Tap Water Quality Report
Tap water quality in Cleveland, Ohio
Tap water in Cleveland, Ohio receives a grade of C (72/100) from TapWaterSafety.org. It's served by CLEVELAND PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM. The most significant water quality concerns are: Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline; Bromochloroacetic acid significantly above health guideline; Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) significantly above health guideline. Data sources: EPA SDWIS, EPA ECHO, EWG Tap Water Database.
What's in Cleveland's tap water
Top water quality concerns identified by the EPA and Environmental Working Group across the utility serving Cleveland.
Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernHaloacetic acids (HAA9) detected at 20.5 ppb, 342x above the EWG health guideline of 0.06 ppb.
Bromochloroacetic acid significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernBromochloroacetic acid detected at 3.57 ppb, 178x above the EWG health guideline of 0.02 ppb.
Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernTotal trihalomethanes (TTHMs) detected at 23.9 ppb, 159x above the EWG health guideline of 0.15 ppb.
EPA compliance record
Official U.S. EPA records for CLEVELAND PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM (system ID OH1801212) for the last 3 years. Checked 2026-10-07.
| Rule | Type | Since | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead and Copper Rule | Missed testing or reporting | 01/01/2024 | 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 Cleveland
Filters matched to the specific contaminants in Cleveland's 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.
All contaminants detected in Cleveland'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 |
20.5 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 342× over |
| Bromochloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
3.57 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | — | — | 178× over |
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct |
23.9 ppb | 0.15 | 80.0 | 100 | — | — | — | 159× over |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct |
14.1 ppb | 0.1 | 60.0 | 60 | — | — | — | 141× over |
| Bromodichloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
6.37 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 106× over |
| Trichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
5.07 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 51× over |
| Chloroform Disinfection byproduct |
13.0 ppb | 0.4 | — | — | — | — | — | 32× over |
| Dichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
6.46 ppb | 0.2 | — | — | — | — | — | 32× over |
| Dibromochloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
2.84 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 28× over |
| Radium, combined (-226 and -228) Radiological |
0.76 pCi/L | 0.05 | 5.0 | — | — | — | — | 15× over |
| Dibromoacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
0.408 ppb | 0.03 | — | — | — | — | — | 14× over |
| Chromium (hexavalent) Heavy metal |
0.103 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | — | — | 5.1× over |
| Nitrate Inorganic |
0.289 ppm | 0.14 | 10.0 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | — | 2.1× over |
| Chlorate Disinfection byproduct |
59.9 ppb | 210.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Bromoform Disinfection byproduct |
0.0427 ppb | 0.5 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Monobromoacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
1.4 ppb | 25.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Molybdenum Other |
1.29 ppb | 40.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Vanadium Other |
0.309 ppb | 21.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Monochloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
0.761 ppb | 53.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Manganese Heavy metal |
1.21 ppb | 100.0 | — | 50 | 80 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Strontium Radiological |
0.169 ppb | 1500.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Cyanide Inorganic |
1.0 ppb | — | 200.0 | 50 | 70 | 150 | — | Below guideline |
| Fluoride Inorganic |
0.962 ppm | — | 4.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Testosterone Other |
0.01 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.
Treatment plant contact info
For service issues, water quality concerns, or to request a Consumer Confidence Report from CLEVELAND PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM.
General Contact
Treatment Plant
ZIP codes served
Cleveland's public water systems serve the following ZIP codes: