Kingsport Water Department
EPA ID: TN0000349 · 106,765 people served · 20 ZIP codes
Not yet resolved: 1 EPA violation at Kingsport Water Department, affecting about 106,765 residents.
Data: EPA SDWIS Last verified: 2026-04-02
Compliance Trajectory
Stable · Risk tier: High · 95% chance of violation in next 12 months
Violations went from 9 (2022) to 18 (2025). Violation counts have remained relatively steady.
Service Area Map
Coverage area for Kingsport Water Department Source: EPA SDWIS service area boundaries.
Service area boundary — Grade C
Service Area Demographics
The Kingsport Water Department serves a community with a median household income of $64,516 and an estimated 291,583 residents across its service area. Approximately 54% of housing stock was built before 1986, which increases the likelihood of lead service lines and older plumbing.
Environmental Justice Note: 59% 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?
Kingsport Water Department'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 Washington County, Tennessee rely on private wells rather than public water systems. Private well owners are responsible for their own water testing and treatment.
Infrastructure Risk
Detected Contaminants
How Kingsport Water Department compares to EPA limits
What This Means For You
Surface Water Treatment Rule at 2 mg/L exceeds the EPA maximum of mg/L.
Contaminant 1930 at 1 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. 18 detections recorded. 11 exceed federal EPA limits (4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS). 11 exceed state limits.
Comparable Water Systems
Similar-sized systems in Tennessee
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
KINGSPORT WATER DEPT (EPA ID: TN0000349) is a community water system in Tennessee that serves approximately 106,765 people from surface water sources.
This system provides water to 20 ZIP codes across 15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 1, 2023 | Surface Water Treatment Rule | Monitoring | Unresolved |
Contaminants Detected
The following contaminants have been flagged in EPA records for this water system:
| Contaminant | Category | Violations | Health-Based |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surface Water Treatment Rule | Treatment Failure | 2 | No |
| Contaminant 1930 | Other Violation | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 37660 | 0.001 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 37662 | 0.001 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 37663 | 0.001 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 37664 | 0.001 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 37665 | 0.001 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 37669 | 0.001 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: 18 ZIP codes confirmed via EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3 plus 2 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.
- 37615 — Johnson City
- 37616 — Afton
- 37617 — Blountville
- 37620 — Bristol
- 37641 — Chuckey
- 37642 — Church Hill
- 37645 — Mount Carmel
- 37656 — Fall Branch
- 37659 — Jonesborough
- 37660 — Kingsport
- 37662 — Kingsport
- 37663 — Kingsport
- 37664 — Kingsport
- 37665 — Kingsport
- 37669 — Kingsport
- 37681 — Limestone
- 37686 — Piney Flats
- 37690 — Telford
- 37745 — Greeneville
- 37857 — Rogersville
Data Sources
This report uses public data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). View the full compliance record for Kingsport Water Department (TN0000349) on EPA.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kingsport Water Department water safe to drink?
Kingsport Water Department has only monitoring/reporting violations, which are procedural in nature. The system meets federal health-based standards.
How many people does Kingsport Water Department serve?
Kingsport Water Department serves approximately 106,765 people across 20 ZIP codes in Tennessee.
Where does Kingsport Water Department 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 Kingsport Water Department 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: Kingsport Water Department Consumer Confidence Report.
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility. Treatment and source data are sourced from the utility's published CCR filings.
The Kingsport Water System sources rated as reasonably susceptible to potential contamination.
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 Kingsport Water Department 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 →
According to a new regulation approved by the Environmental Protection Agency, all drinking water utilities in the United States must identify and establish a replacement plan for all lead service lines within their systems by Oct. 16, 2024. Kingsport is asking for the public's help in identifying their service line material from the meter to their home.
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.
Kingsport Water Department
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:
This system reports zero confirmed lead service lines in its inventory. Unknown-material counts may still warrant verification.
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.
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.
- #31 / 50 Highest Exposure Burden (Tennessee)
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
Kingsport Water Department (EPA ID: TN0000349) — request the latest Consumer Confidence Report or ask about specific contaminants.