What contaminants are in CHARLESTON tap water?

Public data sources identify the following contaminants in CHARLESTON's water supply: Haloacetic acids (HAA9), Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Haloacetic acids (HAA5), Bromodichloromethane, Trichloroacetic acid, Chloroform, Dichloroacetic acid, Dibromochloromethane, Chromium (hexavalent), Nitrate, Nitrate and nitrite, Dibromoacetic acid, Manganese, Monochloroacetic acid, Vanadium, Strontium, Fluoride. Levels and comparison to EWG health guidelines are listed on the full city page.

Which water utility serves CHARLESTON?

CHARLESTON is served by WVAWC-KANAWHA VALLEY DIST. WVAWC-KANAWHA VALLEY DIST serves approximately 209,283 residents.

Tap Water Quality Report

Tap water quality in CHARLESTON, West Virginia

Q: Is the tap water in CHARLESTON, West Virginia safe to drink?

CHARLESTON's tap water receives a grade of D (67/100) from TapWaterSafety.org. The most significant water quality concerns are: Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline, Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) significantly above health guideline, Haloacetic acids (HAA5) 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 WVAWC-KANAWHA VALLEY DIST. 209,283 residents.

Average score 67/100

Utilities 1

Population 209,283

67/100

Below Average

ⓘ How did we get this rating?

Quick answer

Tap water in CHARLESTON, West Virginia receives a grade of D (67/100) from TapWaterSafety.org. It's served by WVAWC-KANAWHA VALLEY DIST. The most significant water quality concerns are: 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.

Data sources for this grade: utilities.csv EWG Tap Water Database ⓘ How did we get this rating?

What's in CHARLESTON's tap water

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

Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline

Moderate concern

Haloacetic acids (HAA9) detected at 22.6 ppb, 377x above the EWG health guideline of 0.06 ppb.

Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) significantly above health guideline

Moderate concern

Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) detected at 35.1 ppb, 234x above the EWG health guideline of 0.15 ppb.

Haloacetic acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline

Moderate concern

Haloacetic acids (HAA5) detected at 20.1 ppb, 201x above the EWG health guideline of 0.1 ppb.

Recommended filters for CHARLESTON

Filters matched to the specific contaminants in CHARLESTON's water supply.

Carbon block (NSF/ANSI 42 + 53)

$40-$750

Activated carbon is highly effective for disinfection byproducts like TTHM and HAA5.

Clearly Filtered Pitcher Filter

$80-$95 NSF 42, 53, 401, P473

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Aquasana AQ-5300 Under-Sink Filter

$180-$240 NSF 42, 53, 401

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Waterdrop Chubby 10-Cup Pitcher

$40-$55 NSF 42, 372

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Waterdrop G3P800 Tankless RO

$600-$750 NSF 58, 372

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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 CHARLESTON'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	22.6 ppb	0.06	—	—	—	—	—	377× over
Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct	35.1 ppb	0.15	80.0	100	—	—	—	234× over
Haloacetic acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct	20.1 ppb	0.1	60.0	60	—	—	—	201× over
Bromodichloromethane Disinfection byproduct	6.3 ppb	0.06	—	—	—	—	—	105× over
Trichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct	8.97 ppb	0.1	—	—	—	—	—	90× over
Chloroform Disinfection byproduct	27.2 ppb	0.4	—	—	—	—	—	68× over
Dichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct	10.8 ppb	0.2	—	—	—	—	—	54× over
Dibromochloromethane Disinfection byproduct	1.57 ppb	0.1	—	—	—	—	—	16× over
Chromium (hexavalent) Heavy metal	0.136 ppb	0.02	—	—	—	—	—	6.8× over
Nitrate Inorganic	0.333 ppm	0.14	10.0	11.3	11.3	10	—	2.4× over
Nitrate and nitrite Inorganic	0.333 ppm	0.14	10.0	11.3	11.3	10	—	2.4× over
Dibromoacetic acid Disinfection byproduct	0.0509 ppb	0.03	—	—	—	—	—	1.7× over
Manganese Heavy metal	0.583 ppb	100.0	—	50	80	—	—	Below guideline
Monochloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct	0.281 ppb	53.0	—	—	—	—	—	Below guideline
Vanadium Other	0.0444 ppb	21.0	—	—	—	—	—	Below guideline
Strontium Radiological	0.11 ppb	1500.0	—	—	—	—	—	Below guideline
Fluoride Inorganic	0.637 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.