people (EPA PWSID TN0000494).
Not on the strength of EPA's data for METRO WATER SERVICES. A filter still helps with taste and with lead from your own plumbing, which no city-level test can measure.
Want to know what's really in your Nashville tap water?
EPA data describes water leaving the plant — a certified mail-in lab test shows what reaches your own faucet, including lead from household plumbing.
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METRO WATER SERVICES · SDWIS records since 2016 · 5-year window starts 2021-09-07
EPA records no health-based violations for this system in the last five years. The 3 violations on file in that window are monitoring or reporting paperwork issues, not measured contaminant exceedances.
| Violation | Category | Compliance period | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monitoring, Routine (RTCR)Revised Total Coliform Rule | Monitoring | 2024-06-01 → 2024-06-30 | Resolvedreturned 2024-06-30 |
| Monitoring, Routine (RTCR)Revised Total Coliform Rule | Monitoring | 2024-05-01 → 2024-05-31 | Resolvedreturned 2024-05-31 |
| Monitoring and Reporting (DBP)Chlorine | Monitoring & reporting | 2024-04-01 → 2024-06-30 | Resolvedreturned 2024-06-30 |
Source: ECHO SDWA bulk download (SDWA_VIOLATIONS_ENFORCEMENT.csv, SDWIS 2026Q2, file dated 2026-07-09, fetched 2026-09-06)
EPA Lead and Copper Rule 90th-percentile results reported by METRO WATER SERVICES
Well below the 15 ppb action level. In the most recent monitoring period on file (2023-01-01 to 2025-12-31), 90% of the homes METRO WATER SERVICES sampled had lead at or below 0.8 ppb.
EPA's action level is 15 ppb (dropping to 10 ppb under the 2024 Lead and Copper Rule Improvements). There is no safe level of lead; the 90th-percentile figure describes the system, not your tap — homes with lead service lines or pre-1986 plumbing can be higher.
| Monitoring period | Lead 90th percentile | vs 15 ppb action level |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-01-01 → 2025-12-31 | 0.8 ppb | Well below the 15 ppb action level |
| 2020-01-01 → 2022-12-31 | 1 ppb | Well below the 15 ppb action level |
| 2017-01-01 → 2019-12-31 | 1.6 ppb | Well below the 15 ppb action level |
| 2014-01-01 → 2016-12-31 | 1 ppb | Well below the 15 ppb action level |
| 2013-01-01 → 2015-12-31 | 1.5 ppb | Well below the 15 ppb action level |
| 2011-01-01 → 2013-12-31 | 1.5 ppb | Well below the 15 ppb action level |
| 2008-01-01 → 2010-12-31 | 1.2 ppb | Well below the 15 ppb action level |
| 2005-01-01 → 2007-12-31 | 2.1 ppb | Well below the 15 ppb action level |
| 2002-01-01 → 2004-12-31 | 2 ppb | Well below the 15 ppb action level |
| 1999-01-01 → 2001-12-31 | 8 ppb | Below the action level, but detectable |
| 1993-01-01 → 1993-06-30 | 10 ppb | Below the action level, but detectable |
| 1992-07-01 → 1992-12-31 | 13 ppb | Below the action level, but detectable |
Source: ECHO SDWA bulk download (SDWA_LCR_SAMPLES.csv, SDWIS 2026Q2, file dated 2026-07-09, fetched 2026-09-06)
EPA UCMR5 monitoring, 2023-02-21 to 2023-11-09 · 232 PFAS results at entry points to the distribution system
No PFAS detected. None of the 232 UCMR5 PFAS results for METRO WATER SERVICES were at or above the method reporting limit. Reporting limits are about 3–5 ppt, so “not detected” means below that threshold — not proven zero.
| Compound | Detects / samples | Max (ppt) | Reporting limit | EPA MCL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PFOA | 0 / 8 | < 4 | 4 ppt | 4 ppt |
| PFOS | 0 / 8 | < 4 | 4 ppt | 4 ppt |
| PFHxS | 0 / 8 | < 3 | 3 ppt | 10 ppt |
| PFNA | 0 / 8 | < 4 | 4 ppt | 10 ppt |
| HFPO-DA | 0 / 8 | < 5 | 5 ppt | 10 ppt |
| PFBS | 0 / 8 | < 3 | 3 ppt | hazard index only |
“< 4 ppt” means below the laboratory reporting limit, not zero. ppt = parts per trillion (ng/L). Results are for finished water leaving the treatment plant.
