Table of Contents
Can You Drink Tap Water in Lynchburg?
Yes, Lynchburg's tap water is generally considered safe to drink as Lynchburg has no active health based violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) that we are aware of. Other factors such as lead piping in a home, or low levels of pollutants on immunocompromised individuals, should also be considered, however. To find more recent info we might have, you can check out our boil water notice page, the city's water provider website, or Lynchburg's local Twitter account.
According the EPA’s ECHO database, from April 30, 2019 to June 30, 2022, Lynchburg's water utility, City of Lynchburg, had 0 violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act. For more details on the violations, please see our violation history section below. This assessment is based on the City of Lynchburg water system, other water systems in the city may have different results.
While tap water that meets the EPA health guidelines generally won’t make you sick to your stomach, it can still contain regulated and unregulated contaminants present in trace amounts that could potentially cause health issues over the long-run. These trace contaminants may also impact immunocompromised and vulnerable individuals.
The EPA is reviewing if it’s current regulations around pollutant levels in tap water are strict enough, and the health dangers posed by unregulated pollutants, like PFAS.
Water Quality Report for Lynchburg Tap Water
The most recent publicly available numbers for measured contaminant levels in Lynchburg tap water are in its 2020 Water Quality Report. As you can see, there are levels which the EPA considers to be acceptable, but being below the maximum allowable level doesn’t necessarily mean the water is healthy.
Lead in tap water, for example, is currently allowed at up to 15ppb by the EPA, but it has set the ideal goal for lead at zero. This highlights how meeting EPA standards doesn’t necessarily mean local tap water is healthy.
EPA regulations continue to change as it evaluates the long term impacts of chemicals and updates drinking water acceptable levels. The rules around arsenic, as well as, lead and copper are currently being re-evaluated.
There are also a number of "emerging" contaminants that are not currently. For example, PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), for which the EPA has issued a health advisory. PFAS are called "forever chemicals" since they tend not to break down in the environment or the human body and can accumulate over time.
We recommend looking at the contaminants present in Lynchburg's water quality reports, or getting your home's tap water tested to see if you should be filtering your water.
Lynchburg Tap Water Safe Drinking Water Act Violation History - Prior 10 Years
Below is a ten year history of violations for the water system named City of Lynchburg for Lynchburg in Virginia. For more details please see the "What do these Violations Mean?" section below.
Is there Lead in Lynchburg Water?
Based on the EPA’s ECHO Database, 90% of the samples taken from the Lynchburg water system, City of Lynchburg, between sample start date and sample end date, were at or below, 0.002 mg/L of lead in Lynchburg water. This is 13.3% of the 0.015 mg/L action level. This means 10% of the samples taken from Lynchburg contained more lead.
While Lynchburg water testing may have found 0.002 mg/L of lead in its water, that does not mean your water source has the same amount. The amount of lead in water in a city can vary greatly from neighborhood to neighborhood, or even building to building. Many buildings, particularly older ones, have lead pipes or service lines which can be a source of contamination. To find out if your home has lead, we recommend getting you water tested.
No amount of lead in water is healthy, only less dangerous. As lead accumulates in our bodies over time, even exposure to relatively small amounts can have negative health effects. For more information, please check out our Lead FAQ page.
Are there PFAS in Lynchburg Tap Water?
Currently, testing tap water for PFAS isn’t mandated on a national level. We do have a list of military bases where there have been suspected or confirmed leaks. There appears to be no military bases near Lynchburg with suspected leaks.
With many potential sources of PFAS in tap water across the US, the best information we currently have about which cities have PFAS in their water is this ewg map, which you can check to see if Lynchburg has been evaluated for yet.
Our stance is better safe than sorry, and that it makes sense to try to purify the tap water just in case.
What do these Violations Mean?
Safe Drinking Water Act Violations categories split into two groups, health based, and non-health based. Generally, health based violations are more serious, though non-health based violations can also be cause for concern.
Health Based Violations
- Maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) - maximum allowed contaminant level was exceeded.
- Maximum residual disinfectant levels (MRDLs) - maximum allowed disinfectant level was exceeded.
- Other violations (Other) - the exact required process to reduce the amounts of contaminants in drinking water was not followed.
Non-Health Based Violations
- Monitoring and reporting violations (MR, MON) - failure to conduct the required regular monitoring of drinking water quality, and/or to submit monitoring results on time.
- Public notice violations (Other) - failure to immediately alert consumers if there is a serious problem with their drinking water that may pose a risk to public health.
- Other violations (Other) - miscellaneous violations, such as failure to issue annual consumer confidence reports or maintain required records.
SDWA Table Key
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Compliance Period | Dates of the compliance period. |
| Status |
Current status of the violation.
|
| Health-Based? | Whether the violation is health based. |
| Category Code |
The category of violation that is reported.
|
| Code | A full description of violation codes can be accessed in the SDWA_REF_CODE_VALUES (CSV) table. |
| Contaminant Code | A code value that represents a contaminant for which a public water system has incurred a violation of a primary drinking water regulation. |
| Rule Code |
Code for a National Drinking Water rule.
|
| Rule Group Code |
Code that uniquely identifies a rule group.
|
| Rule Family Code |
Code for rule family.
|
For more clarification please visit the EPA's data dictionary.
Lynchburg Water - Frequently Asked Questions
| By Mail: | 525 Taylor Street LYNCHBURG, VA, 24501 |
Existing customers can login to their City of Lynchburg account to pay their Lynchburg water bill by clicking here.
If you want to pay your City of Lynchburg bill online and haven't made an account yet, you can create an account online. Please click here to create your account to pay your Lynchburg water bill.
If you don't want to make an account, or can't remember your account, you can make a one-time payment towards your Lynchburg water bill without creating an account using a one time payment portal with your account number and credit or debit card. Click here to make a one time payment.
Moving to a new house or apartment in Lynchburg means you will often need to put the water in your name with City of Lynchburg. In order to put the water in your name, please click the link to the start service form below. Start service requests for water bills typically take two business days.
Leaving your house or apartment in Lynchburg means you will likely need to take your name off of the water bill with City of Lynchburg. In order to take your name off the water bill, please click the link to the stop service form below. Stop service for water bills requests typically take two business days.
The estimated price of bottled water
$1.87 in USD (1.5-liter)
USER SUBMITTED RATINGS
- Drinking Water Pollution and Inaccessibility
- Water Pollution
- Drinking Water Quality and Accessibility
- Water Quality
The above data is comprised of subjective, user submitted opinions about the water quality and pollution in Lynchburg, measured on a scale from 0% (lowest) to 100% (highest).
Related FAQS
Lynchburg Water Quality Report (Consumer Confidence Report)
The EPA mandates that towns and cities consistently monitor and test their tap water. They must report their findings in an annual Consumer Confidence Report. Below is the most recent water quality report from Lynchburg's Water. If you would like to see the original version of the report, please click here.
Unregulated Contaminants
Unregulated contaminants are contaminants for which EPA has not established drinking water standards. The purpose of unregulated contaminant monitoring is to assist EPA in determining the occurrence of these contaminants in drinking water and whether future regulation is warranted. Below are the unregulated contaminants that were detected in your water in 2020.
Contaminants |
Average Level Found |
Range of Detections |
Water Assessment Program: The Virginia Department of Health conducted a source water assessment of our system in 2002 in accordance with the 1996 amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act. Based upon the criteria developed by the
Manganese (ppb)
Haloacetic Acids (HAA6Br) (ppb)
Haloacetic Acids (HAA9) (ppb)
Should I be concerned about lead in my drinking water?
If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. Lynchburg Water Resources is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components.
When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 1 to 2 minutes or until it becomes cold or reaches a steady temperature before using it for drinking
or cooking. If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods and steps
you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline
Who makes decisions about my drinking water?
Decisions regarding any changes to Lynchburg Water Resources’ infrastructure or rate changes may be discussed during a Lynchburg City Council meeting. Council meetings are held every month on the second and fourth Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. in City Council Chamber, City Hall, First Floor, 900 Church Street and broadcast live on Comcast cable LTV Channel 15, including
0.59 |
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2.5 |
Our Source |
Water |
|
26.1 |
The City of Lynchburg is fortunate to have two water sources:
The sources for drinking water (i.e., tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals, and in some cases, radioactive material. It can also pick up substances resulting from human activity and the presence of animals.
