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

ZipCheckup tracks EPA drinking-water compliance for 930 public water systems serving 585 ZIP codes in Virginia. The state record shows 2,467 EPA violations, 386 health-based.

City Water Quality Map: Virginia

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 Virginia

#	City	Grade	Violations	Systems	Population
1	Afton		161	3	3,744	Details →
2	Roseland		161	2	2,647	Details →
3	Nellysford		161	2	2,188	Details →
4	Pearisburg		84	4	5,296	Details →
5	Narrows		73	3	4,177	Details →
6	Marion		68	5	12,984	Details →
7	Sugar Grove		63	3	1,648	Details →
8	Clifton Forge		46	4	5,537	Details →
9	Covington		42	4	13,611	Details →
10	Hot Springs		41	3	2,395	Details →

Most Common Contaminants in Virginia

Contaminant	Category	Violations	ZIPs Affected	Health Risk
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM)	Disinfection Byproducts	278	112	Yes
Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)	Disinfection Byproducts	251	112	Yes
Lead and Copper Rule	Treatment Technique	137	105	No
Chlorine	Disinfectant	129	81	No
Public Notice Rule	Reporting	110	55	No
Consumer Confidence Rule	Reporting	98	72	No
Gross Alpha (excl. radon and uranium)	Radionuclides	69	9	Yes
Nitrate-Nitrite	Inorganic	54	37	No
Fluoride	Inorganic	52	18	Yes
Lead and Copper Rule Revisions	Treatment Technique	31	28	No

Water Quality Overview

Virginia has 930 community water systems represented across 585 directly mapped ZIP records. The associated city records cover approximately 8,366,812 people. The available records contain 2,467 EPA violations, including 386 health-based violations.

Health-based violations account for 16% of all violations in Virginia. 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	386	15.6%
Monitoring/Reporting	2,081	84.4%
Total	2,467	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 Virginia 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 Virginia:

Health-based violations have decreased from 24 in 2021 to 16 in 2026, suggesting improving compliance across Virginia.

Most Common Contaminants

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

How to Check Your Water in Virginia

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 Virginia. 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. Virginia has 386 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 Virginia?

Records for 930 community water systems mapped to ZIPs in Virginia show 2,467 reported violations, including 386 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 Virginia?

Virginia has 2,467 EPA violations on record across 585 ZIP codes; 386 are classified as health-based violations. The remainder are monitoring or reporting violations.

Which city in Virginia has the worst water quality?

Afton, VA has the most recorded EPA violations (161) among the cities with mapped water systems in Virginia 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 Virginia has the best water quality?

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

What contaminants are found in Virginia drinking water?

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