Water Quality Report · Updated October 07, 2026
CITY OF BALTIMORE
CITY OF BALTIMORE delivers tap water graded C (67/100) by TapWaterSafety.org. The utility serves approximately 1,600,000 residents in BALTIMORE, Maryland 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 410-396-3500.
Is BALTIMORE tap water safe to drink?
CITY OF BALTIMORE delivers tap water that earns a grade of C (67/100) from TapWaterSafety.org — an average rating, with several contaminants above health guidelines but generally compliant with US legal limits.
The utility serves 1,600,000 residents in BALTIMORE, drawing from surface water.
Public testing data identifies 10 contaminants in this water above EWG's health-based guidelines, including: Haloacetic acids (HAA9), Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Haloacetic acids (HAA5), Bromodichloromethane, Chloroform, Dibromochloromethane, Nitrate and nitrite, Nitrate, Radium, combined (-226 and -228), Chromium (hexavalent). 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.
EPA compliance record
Official U.S. EPA records for CITY OF BALTIMORE (system ID MD0300002) for the last 3 years. Checked 2026-10-07.
| Rule | Type | Since | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule | Contaminant above the legal limit | 01/01/2026 | Open |
| Synthetic Organic Chemicals | Missed testing or reporting | 04/01/2023 | Open |
| Nitrate Rule | Missed testing or reporting | 01/01/2023 | Open |
| Lead and Copper Rule Revisions | Missed reporting | 07/02/2025 | Open |
Source: U.S. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO), from the Safe Drinking Water Information System. See EPA's full report.
Quick actions for BALTIMORE residents
Top concerns in this water
Based on the most recent EPA and EWG data, these are the most significant water quality issues for CITY OF BALTIMORE.
Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernHaloacetic acids (HAA9) detected at 49.4 ppb, 824x above the EWG health guideline of 0.06 ppb.
Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernTotal trihalomethanes (TTHMs) detected at 53.3 ppb, 355x above the EWG health guideline of 0.15 ppb.
Haloacetic acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernHaloacetic acids (HAA5) detected at 31.6 ppb, 316x above the EWG health guideline of 0.1 ppb.
Contact CITY OF BALTIMORE
Reach the utility directly for service issues, water quality concerns, or to request your Consumer Confidence Report.
General Contact
Treatment Plant
Recommended water filters for BALTIMORE
Filters matched to the specific contaminants in this water supply.
Carbon filter certified for VOCs (NSF/ANSI 53)
$180-$599Activated carbon is effective for disinfection byproducts. Look for NSF/ANSI 53 VOC reduction.
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 67/100 breaks down across five weighted components. Read the full methodology →
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 |
49.4 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 824× over |
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct |
53.3 ppb | 0.15 | 80.0 | 100 | — | — | — | 355× over |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct |
31.6 ppb | 0.1 | 60.0 | 60 | — | — | — | 316× over |
| Bromodichloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
7.22 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 120× over |
| Chloroform Disinfection byproduct |
26.1 ppb | 0.4 | — | — | — | — | — | 65× over |
| Dibromochloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
1.21 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 12× over |
| Nitrate and nitrite Inorganic |
1.39 ppm | 0.14 | 10.0 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | — | 9.9× over |
| Nitrate Inorganic |
1.22 ppm | 0.14 | 10.0 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | — | 8.7× over |
| Radium, combined (-226 and -228) Radiological |
0.23 pCi/L | 0.05 | 5.0 | — | — | — | — | 4.7× over |
| Chromium (hexavalent) Heavy metal |
0.0386 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | — | — | 1.9× over |
| Atrazine Pesticide/Herbicide |
0.0519 ppb | 0.1 | 3.0 | 0.1 | 100 | 0.15 | — | Below guideline |
| Chlorate Disinfection byproduct |
36.7 ppb | 210.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Chloromethane Other |
0.408 ppb | 2.69 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate Semi-volatile organic compound |
0.156 ppb | 3.0 | 6.0 | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Manganese Heavy metal |
4.8 ppb | 100.0 | — | 50 | 80 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Barium Heavy metal |
18.1 ppb | 700.0 | 2000.0 | — | 1300 | 2000 | — | Below guideline |
| Vanadium Other |
0.066 ppb | 21.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Strontium Radiological |
0.0814 ppb | 1500.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| 4-Androstene-3,17-dione Other |
0.033 ppt | — | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Fluoride Inorganic |
0.678 ppm | — | 4.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Testosterone Other |
0.011 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.
CITY OF BALTIMORE service area
This water system serves 1 community in Baltimore city County, Maryland. Click any city for its dedicated tap water quality page.
Find the right filter for BALTIMORE water
Browse filter categories by water-quality concern. Each option below is NSF-certified for the matched contaminant type.