What is the Quality of my Drinking Water?

The City of Dayton analyzes more than 200 samples daily to check for bacteria and other potential contaminants. The water is continuously monitored at the treatment plants and within the distribution system. To further ensure quality water, samples are collected from production wells, monitoring wells, and water reservoirs. Dayton’s Water Quality Report can be found here: Water Quality | Dayton, OH (daytonohio.gov)

We work closely with regulatory agencies to stay abreast of newly identified contaminants and potential regulations. To ensure tap water is safe to drink, both the Ohio EPA and the U.S. EPA put a limit on certain contaminant levels on drinking water provided by public water systems. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be found on the U.S. EPA’s Safe Drinking Water page at Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) | US EPA.

On April 10, 2024, the U.S. EPA issued new regulations regarding PFAS in drinking water. These new regulations include Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) of 4 parts per trillion (ppt) for two PFAS compounds, PFOA and PFOS, and 10 ppt for PFHxS, PFNA, and HFPO-DA (commonly known as GenX chemicals) in drinking water.

An MCL is the legal limit on the amount of a substance that is allowed under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. From the date of the MCL release, all public water systems have five years to meet the new regulation. The City of Dayton has been working closely with the U.S. EPA and Ohio EPA on PFAS-related projects to reduce the PFAS level in our drinking water.

See the chart below for the levels of PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFNA, and HFPO-DA compounds in the drinking water produced at City of Dayton’s treatment plants. For more information on the PFAS MCLs visit, Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) | US EPA.

If you have questions about your water and its potential effect on your health, we encourage you to consult the U.S. EPA’s fact sheet, Questions and Answers: Drinking Water Health Advisories for PFOA, PFOS, GenX Chemicals and PFBS | US EPA and Ohio EPA’s page PFAS in Drinking Water | Ohio Environmental Protection Agency