What contaminants are in Baltimore tap water?

Public data sources identify the following contaminants in Baltimore's water supply: Haloacetic acids (HAA9), Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Haloacetic acids (HAA5), Bromodichloromethane, Chloroform, Dibromochloromethane, Nitrate and nitrite, Nitrate, Radium, combined (-226 and -228), Chromium (hexavalent), Atrazine, Chlorate, Chloromethane, Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, Manganese, Barium, Vanadium, Strontium, 4-Androstene-3,17-dione, Fluoride, Testosterone. Levels and comparison to EWG health guidelines are listed on the full city page.

Which water utility serves Baltimore?

Baltimore is served by CITY OF BALTIMORE. CITY OF BALTIMORE serves approximately 1,600,000 residents.

Tap Water Quality Report

Tap water quality in Baltimore, Maryland

Q: Is the tap water in Baltimore, Maryland safe to drink?

Baltimore's tap water receives a grade of D (67/100) from TapWaterSafety.org. 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. Grades are based on EPA SDWIS, EPA ECHO, EWG Tap Water Database, and the utility's published Consumer Confidence Report.

Served by CITY OF BALTIMORE. 1,600,000 residents.

Average score 67/100

Utilities 1

Population 1,600,000

67/100

Below Average

ⓘ How did we get this rating?

Quick answer

Tap water in Baltimore, Maryland receives a grade of D (67/100) from TapWaterSafety.org. It's served by CITY OF BALTIMORE. 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. Data sources: EPA SDWIS, EPA ECHO, EWG Tap Water Database.

Data sources for this grade: utilities.csv EWG Tap Water Database ⓘ How did we get this rating?

What's in Baltimore's tap water

Top water quality concerns identified by the EPA and Environmental Working Group across the utility serving Baltimore.

Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline

Moderate concern

Haloacetic 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 concern

Total 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 concern

Haloacetic acids (HAA5) detected at 31.6 ppb, 316x above the EWG health guideline of 0.1 ppb.

EPA compliance record

Official U.S. EPA records for CITY OF BALTIMORE (system ID MD0300002) for the last 3 years. Checked 2026-10-07.

Health-based violation in the last 3 years. A contaminant was above the legal limit or required treatment was not met in at least one quarter.

5 of 12quarters with a violation

Nolead above EPA action level

10/03/2024last state inspection

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.

Recommended filters for Baltimore

Filters matched to the specific contaminants in Baltimore's water supply.

Carbon filter certified for VOCs (NSF/ANSI 53)

$180-$599

Activated carbon is effective for disinfection byproducts. Look for NSF/ANSI 53 VOC reduction.

Aquasana AQ-5300 Under-Sink Filter

$180-$240 NSF 42, 53, 401, 372

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AquaTru Countertop Reverse Osmosis

$449-$599 NSF 42, 53, 58, 401, 372

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Aquasana OptimH2O Reverse Osmosis + Claryum

$429-$549 NSF 42, 53, 58, 401

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

All contaminants detected in Baltimore's tap water

Every contaminant identified, compared side-by-side against US EPA legal limits, the EU Drinking Water Directive (2020/2184), WHO Guidelines, and California's Public Health Goal. 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, California OEHHA PHGs, EWG Tap Water Database.