Lee County, Alabama: drinking water report. Lee County in east-central Alabama has a population of about 180,000, home to Auburn University in Auburn and
Lee County in east-central Alabama has a population of about 180,000, home to Auburn University in Auburn and the city of Opelika. The county draws water from multiple surface impoundments and the Saugahatchee Creek watershed. Lee County's agricultural and university community generates a different contamination profile than the industrial or military counties that dominate Alabama's water quality headlines.
Lee County's water quality is generally good by Alabama standards. According to ADEM's 2024 monitoring report, the Auburn and Opelika water systems maintained full compliance with all federal standards during the most recent reporting period. However, the EPA's UCMR5 data did detect PFAS at low levels in the Auburn system, consistent with background contamination found across many municipal systems nationally.
The county's agricultural operations – poultry farming, cattle, and row crops – contribute nutrient loading to streams and shallow groundwater. A 2023 Auburn University study of the Saugahatchee Creek watershed found elevated phosphorus and nitrogen levels downstream of concentrated animal feeding operations, though these contaminants are addressed during municipal treatment.
Lee County's water systems perform well, but private well owners in agricultural areas should test for nitrate and bacteria periodically, since these contaminants can enter shallow aquifers from farming operations.
Check your water to see monitoring data for your area. For general improvement of taste and reduction of residual chlorine, a carbon block filter is a low-cost solution. For PFAS, reverse osmosis adds another layer. Our water filter guide covers both options. Pull your detailed report for historical data, and visit our Alabama page for statewide context.
Drinking water is one exposure route. These federal datasets also cover Lee County, AL.
The EPA places Lee County, AL in Zone 2 - a moderate-risk category, with a predicted average indoor radon level between 2 and 4 pCi/L. Zone maps predict an area's radon potential from geology and existing indoor readings; they say nothing about a specific house. Testing is the only way to know your own level.
22% of homes in Lee County, AL were built before 1980, and 3% before 1950. Residential lead paint was banned in 1978, so housing age is the strongest available proxy for lead-paint exposure. This describes the county's housing stock, not any one home.
Modelled annual fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) in Lee County, AL averages 8.9 µg/m³, within the EPA's annual standard of 9 µg/m³. These are CDC modelled county estimates rather than readings from a specific monitor.
How radon zones work · Air quality by county · Lead exposure guide