Contaminants may include the following:
Microbial Contaminants — viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations and wildlife.
Inorganic Contaminants — salts and metals, which can be naturally occurring or result from urban stormwater runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining or farming.
Pesticides & Herbicides — chemical substances resulting
3 from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff and residential uses.
Organic Chemical Contaminants — substances including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are
Radioactive Contaminants — substances that can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.
State in its Source Water Assessment Program, both of our surface water sources were classified as highly susceptible to contamination as a result of land use activities and potential sources of contamination in the assessment areas. However, this does not mean that our sources have or will be impacted. It does mean that if there were to be a release of pollutants in the assessment area, the source water could be impacted.
The assessment report consists of maps showing the source water assessment area, an inventory of known land use activities of concern, and documentation of any known contamination within the last five years. For copies of the
report contact Leslie Morris in Lynchburg Water Resources at
Frequently asked questions FAQ’s:
Is it okay to use hot tap water for cooking and drinking?
You should use cold water for cooking and drinking. Hot water is more likely to dissolve substances from your hot water heater or household plumbing.
What causes water to be discolored?
Red water: A sudden surge or change in the direction of the water can cause normal oxidation particles present in the pipes to become mixed in the water. This may occur when there is a water main break, or when a fire hydrant is opened by the Fire Department or Water Resources personnel for the purpose of flushing water lines. The City of Lynchburg does not recommend drinking red discolored water or using it for laundry. Please notify the Lynchburg Water Resources at
Why is my water cloudy/milky:
This is usually due to air dissolved in water. Water is under pressure in the pipes which keeps dissolved air in the water. When you turn on the faucet this pressure is relieved and the air comes as bubbles which make the water look cloudy. This is more common in the winter when the water is cold. After a few seconds of standing the bubbles rise to the top of the water and disappear. The water is perfectly safe to drink.
What if I have questions?
If you have any questions or comments concerning information within this water quality report, please contact Leslie Morris, Chemist at
For water or sewer emergencies, general inquiries and tours, please contact Lynchburg Water Resources at
NOTE: Lynchburg Water Resources’ educators are available for plant tours and group presentations about water supply, treatment, and quality.
For more information visit: www.lynchburgva.gov/education
525 Taylor Street Lynchburg, VA 24501 www.lynchburgva.gov
WATER QUALITY
REPORT 2021
More than 100,000 citizens in Lynchburg and the surrounding communities depend on clean, safe drinking water every day. The City’s abundant water supply is a critical asset for the economic growth and development of the region. In accordance with federal and state regulations, information on the quality of your drinking water must be shared with citizens annually through the distribution of a water quality report. Lynchburg WaterResourcesisproudtopresentyouwithspecificinformation about your drinking water from this past year. The results shown within this report reveal that your drinking water is better than the federal and state standards for safety and purity and is in compliance with regulations governing the quality of your water.
WHAT IS IN THE WATER?
CONTAMINANTS DETECTED JANUARY 2020 THROUGH DECEMBER 2020
Terms &
Abbreviations
Action Level (AL): Concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements that a water system must follow.
Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL): Highest level of a contaminant allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the Maximum Contaminant Level Goal as feasible using the best available treatment technology.
Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. In order to ensure that tap water is safe to
CONTAMINANTS |
MCLG or |
MCL, TT, |
Your |
RANGE |
Sample Date |
|
MRDLG |
or MRDL |
Water |
Low |
High |
|
|
|
|
|||||
DISINFECTANTS & DISINFECTION
(There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants)
Violation
Typical Source
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG): Level of a contaminant in drinking water which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.
drink, EPA prescribes regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. The Food and Drug Administration regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health. The presence
Chlorine (as CI2) (ppm) Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) (ppb) Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) (ppb)
Total Organic Carbon (ppm)
INORGANIC CONTAMINANTS:
4 NA
NA NA
4
60
80 TT
1.34
33
52
0.88
0.25 2.00
13 41
13 53
0.68 0.95
2020
2020
2020
2020
No
No
No
No
Water additive used to control microbes
Maximum Residual Disinfection Level (MRDL): Maximum level of disinfectant allowed in the water distribution system. There is convincing evidence that addition of disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.
