Water Quality Report · Updated May 12, 2026
Saint Paul Regional Water Services
Saint Paul Regional Water Services delivers tap water graded F (50/100) by TapWaterSafety.org. The utility serves approximately 392,529 residents in St. Paul, Minnesota using surface water. 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. For questions, the utility can be reached at 6512661629.
Is St. Paul tap water safe to drink?
Saint Paul Regional Water Services delivers tap water that earns a grade of F (50/100) from TapWaterSafety.org — a poor rating, with significant contamination concerns and/or recent violations.
The utility serves 392,529 residents in St. Paul, drawing from surface water.
Public testing data identifies 14 contaminants in this water above EWG's health-based guidelines, including: Haloacetic acids (HAA9), Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS), Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Haloacetic acids (HAA5), Bromodichloromethane, Dichloroacetic acid, Trichloroacetic acid, Chloroform, Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), Chromium (hexavalent), Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), Dibromochloromethane, Nitrate, Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). 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.
Quick actions for St. Paul residents
Top concerns in this water
Based on the most recent EPA and EWG data, these are the most significant water quality issues for Saint Paul Regional Water Services.
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.
Contact Saint Paul Regional Water Services
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 St. Paul
Filters matched to the specific contaminants in this water supply.
Reverse Osmosis or NSF P473 certified carbon
$80-$750Activated carbon and RO are the only technologies proven to remove PFAS at certified levels.
Carbon block (NSF/ANSI 42 + 53)
$40-$750Activated carbon is highly effective for disinfection byproducts like TTHM and HAA5.
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 50/100 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 |
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 (4th ed.), California OEHHA PHGs, EWG Tap Water Database.
Saint Paul Regional Water Services service area
This water system serves 1 community in Ramsey County, Minnesota. Click any city for its dedicated tap water quality page.
Find the right filter for St. Paul water
Browse filter categories by water-quality concern. Each option below is NSF-certified for the matched contaminant type.