Table of Contents
Can You Drink Tap Water in Seattle?
Yes, Seattle's tap water is generally considered safe to drink as Seattle 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 Seattle's local Twitter account.
According the EPA’s ECHO database, from April 30, 2019 to June 30, 2022, Seattle's water utility, Seattle Public Utilities, had 0 violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act. For more details on the violations, please see our violation history section below. The last violation for Seattle was resolved on Dec. 31, 2015. This assessment is based on the Seattle Public Utilities 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 Seattle Tap Water
The most recent publicly available numbers for measured contaminant levels in Seattle 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 Seattle's water quality reports, or getting your home's tap water tested to see if you should be filtering your water.
Seattle Tap Water Safe Drinking Water Act Violation History - Prior 10 Years
Below is a ten year history of violations for the water system named Seattle Public Utilities for Seattle in Washington. For more details please see the "What do these Violations Mean?" section below.
From Dec. 1, 2015 to Dec. 31, 2015, Seattle had 1 health-based Safe Drinking Water Act violation with the violation category being Treatment Technique Violation, more specifically, the violation code was Treatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) which falls into the Microbials rule code group, and the Surface Water Treatment Rules rule code family for the following contaminant code: Surface Water Treatment Rule.
Is there Lead in Seattle Water?
Based on the EPA’s ECHO Database, 90% of the samples taken from the Seattle water system, Seattle Public Utilities, between sample start date and sample end date, were at or below, 0.004 mg/L of lead in Seattle water. This is 26.7% of the 0.015 mg/L action level. This means 10% of the samples taken from Seattle contained more lead.
While Seattle water testing may have found 0.004 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 Seattle 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 at least one military base - Puget Sound NS Sand Point - near Seattle 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 Seattle 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.
Seattle SDWA Violation History Table - Prior 10 Years
| Compliance Period | Status | Health-Based? | Category Code | Code | Rule Code | Contaminant Code | Rule Group Code | Rule Family Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12/01/2015 - 12/31/2015 | Resolved | Yes | Treatment Technique Violation (TT) | Treatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) (41) | Surface Water Treatment Rule (121) | Surface Water Treatment Rule (0200) | Microbials (100) | Surface Water Treatment Rules (120) |
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.
Seattle Water - Frequently Asked Questions
| By Mail: | 800 S Stacey St Seattle, WA, 98134 |
Existing customers can login to their Seattle Public Utilities account to pay their Seattle water bill by clicking here.
If you want to pay your Seattle Public Utilities 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 Seattle 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 Seattle 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 Seattle means you will often need to put the water in your name with Seattle Public Utilities. 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 Seattle means you will likely need to take your name off of the water bill with Seattle Public Utilities. 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
$1.95 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 Seattle, measured on a scale from 0% (lowest) to 100% (highest).
Related FAQS
Contaminants
Seattle Public Utilities
EWG's drinking water quality report shows results of tests conducted by the water utility and provided to the Environmental Working Group by the Washington State Department of Health, 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: 678000
- Data available: 2012-2017
- Data Source: Surface water
- Total: 20
Contaminants That Exceed Guidelines
- Bromodichloromethane
- Chloroform
- Chromium (hexavalent)
- Dichloroacetic acid
- Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
- Trichloroacetic acid
Other Detected Contaminants
- Bromate
- Bromide
- Bromochloroacetic acid
- Chlorate
- Chromium (total)
- DCPA di-acid degradate
- Dibromoacetic acid
- Dibromochloromethane
- Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
- Monochloroacetic acid
- Nitrate
- 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
Can You Drink Tap Water in Seattle?
Yes, Seattle's tap water is generally considered safe to drink. Drinking it should not get you sick. Seattle's tap water has met the EPA’s water quality mandates in its 2020 Water Quality Report. From April 1, 2018 to June 30, 2021 Seattle's Seattle Public Utilities has no violations.
Though Seattle's tap water is generally safe to drink, one should consider the possible safety impacts of low levels of regulated contaminants, unregulated contaminants, and water quality issues caused by severe weather.
While Seattle's tap water is generally safe to drink, long-term residents may consider using water filters for their everyday drinking, as the EPA is still assessing the health impacts of long-term exposure to certain contaminants that they do not yet have regulations for, and long term exposure to certain contaminants which are already regulated, but below the currently acceptable levels.
