Tap Water Quality Report
Tap water quality in ALEXANDRIA CITY, Virginia
Tap water in ALEXANDRIA CITY, Virginia receives a grade of F (55/100) from TapWaterSafety.org. It's served by ALEXANDRIA, CITY OF. The most significant water quality concerns are: PFAS contamination; Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline; Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) significantly above health guideline; Haloacetic acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline. Data sources: EPA SDWIS, EPA ECHO, EWG Tap Water Database.
What's in ALEXANDRIA CITY's tap water
Top water quality concerns identified by the EPA and Environmental Working Group across the utility serving ALEXANDRIA CITY.
PFAS contamination
Severe concernPerfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)*, Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS)* 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 16.0 ppb, 266x above the EWG health guideline of 0.06 ppb.
Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernTotal trihalomethanes (TTHMs) detected at 19.0 ppb, 126x above the EWG health guideline of 0.15 ppb.
Haloacetic acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernHaloacetic acids (HAA5) detected at 11.3 ppb, 113x above the EWG health guideline of 0.1 ppb.
Recommended filters for ALEXANDRIA CITY
Filters matched to the specific contaminants in ALEXANDRIA CITY's 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.
All contaminants detected in ALEXANDRIA CITY'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 |
16.0 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 266× over |
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct |
19.0 ppb | 0.15 | 80.0 | 100 | — | — | — | 126× over |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct |
11.3 ppb | 0.1 | 60.0 | 60 | — | — | — | 113× over |
| Bromodichloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
5.28 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 88× over |
| Trichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
3.9 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 39× over |
| Dichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
6.63 ppb | 0.2 | — | — | — | — | — | 33× over |
| Dibromochloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
3.04 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 30× over |
| Chloroform Disinfection byproduct |
10.5 ppb | 0.4 | — | — | — | — | — | 26× over |
| Dibromoacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
0.608 ppb | 0.03 | — | — | — | — | — | 20× over |
| Nitrate* Inorganic |
1.12 ppm | 0.14 | 10.0 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | — | 8.0× over |
| Nitrate and nitrite* Inorganic |
1.12 ppm | 0.14 | 10.0 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | — | 8.0× over |
| Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)* PFAS |
0.417 ppt | 0.09 | 4.0 | 100 | 100 | 0.007 | — | 4.6× over |
| Chromium (hexavalent) Heavy metal |
0.09 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | — | — | 4.5× over |
| 6:2 Fluorotelomer Sulfonic Acid (6:2 FTSA) * Other |
3.17 ppt | 1.0 | — | — | — | — | — | 3.2× over |
| Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS)* PFAS |
0.392 ppt | 0.3 | 4.0 | 100 | 100 | 1 | — | 1.3× over |
| Chlorate Disinfection byproduct |
235.0 ppb | 210.0 | — | — | — | — | — | 1.1× over |
| Radium, combined (-226 and -228)* Radiological |
0.02 pCi/L | 0.05 | 5.0 | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Bromoform Disinfection byproduct |
0.16 ppb | 0.5 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Barium* Heavy metal |
31.1 ppb | 700.0 | 2000.0 | — | 1300 | 2000 | — | Below guideline |
| Aluminum* Heavy metal |
10.2 ppb | 600.0 | — | 200 | — | 600 | — | Below guideline |
| Vanadium Other |
0.288 ppb | 21.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Manganese Heavy metal |
0.94 ppb | 100.0 | — | 50 | 80 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Molybdenum Other |
0.325 ppb | 40.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluoropentanoic Acid (PFPeA) PFAS |
3.4 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Monochloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
0.146 ppb | 53.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorohexanoic Acid (PFHxA) PFAS |
2.05 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Monobromoacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
0.0313 ppb | 25.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorobutanoic Acid (PFBA)* PFAS |
0.8 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) PFAS |
0.875 ppt | 2000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHPA)* PFAS |
0.325 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Strontium Radiological |
0.15 ppb | 1500.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Bromide Other |
17.0 ppb | — | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Fluoride* Inorganic |
0.674 ppm | — | 4.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Nitrite* Inorganic |
0.000957 ppm | — | 1.0 | — | — | — | — | 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 ALEXANDRIA, CITY OF.