City of Baltimore
EPA ID: MD0300002 · 1,600,000 people served · 93 ZIP codes
While corrective steps may be in progress, City of Baltimore currently shows 2 EPA violations unresolved — serving a population of approximately 1,600,000.
Data: EPA SDWIS Last verified: 2026-04-02
Compliance Trajectory
Worsening · Risk tier: High · 95% chance of violation in next 12 months
Violations went from 93 (2022) to 111 (2024). The pattern suggests growing compliance challenges.
Service Area Map
Coverage area for City of Baltimore Source: EPA SDWIS service area boundaries.
Service area boundary — Grade C
Service Area Demographics
The City of Baltimore serves a community with a median household income of $88,969 and an estimated 1,610,669 residents across its service area. Approximately 69% of housing stock was built before 1986, which increases the likelihood of lead service lines and older plumbing.
Environmental Justice Note: 31% of the population in this service area is classified as disadvantaged under EPA's EJScreen criteria. Communities with higher disadvantaged populations often face disproportionate environmental and health burdens, including aging water infrastructure and limited resources for remediation.
🌊 Where Does Your Water Come From?
City of Baltimore'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.
About 1% of homes in Baltimore County, Maryland rely on private wells rather than public water systems. Private well owners are responsible for their own water testing and treatment.
Superfund Proximity Note: This service area ranks in the 65th percentile nationally for proximity to Superfund (NPL) sites.
Infrastructure Risk
Detected Contaminants
How City of Baltimore compares to EPA limits
What This Means For You
Lead at 1 mg/L (action level) exceeds the EPA maximum of 0.015 mg/L (action level). Brain damage in children, kidney & blood pressure in adults. Consider reverse osmosis filtration.
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) at 1 mg/L exceeds the EPA maximum of 0.08 mg/L. Bladder & rectal cancer risk; reproductive concerns. Consider granular activated carbon (GAC) filtration.
Consumer Confidence Report Rule at 5 mg/L exceeds the EPA maximum of mg/L.
Stage 2 DBP Rule at 4 mg/L exceeds the EPA maximum of mg/L.
Surface Water Treatment Rule at 2 mg/L exceeds the EPA maximum of mg/L.
PFAS Detected in Service Area
PFAS ("forever chemicals") have been detected in water serving this system's area. 70 detections recorded.
Lead was detected in this water system. reverse osmosis filtration can reduce exposure.
Find a certified water filter →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
CITY OF BALTIMORE (EPA ID: MD0300002) is a community water system in Maryland that serves approximately 1,600,000 people from surface water sources.
This system provides water to 93 ZIP codes across 39 communities.
Average Home Safety Score: C (60/100)
Based on water quality violations, lead levels, and radon risk across all ZIP codes served by this system.
Violation History
Recent Violations
| Date | Contaminant | Type | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 1, 2025 | Consumer Confidence Report Rule | Monitoring | Resolved |
| May 1, 2025 | Consumer Confidence Report Rule | Monitoring | Resolved |
| April 1, 2025 | Consumer Confidence Report Rule | Monitoring | Resolved |
| March 1, 2025 | Consumer Confidence Report Rule | Monitoring | Resolved |
| October 17, 2024 | Stage 2 DBP Rule | Health-based | Resolved |
| October 17, 2024 | Stage 2 DBP Rule | Monitoring | Resolved |
| October 1, 2024 | Surface Water Treatment Rule | Monitoring | Unresolved |
| January 1, 2024 | Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) | Monitoring | Unresolved |
| October 1, 2023 | Stage 1 DBP Rule | Monitoring | Resolved |
| October 1, 2023 | Surface Water Treatment Rule | Monitoring | Resolved |
| April 1, 2023 | Contaminant 2384 | Monitoring | Unresolved |
| January 1, 2023 | Lead | Monitoring | Resolved |
Contaminants Detected
The following contaminants have been flagged in EPA records for this water system:
| Contaminant | Category | Violations | Health-Based |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consumer Confidence Report Rule | Reporting Failure | 5 | Yes |
| Stage 2 DBP Rule | Treatment Failure | 4 | Yes |
| Surface Water Treatment Rule | Treatment Failure | 2 | No |
| Nickel | Inorganic | 1 | No |
| Lead | Inorganic | 1 | No |
| Contaminant 2384 | Other Violation | 1 | No |
| Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) | Disinfection Byproducts | 1 | No |
| Stage 1 DBP Rule | Treatment Failure | 1 | No |
| Lead and Copper Rule | Treatment Failure | 1 | No |
Lead & Copper
EPA Lead and Copper Rule sampling data for ZIP codes served by this system:
| ZIP Code | Lead Level | Exceeds Limit | Sample Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21153 | 0.008 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 21201 | 0.00274 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 21202 | 0.00274 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 21203 | 0.00274 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 21205 | 0.00274 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 21206 | 0.00274 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 21209 | 0.00274 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 21210 | 0.00274 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 21211 | 0.00274 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 21212 | 0.00274 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 21213 | 0.00274 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 21214 | 0.00274 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 21215 | 0.00274 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 21216 | 0.00274 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 21217 | 0.00274 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 21218 | 0.00274 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 21223 | 0.00274 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 21224 | 0.00274 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 21229 | 0.00274 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 21230 | 0.00274 mg/L | No | N/A |
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: 60 ZIP codes confirmed via EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3 plus 33 additional ZIPs inferred from SDWIS registry data. The EPA-confirmed set is the most reliable; SDWIS-inferred entries may be narrower than the real deployment area.
This system serves 93 ZIP codes:
21022 · 21030 · 21031 · 21043 · 21052 21057 · 21060 · 21061 · 21065 · 21071 21075 · 21077 · 21087 · 21093 · 21094 21111 · 21117 · 21128 · 21131 · 21133 21136 · 21139 · 21152 · 21153 · 21162 21163 · 21201 · 21202 · 21203 · 21204 21205 · 21206 · 21207 · 21208 · 21209 21210 · 21211 · 21212 · 21213 · 21214 21215 · 21216 · 21217 · 21218 · 21219 21220 · 21221 · 21222 · 21223 · 21224 21225 · 21226 · 21227 · 21228 · 21229 21230 · 21231 · 21233 · 21234 · 21235 21236 · 21237 · 21239 · 21240 · 21241 21244 · 21250 · 21251 · 21252 · 21260 21263 · 21264 · 21265 · 21268 · 21270 21273 · 21274 · 21275 · 21278 · 21279 21280 · 21281 · 21282 · 21283 · 21284 21285 · 21286 · 21287 · 21288 · 21289 21290 · 21297 · 21298
Data Sources
This report uses public data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). View the full compliance record for City of Baltimore (MD0300002) on EPA.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is City of Baltimore water safe to drink?
City of Baltimore has recorded 2 health-based violations in the past 5 years. While the system is required to treat water to meet federal standards, you may want to consider additional precautions such as a certified water filter.
How many people does City of Baltimore serve?
City of Baltimore serves approximately 1,600,000 people across 93 ZIP codes in Maryland.
Where does City of Baltimore get its water?
The primary water source is surface water.
Contact Your Water Utility
Public-record contact information for the water utility serving this system. Use these channels to request water quality reports, ask about service, or report issues directly.
Contact information from Baltimore City Department of Public Works Consumer Confidence Report.
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility, does not act as its agent, and does not provide customer support for it. Contact details shown are public-record information from CCR filings. For service issues, contact the utility directly using the information above.
Water Source & Treatment
Where this water originates and how it's treated before reaching your tap.
Source: Baltimore City Department of Public Works Consumer Confidence Report.
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility. Treatment and source data are sourced from the utility's published CCR filings.
Treatment regime
How this utility classifies its treatment process and what each reported treatment chemical does.
Treatment chemicals and what each one does
Chemical names are reported verbatim by the utility. Purpose categories are ZipCheckup annotations based on standard drinking-water treatment practice.
Treatment classification and chemical list sourced from Baltimore City Department of Public Works Consumer Confidence Report.
Treatment intensity is a ZipCheckup-derived classification based on the chemicals and processes the utility reports. Chemicals and contamination sources are taken verbatim from the utility's CCR filing. Routine federal monitoring and contaminant testing shown elsewhere on this page determine whether the water meets safety standards, not the treatment classification.
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 →
In October 2024, the Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) and the Baltimore County Department of Public Works and Transportation (DPWT) submitted an initial inventory of water service lines to the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE). Despite this progress, many service lines remain of unknown material. To ensure the safety of your drinking water, we need your help to identify these lines.
Lead Service Line Replacement Tracker
This water utility's lead service line (LSL) replacement program is tracked from public Consumer Confidence Report filings. Email signup notifies subscribers when the utility files an updated replacement plan or progress milestone.
Baltimore City Department of Public Works
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility. LSL replacement-program data is sourced from public CCR filings published by the utility. Subscription notifications are based on automated parsing of subsequent CCR releases.
Learn more about Lead and Copper Rule replacement requirements →
Lead Service Line Inventory
Service line breakdown reported under the federal Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) inventory requirement:
Federal LCRI rule (effective October 2024) requires every public water system to inventory its service lines and complete lead-line replacement within 10 years.
Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Service Line Inventory (Phase 2) · Submitted 2026
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with the utility or state agency. Inventory figures render verbatim from the public LCRI submission cited above; ZipCheckup does not perform inspections or replacements.
Notable events and violations
This section summarizes events the utility chose to disclose in its most recent Consumer Confidence Report, plus any federal compliance violations the utility recorded against itself. Both lists are utility-authored — ZipCheckup does not audit, judge, or reorder them.
Notable events from the utility's CCR
These bullet entries are the utility's own narration of operational, regulatory, or infrastructure events during the reporting period.
- In 2022, a sinkhole developed beneath a water pipe between Lake Montebello and the Montebello Water Filtration Plant, forcing the closure of Whitman Drive and the loop around Lake Montebello. This project, which was completed thanks to the due diligence of DPW's engineers and maintenance workers, helped keep water flowing to nearly 300,000 people in eastern Baltimore City and County.
- In 2024 alone, FoLR collected an estimated 6,070 pounds of litter and dedicated 193 hours of volunteer service.
ZipCheckup note: items above reflect what the utility published in its most recent CCR. Federal violation records are also tracked separately by the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) — the SDWIS record is the authoritative federal source for any specific regulatory action.
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.
- #14 / 100 Highest Exposure Burden (U.S.)
- #6 / 45 Most Disadvantaged Populations Served (Maryland)
- #1 / 27 Highest Exposure Burden (Maryland)
Frequently Asked Questions
What You Can Do
Test your water
Home test kits can detect lead, bacteria, and other contaminants at your tap. Find the right filter →
Check your specific ZIP code
Water quality can vary within a system. View nearest ZIP report →
Contact your utility
City of Baltimore (EPA ID: MD0300002) — request the latest Consumer Confidence Report or ask about specific contaminants.