City of Portsmouth,
EPA ID: VA3740600 · 97,915 people served · 17 ZIP codes
Across every monitored period in the past five years, City of Portsmouth, reported no EPA violations for its service population of 97,915.
Data: EPA SDWIS Last verified: 2026-04-02
Service Area Map
Coverage area for City of Portsmouth, Source: EPA SDWIS service area boundaries.
Service area boundary — Grade B
Service Area Demographics
The City of Portsmouth, serves a community with a median household income of $75,804 and an estimated 277,561 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?
City of Portsmouth,'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 0% of homes in Isle of Wight County, Virginia 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 76th percentile nationally for proximity to Superfund (NPL) sites.
Infrastructure Risk
Comparable Water Systems
Similar-sized systems in Virginia
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
PORTSMOUTH, CITY OF (EPA ID: VA3740600) is a community water system in Virginia that serves approximately 97,915 people from surface water sources.
This system provides water to 17 ZIP codes across 4 communities.
Average Home Safety Score: B (84/100)
Based on water quality violations, lead levels, and radon risk across all ZIP codes served by this system.
Violation History
Lead & Copper
EPA Lead and Copper Rule sampling data for ZIP codes served by this system:
| ZIP Code | Lead Level | Exceeds Limit | Sample Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23435 | 0.002 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 23439 | 0.002 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 23701 | 0.001 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 23702 | 0.001 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 23703 | 0.001 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 23707 | 0.001 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 23708 | 0.001 mg/L | No | N/A |
Radon Risk in Service Area
Dominant radon zone for ZIP codes served by this system: Zone 3 (Low Risk)
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: 9 ZIP codes confirmed via EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3 plus 8 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.
- 23315 — Carrsville
- 23321 — Chesapeake
- 23323 — Chesapeake
- 23432 — Suffolk
- 23433 — Suffolk
- 23434 — Suffolk
- 23435 — Suffolk
- 23436 — Suffolk
- 23437 — Suffolk
- 23438 — Suffolk
- 23439 — Suffolk
- 23701 — Portsmouth
- 23702 — Portsmouth
- 23703 — Portsmouth
- 23704 — Portsmouth
- 23707 — Portsmouth
- 23708 — Portsmouth
Data Sources
This report uses public data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). View the full compliance record for City of Portsmouth, (VA3740600) on EPA.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is City of Portsmouth, water safe to drink?
Based on EPA records, City of Portsmouth, has no recorded violations in the past 5 years — a positive indicator of water quality management.
How many people does City of Portsmouth, serve?
City of Portsmouth, serves approximately 97,915 people across 17 ZIP codes in Virginia.
Where does City of Portsmouth, 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 City of Portsmouth 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: City of Portsmouth Consumer Confidence Report.
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility. Treatment and source data are sourced from the utility's published CCR filings.
According to the SWAP, our water system had a susceptibility rating of medium, where the drinking water is potentially most susceptible to agriculture, urban, and forestry runoff. We have not detected any contaminants from these sources in our drinking water.
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.
Watershed exposure sources reported
Land-use and natural conditions identified in the utility's source-water assessment as potential contamination sources upstream of treatment.
Treatment classification and chemical list sourced from City of Portsmouth 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: Tested Clean
This water system was tested under the federal EPA Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR5). No PFAS compounds were detected.
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 →
PFAS Substances Detected in This System
This water system's Consumer Confidence Report disclosed the following PFAS compounds. Levels are from the utility's most recent reporting cycle.
In April 2024, EPA finalized the first National Primary Drinking Water Regulation for six PFAS. Public water systems have until 2029 to comply. EPA — PFAS regulation overview →
Source: Consumer Confidence Report disclosed by City of Portsmouth.
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility. PFAS detection data is sourced from public Consumer Confidence Reports filed by the utility itself.
The lead service inventory may be accessed at portsmouthva.gov/2488/Lead-Free-Portsmouth.
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.
City of Portsmouth
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.
Aesthetic water quality
These measurements describe the look, taste, and feel of the water this utility delivers. They are not contaminant violations — they sit alongside federal Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels (SMCLs) which the EPA publishes as non-enforceable guidance.
Aesthetic measurements from City of Portsmouth Consumer Confidence Report.
Aesthetic measurements are reported by the utility from its annual sampling. EPA Secondary MCLs are advisory thresholds — values outside them indicate aesthetic concerns such as taste or appearance, not health violations. Federal contaminant testing is shown in the sections above.
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.