Tap Water Quality Report
Tap water quality in St. Paul, Minnesota
Tap water in St. Paul, Minnesota receives a grade of F (55/100) from TapWaterSafety.org. It's served by Saint Paul Regional Water Services. The most significant water quality concerns are: PFAS contamination; Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline; Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS) significantly above health guideline; Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) significantly above health guideline. Data sources: EPA SDWIS, EPA ECHO, EWG Tap Water Database.
What's in St. Paul's tap water
Top water quality concerns identified by the EPA and Environmental Working Group across the utility serving St. Paul.
PFAS contamination
Severe concernPerfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) detected. PFAS are persistent chemicals linked to cancer and immune effects with no known safe exposure threshold.
Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernHaloacetic acids (HAA9) detected at 27.4 ppb, 456x above the EWG health guideline of 0.06 ppb.
Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernPerfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS) detected at 0.373 ppt, 373x above the EWG health guideline of 0.001 ppt.
Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernTotal trihalomethanes (TTHMs) detected at 32.2 ppb, 214x above the EWG health guideline of 0.15 ppb.
EPA compliance record
Official U.S. EPA records for Saint Paul Regional Water Services (system ID MN1620026) for the last 3 years. Checked 2026-10-07.
| Rule | Type | Since | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead and Copper Rule | Other (e.g. public notice) | 01/01/2023 | Resolved |
| Lead and Copper Rule | Missed testing or reporting | 10/01/2020 | Resolved |
| Interim and Long Term 1 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule | Missed testing or reporting | 04/01/2023 | Resolved |
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 St. Paul
Filters matched to the specific contaminants in St. Paul's water supply.
Filter certified for PFOA/PFOS (NSF/ANSI 53 or 58)
$180-$750Reverse osmosis and some carbon block filters reduce PFAS. Look for certification to NSF/ANSI 53 or 58 for PFOA/PFOS.
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.
All contaminants detected in St. Paul'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 |
27.4 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 456× over |
| Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS) PFAS |
0.373 ppt | 0.001 | 10.0 | — | — | — | — | 373× over |
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct |
32.2 ppb | 0.15 | 80.0 | 100 | — | — | — | 214× over |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct |
20.7 ppb | 0.1 | 60.0 | 60 | — | — | — | 207× over |
| Bromodichloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
6.71 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 112× over |
| Dichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
13.8 ppb | 0.2 | — | — | — | — | — | 69× over |
| Trichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
6.95 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 69× over |
| Chloroform Disinfection byproduct |
24.9 ppb | 0.4 | — | — | — | — | — | 62× over |
| Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) PFAS |
0.062 ppt | 0.006 | 10.0 | — | — | — | — | 10× over |
| Chromium (hexavalent) Heavy metal |
0.168 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | — | — | 8.4× over |
| Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) PFAS |
0.617 ppt | 0.09 | 4.0 | 100 | 100 | 0.007 | — | 6.9× over |
| Dibromochloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
0.508 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 5.1× over |
| Nitrate Inorganic |
0.333 ppm | 0.14 | 10.0 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | — | 2.4× over |
| Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) PFAS |
0.323 ppt | 0.3 | 4.0 | 100 | 100 | 1 | — | 1.1× over |
| Chlorate Disinfection byproduct |
6.95 ppb | 210.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Vanadium Other |
0.495 ppb | 21.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Molybdenum Other |
0.525 ppb | 40.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorobutanoic Acid (PFBA) PFAS |
12.7 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluoropentanoic Acid (PFPeA) PFAS |
1.79 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorohexanoic Acid (PFHxA) PFAS |
0.783 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Monochloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
0.0347 ppb | 53.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHPA) PFAS |
0.512 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) PFAS |
0.717 ppt | 2000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Strontium Radiological |
0.0628 ppb | 1500.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Fluoride Inorganic |
0.678 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, California OEHHA PHGs, EWG Tap Water Database.
Treatment plant contact info
For service issues, water quality concerns, or to request a Consumer Confidence Report from Saint Paul Regional Water Services.
General Contact
Treatment Plant
ZIP codes served
St. Paul's public water systems serve the following ZIP codes: