Data: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), EPA ECHO

ZipCheckup tracks EPA drinking-water compliance for 1,128 public water systems serving 528 ZIP codes in Alabama. The state record shows 9,020 EPA violations, 322 health-based.

City Water Quality Map: Alabama

Each circle represents a city. Size indicates population, color indicates water quality grade. Tap a circle for details.

A B C D F Circle size = population

Cities with Most Violations in Alabama

#	City	Grade	Violations	Systems	Population
1	Mobile		190	5	266,822	Details →
2	Eight Mile		190	5	12,082	Details →
3	Toney		178	5	13,977	Details →
4	Ardmore		176	4	5,056	Details →
5	Abbeville		168	3	6,224	Details →
6	Athens		147	5	60,409	Details →
7	Elkmont		142	4	10,990	Details →
8	Shorterville		138	1	477	Details →
9	Brewton		124	4	16,049	Details →
10	Flomaton		118	2	3,438	Details →

Most Common Contaminants in Alabama

Contaminant	Category	Violations	ZIPs Affected	Health Risk
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM)	Disinfection Byproducts	962	250	Yes
Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)	Disinfection Byproducts	860	248	Yes
Lead and Copper Rule	Treatment Technique	250	182	Yes
Total organic carbon	Disinfection Byproducts	176	105	No
Public Notice Rule	Reporting	146	108	No
Gross Alpha (excl. radon and uranium)	Radionuclides	137	59	No
Radium-228	Radionuclides	135	59	No
1,1-Dichloroethylene	Organic	130	83	No
Trichloroethylene	Organic	130	78	Yes
Benzene	Organic	130	83	No

Water Quality Overview

Alabama has 1,128 community water systems represented across 528 directly mapped ZIP records. The associated city records cover approximately 5,035,083 people. The available records contain 9,020 EPA violations, including 322 health-based violations.

Health-based violations account for 4% of all violations in Alabama. These violations indicate contaminant levels that may pose direct risks to human health, as opposed to monitoring or reporting failures.

Violation Breakdown

Violation Type	Count	Percentage
Health-based	322	3.6%
Monitoring/Reporting	8,698	96.4%
Total	9,020	100%

Health-based violations are MCL, MRDL (disinfectant) and treatment-technique violations. Monitoring violations indicate failures to test or report - these do not necessarily mean unsafe water, but they mean the water was not properly verified.

Cities with Most Violations

The following cities in Alabama have the highest number of EPA violations:

Violation counts are cumulative across all water systems serving each city. Higher counts may reflect larger systems with more monitoring requirements, not necessarily worse water quality.

Violation Trend Over Time

Year-by-year EPA violations recorded across all water systems in Alabama:

Health-based violations have increased from 8 in 2021 to 29 in 2026. This trend warrants monitoring and may reflect expanded testing requirements rather than worsening quality.

Most Common Contaminants

The following contaminants have caused the most violations across Alabama water systems:

How to Check Your Water in Alabama

1. Enter your ZIP code on ZipCheckup for detailed water-system data including contaminant levels and violation history; the separate Home Safety Score is a multi-source index

2. Request your CCR - every water utility must provide an annual Consumer Confidence Report

3. Get a home test - certified kits ($20-$50) or professional lab tests ($150-$400)

4. Consider filtration - NSF-certified filters can address specific contaminants found in your area

EPA Enforcement

The EPA and state regulators have taken enforcement actions against water systems in Alabama. Enforcement actions range from compliance assistance to formal orders and penalties.

Data Sources

• Water quality: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS)
• Enforcement: EPA ECHO

Updated daily.

What are EPA violations?

Health-based violations are EPA violations of a Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL), a Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL) or a required treatment technique - the enforceable standards designed to protect human health. Alabama has 322 such violations across its water systems. Not all violations cause illness; review each violation type and duration to understand possible health implications.

Understanding water quality grades

ZipCheckup grades water systems from A to F based on EPA violation history, contaminant levels, and system compliance. Grades summarize ZipCheckup's scoring inputs; review the underlying records for specific issues. Grades are calculated per ZIP code and aggregated at the city, county, and state level.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the tap water safe to drink in Alabama?

Records for 1,128 community water systems mapped to ZIPs in Alabama show 9,020 reported violations, including 322 health-based. Water quality varies by city and ZIP code - check your specific location for detailed results.

How many violations are on record for water systems serving Alabama?

Alabama has 9,020 EPA violations on record across 528 ZIP codes; 322 are classified as health-based violations. The remainder are monitoring or reporting violations.

Which city in Alabama has the worst water quality?

Mobile, AL has the most recorded EPA violations (190) among the cities with mapped water systems in Alabama in our data. Check your water supplier's report and test your tap water for the most accurate picture of your local water quality.

Which city in Alabama has the best water quality?

Violation records vary by water system across Alabama. Check individual city reports for details.

What contaminants are found in Alabama drinking water?

EPA regulates over 90 drinking-water contaminants nationally; water systems in Alabama monitor those applicable to each system, which can include lead, copper, nitrate, disinfection byproducts, and bacteria. The most common violations vary by region - check your ZIP code for contaminant-specific data.