Salt Lake City, UT Water Quality Report
Is Salt Lake City tap water safe? See PFAS and lead contamination levels for Salt Lake City, Utah. Compare to EPA limits and get filter recommendations.
Quick Answers
Is Salt Lake City tap water safe to drink? Salt Lake City water has high PFAS contamination. EPA UCMR5 testing detected a peak level of 98 ppt, significantly above the EPA's 4 ppt enforceable limit. A reverse osmosis or certified PFAS filter is strongly recommended.
What contaminants are in Salt Lake City water? Top PFAS compounds detected in Salt Lake City water: lithium (98 ppt), PFHxS (0.02 ppt), PFHxA (0.01 ppt). See the full table for all monitored contaminants and comparison to EPA limits.
What filter should I use in Salt Lake City? Reverse osmosis removes 90%+ of PFAS, lead, and arsenic. NSF-53 certified pitcher and faucet filters (ZeroWater, Clearly Filtered, LifeStraw) work for smaller households. Skip standard Brita filters for PFAS removal.
Salt Lake City Water Quality Summary
EPA testing has detected PFAS "forever chemicals" in Salt Lake City drinking water. Recent monitoring found a peak level of 98 ppt across 2 water systems, representing an average of 20.17 ppt across 5 detected compounds.
Contamination Level: HIGH – High contamination – multiple PFAS compounds detected at levels significantly above EPA safety thresholds.
Top Detected Compounds
- lithium: 98 ppt (exceeds EPA 4 ppt limit for PFOA/PFOS)
- PFHxS: 0.02 ppt
- PFHxA: 0.01 ppt
- PFOS: 0.01 ppt
- PFPeA: 0.01 ppt
Lead in Salt Lake City Water
EPA Lead and Copper Rule testing has recorded 7 lead samples for Salt Lake City water systems, with a 90th-percentile high of 0.0058 mg/L (within the EPA 0.015 mg/L action level). There is no safe level of lead for children; if your home was built before 1986, a certified NSF/ANSI 53 lead-removal filter is recommended.
EPA Violations in Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City public water systems have 1 health-based EPA Safe Drinking Water Act violation on record, including Chromium. Health-based violations mean a contaminant exceeded its federal limit or required treatment was not applied.
About the Data
These figures come from the EPA's Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule 5 (UCMR5) testing program, 2023-2025. UCMR5 is the most comprehensive national drinking water survey in US history, covering 66,000+ public water systems. Population of Salt Lake City: approximately 199,723.
ZIP Codes Served
Compare Salt Lake City to Other Cities
Side-by-side PFAS contamination comparisons with same-state, regional, and national peers.
What Salt Lake City Residents Should Do
- Enter your exact ZIP code at knowyourexposure.com for address-level data
- Install an NSF/ANSI 58 reverse osmosis filter (removes 94-99% of PFAS)
- If you're in a high-exposure group (pregnant, young children), consider a PFAS home test kit
- Review your utility's Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) annually