St. Louis, MO Water Quality Report
Is St. Louis tap water safe? See PFAS and lead contamination levels for St. Louis, Missouri. Compare to EPA limits and get filter recommendations.
Quick Answers
Is St. Louis tap water safe to drink? St. Louis water has high PFAS contamination. EPA UCMR5 testing detected a peak level of 86.8 ppt, significantly above the EPA's 4 ppt enforceable limit. A reverse osmosis or certified PFAS filter is strongly recommended.
What contaminants are in St. Louis water? Top PFAS compounds detected in St. Louis water: lithium (86.8 ppt), PFBA (0.01 ppt). See the full table for all monitored contaminants and comparison to EPA limits.
What filter should I use in St. Louis? 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.
St. Louis Water Quality Summary
EPA testing has detected PFAS "forever chemicals" in St. Louis drinking water. Recent monitoring found a peak level of 86.8 ppt across 2 water systems, representing an average of 42.37 ppt across 2 detected compounds.
Contamination Level: HIGH – High contamination – multiple PFAS compounds detected at levels significantly above EPA safety thresholds.
Top Detected Compounds
- lithium: 86.8 ppt (exceeds EPA 4 ppt limit for PFOA/PFOS)
- PFBA: 0.01 ppt
Lead in St. Louis Water
EPA Lead and Copper Rule testing has recorded 50 lead samples for St. Louis water systems, with a 90th-percentile high of 0.1978 mg/L (above 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 St. Louis
St. Louis public water systems have 3 health-based EPA Safe Drinking Water Act violations on record, including Lead & Copper Rule, 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 St. Louis: approximately 300,576.
ZIP Codes Served
Compare St. Louis to Other Cities
Side-by-side PFAS contamination comparisons with same-state, regional, and national peers.
What St. Louis 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