Water Quality Report · Updated May 12, 2026

INDIANA AMERICAN WATER - NORTHWEST

Serving 210,510 residents in MERRILLVILLE, Indiana and 1 other communities.

National rank 92th percentile
Indiana rank 94th percentile
Data confidence Medium
Quick answer

INDIANA AMERICAN WATER - NORTHWEST delivers tap water graded B (77/100) by TapWaterSafety.org. The utility serves approximately 210,510 residents in MERRILLVILLE, Indiana using surface water. The most significant water quality concerns are: Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline; Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) significantly above health guideline; Haloacetic acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline. For questions, the utility can be reached at 317-885-2408.

Data sources for this grade: utilities.csv EWG Tap Water Database ⓘ How did we get this rating?
210,510
People served
2
Cities served
11
Contaminants detected
6
Above health guidelines
0
EPA violations (5 yr)

Is MERRILLVILLE tap water safe to drink?

INDIANA AMERICAN WATER - NORTHWEST delivers tap water that earns a grade of B (77/100) from TapWaterSafety.org — a good rating, with only minor concerns relative to health-based guidelines.

The utility serves 210,510 residents in MERRILLVILLE and 1 other community, drawing from surface water.

Public testing data identifies 6 contaminants in this water above EWG's health-based guidelines, including: Haloacetic acids (HAA9), Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Haloacetic acids (HAA5), Chromium (hexavalent), Nitrate, Nitrate and nitrite. For most residents, a properly certified home filter at the kitchen tap is the most cost-effective way to reduce exposure to whatever's in your water. See our filter recommendations below, matched specifically to this utility's contaminant profile.

Top concerns in this water

Based on the most recent EPA and EWG data, these are the most significant water quality issues for INDIANA AMERICAN WATER - NORTHWEST.

Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline

Moderate concern

Haloacetic acids (HAA9) detected at 19.0 ppb, 316x above the EWG health guideline of 0.06 ppb.

Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) significantly above health guideline

Moderate concern

Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) detected at 23.7 ppb, 158x above the EWG health guideline of 0.15 ppb.

Haloacetic acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline

Moderate concern

Haloacetic acids (HAA5) detected at 11.8 ppb, 118x above the EWG health guideline of 0.1 ppb.

Contact INDIANA AMERICAN WATER - NORTHWEST

Reach the utility directly for service issues, water quality concerns, or to request your Consumer Confidence Report.

Recommended water filters for MERRILLVILLE

Filters matched to the specific contaminants in this water supply.

Disclosure: TapWaterSafety earns a commission from purchases made through these links. This does not influence our scoring methodology or filter selection.

Score breakdown

This utility's overall score of 77/100 breaks down across five weighted components. Read the full methodology →

Health Guideline Performance
20 / 40
Legal Compliance
20 / 20
High-Risk Contaminants
20 / 20
Compliance History
10 / 10
Source Water Vulnerability
7 / 10

Contaminants detected — international standards comparison

Every contaminant detected, compared side-by-side against US EPA legal limits, the EU Drinking Water Directive (2020/2184), WHO Guidelines, and California's Public Health Goal (the strictest US benchmark). Why we show multiple standards →

Contaminant Detected EWG
US health-based
EPA
US legal
EU DWD
Europe
WHO
global
CA PHG
strictest US
Tested
sample year
Status
Haloacetic acids (HAA9)
Disinfection byproduct
19.0 ppb 0.06 316× over
Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
Disinfection byproduct
23.7 ppb 0.15 80.0 100 158× over
Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
Disinfection byproduct
11.8 ppb 0.1 60.0 60 118× over
Chromium (hexavalent)
Heavy metal
0.303 ppb 0.02 15× over
Nitrate
Inorganic
0.853 ppm 0.14 10.0 11.3 11.3 10 6.1× over
Nitrate and nitrite
Inorganic
0.345 ppm 0.14 10.0 11.3 11.3 10 2.5× over
1,4-Dioxane
Semi-volatile organic compound
0.0588 ppb 0.35 50 1 Below guideline
Molybdenum
Other
1.36 ppb 40.0 Below guideline
Strontium
Radiological
0.114 ppb 1500.0 Below guideline
Fluoride
Inorganic
0.37 ppm 4.0 1.5 1.5 Below guideline
Testosterone
Other
0.018 ppt Below guideline

All values in the unit of the detected level. Red cells indicate the detected level exceeds that standard. Some contaminants have limits in some jurisdictions but not others (shown as —). The "Tested" column shows the year each contaminant sample was collected.

Sources: US EPA, EU Drinking Water Directive 2020/2184, WHO Guidelines (4th ed.), California OEHHA PHGs, EWG Tap Water Database.

INDIANA AMERICAN WATER - NORTHWEST service area

This water system serves 2 communities in Lake County, Indiana. Click any city for its dedicated tap water quality page.

About this water system

Public Water System ID
IN5245015
Owner type
Private
Source water
Surface water
Service connections
84,204
Service area
MERRILLVILLE, Lake County, Indiana