Tap Water Quality Report
Tap water quality in NORFOLK CITY, Virginia
Tap water in NORFOLK CITY, Virginia receives a grade of D (68/100) from TapWaterSafety.org. It's served by NORFOLK, 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 NORFOLK CITY's tap water
Top water quality concerns identified by the EPA and Environmental Working Group across the utility serving NORFOLK CITY.
PFAS contamination
Severe concernPerfluorooctane 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 32.3 ppb, 538x above the EWG health guideline of 0.06 ppb.
Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernTotal trihalomethanes (TTHMs) detected at 39.6 ppb, 264x above the EWG health guideline of 0.15 ppb.
Haloacetic acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernHaloacetic acids (HAA5) detected at 25.3 ppb, 253x above the EWG health guideline of 0.1 ppb.
EPA compliance record
Official U.S. EPA records for NORFOLK, CITY OF (system ID VA3710100) for the last 3 years. Checked 2026-10-07.
| Rule | Type | Since | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interim and Long Term 1 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule | Missed testing or reporting | 02/01/2024 | 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 NORFOLK CITY
Filters matched to the specific contaminants in NORFOLK CITY'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 NORFOLK 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 |
32.3 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 538× over |
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct |
39.6 ppb | 0.15 | 80.0 | 100 | — | — | — | 264× over |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct |
25.3 ppb | 0.1 | 60.0 | 60 | — | — | — | 253× over |
| Bromodichloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
8.45 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 141× over |
| Trichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
12.2 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 122× over |
| Bromochloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
2.15 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | — | — | 108× over |
| Chloroform Disinfection byproduct |
29.7 ppb | 0.4 | — | — | — | — | — | 74× over |
| Dichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
12.7 ppb | 0.2 | — | — | — | — | — | 63× over |
| Dibromochloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
1.63 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 16× over |
| Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) PFAS |
0.725 ppt | 0.3 | 4.0 | 100 | 100 | 1 | — | 2.4× over |
| Chromium (hexavalent) Heavy metal |
0.0456 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | — | — | 2.3× over |
| Chlorate Disinfection byproduct |
328.8 ppb | 210.0 | — | — | — | — | — | 1.6× over |
| Nitrate Inorganic |
0.148 ppm | 0.14 | 10.0 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | — | 1.1× over |
| Nitrate and nitrite Inorganic |
0.145 ppm | 0.14 | 10.0 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | — | 1.0× over |
| Atrazine Pesticide/Herbicide |
0.019 ppb | 0.1 | 3.0 | 0.1 | 100 | 0.15 | — | Below guideline |
| Barium Heavy metal |
30.0 ppb | 700.0 | 2000.0 | — | 1300 | 2000 | — | Below guideline |
| Aluminum Heavy metal |
14.0 ppb | 600.0 | — | 200 | — | 600 | — | Below guideline |
| Monochloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
0.44 ppb | 53.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluoropentanoic Acid (PFPeA) PFAS |
0.638 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Manganese Heavy metal |
0.0517 ppb | 100.0 | — | 50 | 80 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorohexanoic Acid (PFHxA) PFAS |
0.463 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Strontium Radiological |
0.0735 ppb | 1500.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Cyanide Inorganic |
5.25 ppb | — | 200.0 | 50 | 70 | 150 | — | Below guideline |
| Fluoride Inorganic |
0.616 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 NORFOLK, CITY OF.