Maximum Residual Disinfection Level Goal (MRDLG):
of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (USEPA’s) Safe
Drinking Water Hotline
Fluoride (ppm) |
4 |
4 |
0.69 |
0.22 |
0.94 |
2020 |
|
Nitrate + Nitrite |
10 |
10 |
0.27 |
0.23 |
0.30 |
2020 |
|
(as nitrogen) (ppm) |
|||||||
|
|
|
|
|
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||
Barium (ppb) |
2000 |
2000 |
5.5 |
0 |
11 |
2020 |
No
No No
Erosion of natural deposits; Water additive which promotes strong teeth; Discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories
Runoff from fertilizer use, leaching from septic tanks, sewage, erosion of natural deposits Discharge of drilling wastes and metal refineries; erosion of natural deposits.
Level of disinfectant in drinking water which there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contaminants.
Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immunocompromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. USEPA and U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by cryptosporidium and other microbiological
contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline
MICROBIOLOGICAL CONTAMINANTS:
Turbidity (NTU) |
NA |
|
|
RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINANTS:
Radium (combined 226/228) |
NA |
|
(pCi/L) |
||
|
||
|
|
|
CONTAMINANTS |
MCLG |
|
|
||
INORGANIC CONTAMINANTS: |
|
|
Copper - action level at |
1300 |
|
consumer taps (ppb) |
||
|
||
Lead - action level at |
0 |
|
consumer taps (ppb) |
||
|
At least 95%
below 0.3 NTU
5
AL
1300
15
100% below 0.3, Highest value 0.23
0.3
Your
Water
27
2
NA |
NA |
|
|
- Samples Exceeding AL
0 0.6
0
0
2020
2015
Sample
Date
2018
2018
No
No
Exceeds
AL
No
No
Soil runoff
Erosion of natural deposits
Typical Source
Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits
Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits
Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU): Measure
of water clarity. Turbidity in excess of five NTUs is barely noticeable to the average person.
Parts per million (ppm) or Milligrams per liter (mg/l): Equivalent to milligrams per liter. One ppm corresponds to one minute in two years or a single penny in $10,000.
Parts per billion (ppb) or Micrograms per liter: Equivalent to micrograms per liter. One ppb corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years or a single penny in $10,000,000.
Picocuries per liter (pCi/l): Measures radioactivity.
Treatment Technique (TT): A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.
Contaminants
City of Lynchburg
EWG's drinking water quality report shows results of tests conducted by the water utility and provided to the Environmental Working Group by the Virginia Department of Health - Office of Drinking Water, as well as information from the U.S. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History database (ECHO). For the latest quarter assessed by the U.S. EPA (January 2019 - March 2019), tap water provided by this water utility was in compliance with federal health-based drinking water standards.
Utility details
- Serves: 76000
- Data available: 2012-2017
- Data Source: Surface water
- Total: 18
Contaminants That Exceed Guidelines
- Bromodichloromethane
- Chloroform
- Chromium (hexavalent)
- Dibromochloromethane
- Dichloroacetic acid
- Radium%2C combined (-226 & -228)
- Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
- Trichloroacetic acid
Other Detected Contaminants
- Aluminum
- Barium
- Chlorate
- Fluoride
- Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
- Monobromoacetic acid
- Monochloroacetic acid
- Nitrate and nitrite
- Strontium
- Vanadium
Reminder
Always take extra precautions, the water may be safe to drink when it leaves the sewage treatment plant but it may pick up pollutants during its way to your tap. We advise that you ask locals or hotel staff about the water quality. Also, note that different cities have different water mineral contents.
Sources and Resources
Sources Cited
Additional Resources
‘
The first step to taking better care of your family”s tap water is to learn all you can about the subject. It”s a very serious business, not only for you but also for everyone else living in or around Lynchburg, Virginia. It would be a shame to let the drinking water in your area become contaminated with deadly contaminants that can kill. It”s an extremely sad state to live in when you are aware of the risks but you don”t have any control over it.
Tap water in many parts of the world has been found to contain some types of toxic chemicals, carcinogens and other harmful toxins. While those chemicals are most likely not going to kill you, they are capable of causing a wide range of health problems. Some of them are cancer-causing agents, while others can contribute toward organ damage and other forms of disease. That”s why it”s of great importance that you learn more about the water quality in your area and make sure you are taking all measures necessary to pr