Where Does Seattle Tap Water Come From?
According to Seattle's 2020 Water Quality Report, Seattle Public Utilities obtains water for its customers from several sources:
South Green Lake
In Seattle, if you live south of Green Lake, your water probably comes from the Cedar River.
North Green Lake
Areas north of Green Lake usually receive water from the Tolt River. Each source can provide water to other areas in Seattle if needed.
Main Contaminants Found in Seattle Tap Water
As we mentioned above, Seattle tap water meets the requirements set by the EPA. For more precise information please see their 2020 Water Quality Report. Though Seattle drinking water meets EPA standards that does not mean it is contaminant free as there are levels that the EPA considers acceptable. Though the EPA regulated contaminants must meet a certain threshold for the city’s water to be deemed acceptable, many are still present in the drinking water at some level. The EPA continues to evaluate the long term impacts of these chemicals as more research is available. For example, the rules around arsenic, as well as, lead and copper are currently being re-evaluated.
Additionally, there are a number of “emerging†contaminants that the EPA has not determined acceptable levels for and is currently researching. For example, Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), for which the EPA has issued a health advisory. PFAS are also called ‘forever chemicals’ since they tend not to break down in the environment or the human body and can accumulate over time. We do not yet fully understand the dangers of PFAS as they are currently being investigated. According to Seattle Public Utilities there are no PFAS in Seattle’s drinking water.
Lead piping is another potential source of contamination for many homes, both through service lines and in your home. The National Resource Defense Council has a great walk-through on how to determine if you may have lead service lines.
So while Seattle's tap water does meet the requirements set by the EPA, it still makes sense to try to purify the tap water further to reduce contaminants to lower levels.
Can You Drink Tap Water in Seattle?
Yes, Seattle’s tap water is generally considered safe to drink as it met the EPA’s water quality mandates in its 2020 Water Quality Report. From April 1, 2018 to June 30, 2021 Seattle’s Seattle Public Utilities has no violations. One should not get sick from drinking Seattle tap water.
Though Seattle’s tap water is generally safe to drink, one should consider the possible safety impacts of low levels of regulated contaminants, unregulated contaminants, and water quality issues caused by severe weather.
While Seattle’s tap water is generally safe to drink, long-term residents may consider using water filters for their everyday drinking, as the EPA is still assessing the health impacts of long-term exposure to certain contaminants that they do not yet have regulations for, and long term exposure to certain contaminants which are already regulated, but below the currently acceptable levels.
Where Does Seattle Tap Water Come From?
According to Seattle’s 2020 Water Quality Report, Seattle Public Utilities obtains water for its customers from several sources:
South Green Lake
In Seattle, if you live south of Green Lake, your water probably comes from the Cedar River.
North Green Lake
Areas north of Green Lake usually receive water from the Tolt River. Each source can provide water to other areas in Seattle if needed.
Main Contaminants Found in Seattle Tap Water
As we mentioned above, Seattle tap water meets the requirements set by the EPA. For more precise information please see their 2020 Water Quality Report. Though Seattle drinking water meets EPA standards that does not mean it is contaminant free as there are levels that the EPA considers acceptable. Though the EPA regulated contaminants must meet a certain threshold for the city’s water to be deemed acceptable, many are still present in the drinking water at some level. The EPA continues to evaluate the long term impacts of these chemicals as more research is available. For example, the rules around arsenic, as well as, lead and copper are currently being re-evaluated.
Additionally, there are a number of “emerging” contaminants that the EPA has not determined acceptable levels for and is currently researching. For example, Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), for which the EPA has issued a health advisory. PFAS are also called ‘forever chemicals’ since they tend not to break down in the environment or the human body and can accumulate over time. We do not yet fully understand the dangers of PFAS as they are currently being investigated. According to Seattle Public Utilities there are no PFAS in Seattle’s drinking water.
Lead piping is another potential source of contamination for many homes, both through service lines and in your home. The National Resource Defense Council has a great walk-through on how to determine if you may have lead service lines.
So while Seattle’s tap water does meet the requirements set by the EPA, it still makes sense to try to purify the tap water further to reduce contaminants to lower levels.