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Water Quality Report · Updated October 07, 2026

ROYAL OAK, CITY OF

Serving 57,236 residents in ROYAL OAK, Michigan .

National rank 98th percentile
Michigan rank 81th percentile
Data confidence Medium
A
88/100
Excellent
ⓘ How did we get this rating?
Quick answer

ROYAL OAK, CITY OF delivers tap water graded A (88/100) by TapWaterSafety.org. The utility serves approximately 57,236 residents in ROYAL OAK, Michigan using surface water (purchased). 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 248-246-3500.

Data sources for this grade: utilities.csv EWG Tap Water Database ⓘ How did we get this rating?
57,236
People served
1
City served
9
Contaminants detected
5
Above health guidelines

Is ROYAL OAK tap water safe to drink?

ROYAL OAK, CITY OF delivers tap water that earns a grade of A (88/100) from TapWaterSafety.org — an excellent rating reflecting minimal contamination and full compliance with health guidelines.

The utility serves 57,236 residents in ROYAL OAK, drawing from surface water (purchased).

Public testing data identifies 5 contaminants in this water above EWG's health-based guidelines, including: Haloacetic acids (HAA9), Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Haloacetic acids (HAA5), Chromium (hexavalent), Nitrate*. 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 ROYAL OAK, CITY OF (system ID MI0005830) for the last 3 years. Checked 2026-10-07.

No EPA violations in the last 3 years.
0 of 12quarters with a violation
Nolead above EPA action level
05/22/2025last state inspection

Source: U.S. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO), from the Safe Drinking Water Information System. See EPA's full report.

Top concerns in this water

Based on the most recent EPA and EWG data, these are the most significant water quality issues for ROYAL OAK, CITY OF.

Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline

Moderate concern

Haloacetic acids (HAA9) detected at 23.7 ppb, 395x above the EWG health guideline of 0.06 ppb.

Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) significantly above health guideline

Moderate concern

Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) detected at 25.0 ppb, 167x above the EWG health guideline of 0.15 ppb.

Haloacetic acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline

Moderate concern

Haloacetic acids (HAA5) detected at 15.6 ppb, 156x above the EWG health guideline of 0.1 ppb.

Contact ROYAL OAK, CITY OF

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

Recommended water filters for ROYAL OAK

Filters matched to the specific contaminants in this 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
Editorial pick · affiliate link coming soon
AquaTru Countertop Reverse Osmosis
$449-$599 NSF 42, 53, 58, 401, 372
Editorial pick · affiliate link coming soon
Aquasana OptimH2O Reverse Osmosis + Claryum
$429-$549 NSF 42, 53, 58, 401
Editorial pick · affiliate link coming soon

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 88/100 breaks down across five weighted components. Read the full methodology →

Health Guideline Performance
31 / 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
23.7 ppb 0.06 — — — — — 395× over
Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
Disinfection byproduct
25.0 ppb 0.15 80.0 100 — — — 167× over
Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
Disinfection byproduct
15.6 ppb 0.1 60.0 60 — — — 156× over
Chromium (hexavalent)
Heavy metal
0.0939 ppb 0.02 — — — — — 4.7× over
Nitrate*
Inorganic
0.517 ppm 0.14 10.0 11.3 11.3 10 — 3.7× over
Vanadium
Other
0.0925 ppb 21.0 — — — — — Below guideline
Manganese
Heavy metal
0.14 ppb 100.0 — 50 80 — — Below guideline
Strontium
Radiological
0.098 ppb 1500.0 — — — — — Below guideline
Fluoride*
Inorganic
0.633 ppm — 4.0 1.5 1.5 — — 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.

ROYAL OAK, CITY OF service area

This water system serves 1 community in Oakland County, Michigan. Click any city for its dedicated tap water quality page.

About this water system

Public Water System ID
MI0005830
Owner type
Local government
Source water
Surface water (purchased)
Service connections
23,876
Service area
ROYAL OAK, Oakland County, Michigan