Water Systems Over the EPA Lead Action Level in 2026

Twenty-two of the 1,000 large US water systems graded on TapWaterSafety.org are flagged in EPA’s compliance records as over the lead action level. Together they serve about 3.8 million people, and six of them are in Massachusetts. An action level exceedance means too many homes tested above EPA’s lead threshold, so the utility must take extra steps. It does not by itself mean the utility broke the law, and it does not mean every home on that system has lead in its water.

Below is the full list, an explanation of what the action level is (and how it is changing), and what residents of these systems can do now.

The data behind this list

Source: EPA ECHO compliance records, checked October 7, 2026; last 12 quarters. We checked each of the 1,000 systems on our site against EPA’s Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) database. Each of these systems serves more than 50,000 people, so this is not a list of every US system over the action level. Thousands of smaller systems are not included.

Our data records whether ECHO flags a system as over the lead action level. It does not include each system’s actual 90th percentile lead result, so we don’t list numbers here. Your utility’s annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) must include the 90th percentile lead result from its most recent sampling round.

What the lead action level is

EPA has set the health goal for lead in drinking water at zero, because no safe level of exposure is known. The CDC likewise says no safe blood lead level has been identified for young children.

The action level is different. It is not a health limit. It is a trigger. Under the Lead and Copper Rule, utilities test water from taps inside homes. If more than 10% of samples exceed 15 parts per billion (ppb), which is the same as the “90th percentile” result being above 15 ppb, the system has an action level exceedance.

According to EPA, an exceedance requires the system to take further steps, including:

taking further steps to optimize corrosion control treatment,
educating the public about lead, and
replacing the portions of lead service lines under the system’s control.

Under the 2021 Lead and Copper Rule Revisions, which took effect October 16, 2024, systems must also issue a Tier 1 public notice after a lead action level exceedance. Tier 1 is the most urgent category of public notice.

What an exceedance does and does not mean

It does mean that, in the sampling round EPA used, a meaningful share of tested homes had lead above 15 ppb. Lead is getting into water somewhere on that system, usually from lead service lines, older solder or brass fixtures, not from the water source itself.

It does not mean:

That your home has lead in its water. Lead levels vary a lot from house to house depending on the plumbing. Some homes on a system with an exceedance will have little or no lead. Some homes on a system with no exceedance will have high lead.
That the system violated the rule. An exceedance triggers required actions. A violation occurs if the system does not carry them out or misses a requirement. In our list, 13 of the 22 systems have no Lead and Copper Rule violation in their EPA record at all.
That the problem is current. The flag reflects reported sampling data, and new sampling rounds can change it. A utility may have come back under the action level since our check.

The 22 systems flagged over the lead action level

Sorted by population. “Quarters in violation” counts any Safe Drinking Water Act violation, not only lead. “Lead rule violations” lists what the EPA record shows under the Lead and Copper Rule: TT is a treatment technique violation (health-based), MR is a monitoring or reporting violation.

System	City	State	Population	Quarters in violation (of 12)	Lead rule violations in EPA record
Boston Water and Sewer Commission (MWRA)	Boston	MA	675,647	12	TT (open, since 2020)
Portland Water Bureau	Portland	OR	666,200	12	None
Saint Paul Regional Water Services	St. Paul	MN	392,529	6	MR and other (both closed)
Fort Wayne - 3 Rivers Filtration Plant	Fort Wayne	IN	269,994	2	None
Syracuse City	Syracuse	NY	192,000	10	None
Aurora	Aurora	IL	183,000	0	None
Dayton Public Water System	Dayton	OH	141,407	0	None
IL American-Peoria	Peoria	IL	137,575	0	None
Elgin	Elgin	IL	114,797	5	MR (open)
Waterbury Water Department	Middlebury	CT	107,271	3	MR (closed)
Quincy Water Dept. (MWRA)	Quincy	MA	106,000	0	None
Albany City	Albany	NY	98,000	2	None
Livonia	Livonia	MI	96,942	0	None
Fall River Water Department	Fall River	MA	94,000	12	MR (open)
Two Rivers Utilities	Gastonia	NC	93,877	0	None
City of Pleasanton	Pleasanton	CA	76,689	0	None
Palatine	Palatine	IL	70,875	0	None
Missoula Water	Missoula	MT	68,200	0	None
Malden Water Division (MWRA)	Malden	MA	66,263	12	MR (open)
Taylor	Taylor	MI	63,409	4	TT (open, since 2025)
Revere Water Division (MWRA)	Revere	MA	62,186	12	MR (open)
Medford Water Dept. (MWRA)	Medford	MA	61,700	12	MR and TT (both open)

A few patterns in the list:

Older Northeast and Midwest cities dominate. Massachusetts has 6 systems on the list and Illinois has 4. New York and Michigan each have 2. Many are older cities, though our data does not measure service line materials directly.
Shared sources, different results. Five of the Massachusetts systems are MWRA communities, which buy water from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority and deliver it through their own local pipes. Because lead usually comes from local service lines and home plumbing, results can differ between communities that share the same source.
Nine of the 22 had no violation of any kind in the last 12 quarters. An action level exceedance can happen at a system with a clean compliance record.

The action level is dropping to 10 ppb

EPA finalized the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) in October 2024 (published in the Federal Register on October 30, 2024). As published, the rule:

lowers the lead action level from 15 ppb to 10 ppb (0.015 to 0.010 mg/L),
removes the separate “trigger level” that the 2021 revisions had added,
requires most systems to replace lead and certain galvanized service lines within 10 years of the compliance date, and
requires systems that exceed the action level three or more times in five years to do additional public education and make lead-reducing filters available to consumers.

Most LCRI requirements apply starting November 1, 2027, three years after the rule was issued. Until then, the 15 ppb action level applies. When the lower level takes effect, more systems are likely to find themselves over it, so this list may grow. Check EPA’s LCRI page for the rule’s current status, since compliance dates can change.

What residents of these systems should do

These steps come from EPA and CDC guidance and apply to anyone worried about lead, whether or not their system is on this list.

Find out what your service line is made of. Utilities had to submit an inventory of service line materials by October 16, 2024. Many publish a lookup map. Our guide on how to find out if you have a lead pipe walks through it.
Test your water. EPA says testing is the only sure way to know whether lead is in your tap water. CDC notes that many public water systems will test for residents on request, so ask your utility first. See our guide to lead testing and protection.
Use only cold water for drinking, cooking and making baby formula. Hot water can carry more lead.
Flush your pipes before drinking if water has been sitting, by running the tap.
Don’t rely on boiling. Both EPA and CDC say boiling does not remove lead.
Use a certified filter if needed. CDC recommends a point-of-use filter certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 53 for lead reduction. Replace cartridges on schedule and don’t run hot water through the filter. Our filter certification guide explains the labels.
Take extra care with infants and pregnancy. CDC notes that formula-fed infants can be at higher risk because they drink a lot of water for their size. See tap water for baby formula, and talk to your doctor or pediatrician about blood lead testing if you’re concerned.

You can look up any system on our search page to see its EPA record, grade and top concerns.

Note: a utility may have resolved issues or returned below the action level since October 7, 2026. Check the utility’s EPA ECHO report (linked from each utility page) or its latest Consumer Confidence Report for current results.