Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission
EPA ID: MD0150005 · 1,900,000 people served · 81 ZIP codes
ZipCheckup's reading of EPA SDWIS for Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (MD0150005): no EPA violations recorded in the last five years. Over five tracked years, Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission has stayed completely violation-free for its 1,900,000 residents.
Data: EPA SDWIS
Service Area Map
Coverage area for Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission Source: EPA SDWIS service area boundaries.
Service area boundary - Grade B
Service Area Demographics
The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission serves a community with a median household income of $122,683 and an estimated 2,065,872 residents across its service area. Approximately 62% of housing stock was built before 1986, which increases the likelihood of lead service lines and older plumbing.
🌊 Where Does Your Water Come From?
Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission's water is drawn from rivers, lakes, or reservoirs. Surface water sources are more exposed to agricultural runoff, stormwater, and upstream discharges, but they typically receive more intensive treatment before reaching your tap.
Infrastructure Risk
PFAS Detected in Service Area
PFAS ("forever chemicals") have been detected in water serving this system's area. 167 detections recorded. 2 exceed federal EPA limits (4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS). 1 exceeds state limits.
Estimated Remediation Costs
Average estimated costs across ZIP codes served by this system
Based on national averages for common remediation projects. Actual costs vary by property. Only issues flagged by EPA, FEMA, or state data for each ZIP code are included.
System Overview
Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (EPA ID: MD0150005) is a community water system in Maryland that serves approximately 1,900,000 people from surface water sources.
This system provides water to 81 ZIP codes across 51 communities.
ZIP-Area Home Safety Context: B (74/100)
This is the average Home Safety Score for 71 of 81 service-area ZIP codes with all required score domains observed. It is not a grade for the water utility.
Model 4.0.0 uses SDWIS identity plus accepted ECHO SDWA lifecycle-based water compliance, the UCMR 5 PFAS MCL screen, EPA radon zone, and annual EPA AirData AQI across three equally weighted domains. Missing required evidence suppresses the score.
Violation History
Lead & Copper
EPA Lead and Copper Rule evidence attributed directly to this water system:
| Lead Level | Exceeds Action Level | Sample Date |
|---|---|---|
| 0 mg/L | No | N/A |
No copper action-level exceedance record appears for this PWSID in the accepted LCR snapshot. This does not establish a clean copper measurement.
Radon Risk in Service Area
Dominant radon zone for ZIP codes served by this system: Zone 1 (High Risk)
The EPA recommends testing homes in Zone 1 and Zone 2 areas for radon.
Need help with your water quality?
Typical cost: Water test: typically $20–$50 (DIY kit) · Professional inspection: $150–$400
Find the Right Water FilterFree tip: Let cold water run for 2 minutes before drinking — this helps flush lead from your pipes.
ZIP Codes Served
Coverage: Service area ZIP codes sourced from EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3 (March 2026 release). These ZIPs reflect the actual deployment footprint recorded by MD or modeled from parcel and building-footprint data.
This system serves 81 ZIP codes:
20601 · 20607 · 20613 · 20623 · 20705 20706 · 20707 · 20708 · 20710 · 20712 20715 · 20716 · 20720 · 20721 · 20722 20735 · 20737 · 20740 · 20742 · 20743 20744 · 20745 · 20746 · 20747 · 20748 20762 · 20769 · 20770 · 20771 · 20772 20774 · 20781 · 20782 · 20783 · 20784 20785 · 20812 · 20814 · 20815 · 20816 20817 · 20818 · 20832 · 20833 · 20841 20850 · 20851 · 20852 · 20853 · 20854 20855 · 20860 · 20861 · 20862 · 20866 20868 · 20871 · 20872 · 20874 · 20876 20877 · 20878 · 20879 · 20880 · 20882 20886 · 20889 · 20892 · 20894 · 20895 20896 · 20899 · 20901 · 20902 · 20903 20904 · 20905 · 20906 · 20910 · 20912 21771
Data Sources
This report uses public data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). View the full compliance record for Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (MD0150005) on EPA.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission water safe to drink?
The accepted 2026Q2 ECHO snapshot contains zero violation records for Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission in the inclusive 2021-2026 record-year window. This is a compliance-record finding, not a guarantee about water at a specific tap.
How many people does Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission serve?
Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission serves approximately 1,900,000 people across 81 ZIP codes in Maryland.
Where does Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission get its water?
The primary water source is surface water.
Federal UCMR5 PFAS Monitoring: Detected
This water system was tested under the federal EPA Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR5). PFAS compounds were detected below the current state-enforceable MCL.
Current MCL reflects the lowest state-enforceable limit (NYS 10 ppt for PFOA/PFOS, effective August 2020). The federal final MCL of 4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS (EPA April 2024 rule) is not enforceable until April 2029. Detections above 4 ppt but below 10 ppt are below current MCL but above the future federal limit.
Source: U.S. EPA UCMR5 (Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, 5th cycle) — per-system federal sampling, 2023–2025. EPA UCMR5 monitoring program →
How Water Systems Appear in Rankings
Water systems are evaluated by violation history, contaminant detections, and service population. Larger systems with more service connections appear in more rankings.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to cite this page
ZipCheckup. (n.d.). Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission: Serves 1.9M People. https://zipcheckup.com/water-system/md0150005/
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