Water Quality Report · Updated October 07, 2026
VANCOUVER CITY OF
VANCOUVER CITY OF delivers tap water graded D (64/100) by TapWaterSafety.org. The utility serves approximately 373,047 residents in Vancouver, Washington using groundwater. The most significant water quality concerns are: PFAS contamination; Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS) significantly above health guideline; Total PFOS and PFOA significantly above health guideline; Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) significantly above health guideline.
Is Vancouver tap water safe to drink?
VANCOUVER CITY OF delivers tap water that earns a grade of D (64/100) from TapWaterSafety.org — a below-average rating, with multiple concerns including pfas contamination.
The utility serves 373,047 residents in Vancouver, drawing from groundwater.
Public testing data identifies 14 contaminants in this water above EWG's health-based guidelines, including: Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS), Total PFOS and PFOA, Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Haloacetic acids (HAA9), Nitrate, Bromodichloromethane, Dibromochloromethane, Chromium (hexavalent), Haloacetic acids (HAA5), Chloroform, Dibromoacetic acid, Bromoform. 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.
EPA compliance record
Official U.S. EPA records for VANCOUVER CITY OF (system ID WA5391200) for the last 3 years. Checked 2026-10-07.
Source: U.S. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO), from the Safe Drinking Water Information System. See EPA's full report.
Quick actions for Vancouver residents
Top concerns in this water
Based on the most recent EPA and EWG data, these are the most significant water quality issues for VANCOUVER CITY OF.
PFAS contamination
Severe concernPerfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) detected. PFAS are persistent chemicals linked to cancer and immune effects with no known safe exposure threshold.
Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernPerfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS) detected at 4.36 ppt, 4360x above the EWG health guideline of 0.001 ppt.
Total PFOS and PFOA significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernTotal PFOS and PFOA detected at 20.9 ppt, 2986x above the EWG health guideline of 0.007 ppt.
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernPerfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) detected at 4.64 ppt, 52x above the EWG health guideline of 0.09 ppt.
Contact VANCOUVER CITY OF
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 Vancouver
Filters matched to the specific contaminants in this 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.
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 64/100 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) PFAS |
4.64 ppt | 0.09 | 4.0 | 100 | 100 | 0.007 | — | EPA violation |
| Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) PFAS |
11.1 ppt | 0.3 | 4.0 | 100 | 100 | 1 | — | EPA violation |
| Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS) PFAS |
4.36 ppt | 0.001 | 10.0 | — | — | — | — | 4360× over |
| Total PFOS and PFOA PFAS |
20.9 ppt | 0.007 | — | 100 | 100 | 0.007 | — | 2986× over |
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct |
6.54 ppb | 0.15 | 80.0 | 100 | — | — | — | 44× over |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA9) Disinfection byproduct |
2.12 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 35× over |
| Nitrate Inorganic |
3.63 ppm | 0.14 | 10.0 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | — | 26× over |
| Bromodichloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
1.52 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 25× over |
| Dibromochloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
1.54 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 15× over |
| Chromium (hexavalent) Heavy metal |
0.282 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | — | — | 14× over |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct |
1.1 ppb | 0.1 | 60.0 | 60 | — | — | — | 11× over |
| Chloroform Disinfection byproduct |
1.32 ppb | 0.4 | — | — | — | — | — | 3.3× over |
| Dibromoacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
0.0917 ppb | 0.03 | — | — | — | — | — | 3.1× over |
| Bromoform Disinfection byproduct |
0.724 ppb | 0.5 | — | — | — | — | — | 1.4× over |
| Vanadium Other |
5.58 ppb | 21.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| 1,4-Dioxane Semi-volatile organic compound |
0.0617 ppb | 0.35 | — | — | 50 | 1 | — | Below guideline |
| Chlorate Disinfection byproduct |
19.1 ppb | 210.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorohexanoic Acid (PFHxA) PFAS |
2.76 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) PFAS |
4.29 ppt | 2000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluoropentanoic Acid (PFPeA) PFAS |
1.9 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Manganese Heavy metal |
0.113 ppb | 100.0 | — | 50 | 80 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHPA) PFAS |
0.656 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Strontium Radiological |
0.109 ppb | 1500.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Chlorodifluoromethane Other |
0.0444 ppb | — | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| PFOS + PFOA + PFHxS + PFNA PFAS |
26.1 ppt | — | — | 100 | 100 | 0.007 | — | 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.
VANCOUVER CITY OF service area
This water system serves 1 community in Clark County, Washington. Click any city for its dedicated tap water quality page.
Find the right filter for Vancouver water
Browse filter categories by water-quality concern. Each option below is NSF-certified for the matched contaminant type.