What contaminants are in SALEM tap water?

Public data sources identify the following contaminants in SALEM's water supply: Haloacetic acids (HAA9), Haloacetic acids (HAA5), Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Chromium (hexavalent), Bromate, Chlorate, Nitrate, Nitrate and nitrite, Vanadium, Barium, Strontium, Chromium (total), Fluoride. Levels and comparison to EWG health guidelines are listed on the full city page.

Which water utility serves SALEM?

SALEM is served by SALEM PUBLIC WORKS. SALEM PUBLIC WORKS serves approximately 199,820 residents.

Tap Water Quality Report

Tap water quality in SALEM, Oregon

Q: Is the tap water in SALEM, Oregon safe to drink?

SALEM's tap water receives a grade of B (86/100) from TapWaterSafety.org. The most significant water quality concerns are: Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline, Haloacetic acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline, Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) 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 SALEM PUBLIC WORKS. 199,820 residents.

Average score 86/100

Utilities 1

Population 199,820

86/100

Good

ⓘ How did we get this rating?

Quick answer

Tap water in SALEM, Oregon receives a grade of B (86/100) from TapWaterSafety.org. It's served by SALEM PUBLIC WORKS. The most significant water quality concerns are: Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline; Haloacetic acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline; Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) 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 SALEM's tap water

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

Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline

Moderate concern

Haloacetic acids (HAA9) detected at 32.7 ppb, 546x above the EWG health guideline of 0.06 ppb.

Haloacetic acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline

Moderate concern

Haloacetic acids (HAA5) detected at 20.9 ppb, 209x above the EWG health guideline of 0.1 ppb.

Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) significantly above health guideline

Moderate concern

Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) detected at 23.4 ppb, 156x above the EWG health guideline of 0.15 ppb.

EPA compliance record

Official U.S. EPA records for SALEM PUBLIC WORKS (system ID OR4100731) for the last 3 years. Checked 2026-10-07.

No health-based violations. EPA recorded one quarter with a testing, reporting or notice violation.

1 of 12quarters with a violation

Nolead above EPA action level

07/25/2023last state inspection

Rule	Type	Since	Status
Consumer Confidence Rule	Other (e.g. public notice)	07/01/2023	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 SALEM

Filters matched to the specific contaminants in SALEM'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

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Aquasana OptimH2O Reverse Osmosis + Claryum

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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 SALEM'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	32.7 ppb	0.06	—	—	—	—	—	546× over
Haloacetic acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct	20.9 ppb	0.1	60.0	60	—	—	—	209× over
Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct	23.4 ppb	0.15	80.0	100	—	—	—	156× over
Chromium (hexavalent) Heavy metal	0.0653 ppb	0.02	—	—	—	—	—	3.3× over
Bromate Disinfection byproduct	0.0579 ppb	0.1	10.0	10	10	0.1	—	Below guideline
Chlorate Disinfection byproduct	95.0 ppb	210.0	—	—	—	—	—	Below guideline
Nitrate Inorganic	0.0614 ppm	0.14	10.0	11.3	11.3	10	—	Below guideline
Nitrate and nitrite Inorganic	0.0507 ppm	0.14	10.0	11.3	11.3	10	—	Below guideline
Vanadium Other	1.32 ppb	21.0	—	—	—	—	—	Below guideline
Barium Heavy metal	0.8 ppb	700.0	2000.0	—	1300	2000	—	Below guideline
Strontium Radiological	0.0228 ppb	1500.0	—	—	—	—	—	Below guideline
Chromium (total) Heavy metal	0.15 ppb	—	100.0	—	—	—	—	Below guideline
Fluoride Inorganic	0.504 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.