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

ZipCheckup tracks EPA drinking-water compliance for 281 public water systems serving 147 ZIP codes in Vermont. The state record shows 1,203 EPA violations, 11 health-based.

City Water Quality Map: Vermont

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 Vermont

#	City	Grade	Violations	Systems	Population
1	Montpelier		85	4	12,491	Details →
2	Worcester		80	1	1,257	Details →
3	Colchester		36	5	17,605	Details →
4	Barre		31	5	16,969	Details →
5	Graniteville		30	3	1,044	Details →
6	Websterville		30	3	181	Details →
7	Randolph		28	2	4,064	Details →
8	Randolph Center		28	2	1,989	Details →
9	Wardsboro		28	1	868	Details →
10	West Wardsboro		28	1	364	Details →

Most Common Contaminants in Vermont

Contaminant	Category	Violations	ZIPs Affected	Health Risk
Consumer Confidence Rule	Reporting	88	65	No
Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)	Disinfection Byproducts	64	41	No
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM)	Disinfection Byproducts	64	41	No
Nitrate	Inorganic	42	27	No
Lead and Copper Rule	Treatment Technique	40	38	Yes
1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene	Organic	22	22	No
cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene	Organic	22	22	No
Xylenes, Total	Organic	22	22	No
Dichloromethane	Organic	22	22	No
o-Dichlorobenzene	Organic	22	22	No

Water Quality Overview

Vermont has 281 community water systems represented across 147 directly mapped ZIP records. The associated city records cover approximately 570,115 people. The available records contain 1,203 EPA violations, including 11 health-based violations.

Health-based violations account for 1% of all violations in Vermont. 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	11	0.9%
Monitoring/Reporting	1,192	99.1%
Total	1,203	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 Vermont 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 Vermont:

Health-based violations have increased from 1 in 2022 to 2 in 2025. 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 Vermont water systems:

How to Check Your Water in Vermont

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 Vermont. 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. Vermont has 11 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 Vermont?

Records for 281 community water systems mapped to ZIPs in Vermont show 1,203 reported violations, including 11 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 Vermont?

Vermont has 1,203 EPA violations on record across 147 ZIP codes; 11 are classified as health-based violations. The remainder are monitoring or reporting violations.

Which city in Vermont has the worst water quality?

Montpelier, VT has the most recorded EPA violations (85) among the cities with mapped water systems in Vermont 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 Vermont has the best water quality?

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

What contaminants are found in Vermont drinking water?

EPA regulates over 90 drinking-water contaminants nationally; water systems in Vermont 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.