What PFAS are and how to remove them →
Source: UCMR5 occurrence data, EPA Data Summary July 2026 (UCMR5_All.txt)
EPA Six-Year Review 4 compliance samples for METRO WATER SERVICES · finished water only · dated data, released 2024
These are the regulated-contaminant samples METRO WATER SERVICES reported to its state between 2012 and 2019 — the most recent nationwide sample-level dataset EPA has published. Haloacetic acids (HAA5) is flagged below; the status column explains why. Treat this as history, not today's tap water.
| Contaminant | Samples | Average | Max | EPA limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrate (as N) | 19 | 0.455 mg/L | 0.544 mg/L | 10 mg/LMCL | Within MCL |
| Fluoride | 197 | 0.556 mg/L | 0.843 mg/L | 4 mg/LMCL | Within MCL |
| Gross alpha | 40 detects | 0 pCi/L | ND | 15 pCi/LMCL | Not detected |
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHM) | 288 | 35.608 µg/L | 78.5 µg/L | 80 µg/LMCL (LRAA) | Within MCL |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA5) | 288 | 31.903 µg/L | 65.4 µg/L | 60 µg/LMCL (LRAA) | 6 single samples over MCL; average within limit |
Averages count non-detects as zero. TTHM and HAA5 limits are locational running annual averages, so a single high sample is not a violation — we grade those on the average only. Lead and copper rows are individual tap samples and are shown for context; compliance (and our score) uses the 90th-percentile result above. LRAA = locational running annual average; ND = not detected.
Source: SYR4 Six-Year Review compliance monitoring data 2012–2019 (released 2024-03)
METRO WATER SERVICES · 218,530 service lines inventoried · Q2 2026 snapshot
METRO WATER SERVICES reports 24,673 service lines that are lead or galvanized-requiring-replacement (11% of the lines it has inventoried), plus 76,180 lines whose material is still unknown. A lead service line is the pipe between the water main and a building, so treated water can pick up lead after it leaves the plant — which city-level testing does not capture. Under EPA's Lead and Copper Rule Improvements, utilities must replace lead lines within 10 years starting in 2027.
Source: EPA SDWIS Service Line Inventory (Q2 2026) · PWS ID TN0000494 · See all Tennessee lead service lines. We may earn a commission from filters and test kits, at no extra cost to you.
Surface-water systems draw from rivers, lakes or reservoirs and must filter and disinfect, which is why disinfection byproducts (TTHM, HAA5) are the readings to watch.
How to test your tap water and the treatment options that actually fit Nashville homes
The most reliable way to know what is actually coming out of your tap is a certified mail-in lab test. City-wide EPA data (like the report above) reflects the water leaving the treatment plant, but contaminants such as lead and copper can be picked up from your own service line and household plumbing — so the water at your Nashville faucet can differ from the system average. A state-certified lab measures dozens of contaminants at once with results you can trust; you can also find one near you through the EPA's certified-lab list at epa.gov/dwlabcert. Hardware-store test strips are cheaper and instant, but they only screen for a few basics (chlorine, hardness, pH, and a rough lead pass/fail) and are far less accurate — treat them as a first look, not a diagnosis.
Match the treatment to what your test finds. Reverse osmosis (RO) removes the widest range of contaminants — lead, arsenic, nitrate, PFAS, and dissolved solids — which makes an under-sink reverse osmosis system the most thorough choice for Nashville households with heavy-metal or PFAS concerns. If your main issue is taste, odor, or chlorine, an activated carbon filter (pitcher, faucet, or under-sink) is simpler and cheaper and handles chlorine and many organic compounds well, though carbon alone does not remove arsenic, nitrate, or most PFAS. NSF-certified pitchers rated for lead reduction are the easiest way to start today while you decide on a permanent setup.
We may earn a commission from testing kits and filters purchased through these links, at no extra cost to you.
What Nashville residents measured at their own tap (ZIPs 37013, 37027, 37072, 37076 +28 more). All reader results →
Reader submissions are unverified and shown separately from EPA data. They reflect one tap on one day, not the utility's compliance record.
No reader results for Nashville yet - yours would be the first. A hardness or TDS number from a $10 strip kit is enough to start the map.
Help build the first reader-sourced water map. Enter whatever your test strip, TDS pen or lab report shows - one number is enough.
Nashville ranks #2 of 2 graded Tennessee cities.
Yes — by EPA's records Nashville, TN tap water is safe to drink and earns an A. The grade rests on no health-based EPA violations in the last five years and lead at 0.8 ppb (90th percentile, 2025) against the 15 ppb action level. Lead from your own service line or plumbing is the main risk city-level data cannot see, so homes built before 1986 should still test at the tap.
METRO WATER SERVICES's most recent Lead and Copper Rule result (2023-01-01 to 2025-12-31) was 0.8 ppb at the 90th percentile, below EPA's 15 ppb action level. Because lead usually comes from service lines and household plumbing, homes built before 1986 should still test at the tap.
No. None of the 232 UCMR5 PFAS results for METRO WATER SERVICES (2023-02-21 to 2023-11-09) were at or above the reporting limit of roughly 3–5 ppt.
METRO WATER SERVICES has 3 violations on file since 2016: 0 health-based in the last five years and 3 monitoring or reporting violations in that window. Monitoring violations are paperwork lapses, not measured contamination.
METRO WATER SERVICES reports surface water as its primary source and serves about 778,153 people (EPA PWSID TN0000494).
Not on the strength of EPA's data for METRO WATER SERVICES. A filter still helps with taste and with lead from your own plumbing, which no city-level test can measure.
Even with good water quality, a filter removes trace contaminants and improves taste.
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Your water already tests well — a simple carbon filter improves taste and catches trace contaminants.
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