City of Olympia
EPA ID: WA5363450 · 113,584 people served · 12 ZIP codes
Since the flagged events, City of Olympia resolved all 2 violations — compliant today, 113,584 residents served.
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 11 (2022) to 11 (2025). The pattern suggests growing compliance challenges.
Service Area Map
Coverage area for City of Olympia Source: EPA SDWIS service area boundaries.
Service area boundary — Grade A
Service Area Demographics
The City of Olympia serves a community with a median household income of $93,738 and an estimated 241,098 residents across its service area. Approximately 45% 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 Olympia's water is pumped from underground aquifers. Groundwater is naturally filtered through rock and soil, but it can be vulnerable to PFAS contamination, nitrates from agriculture, and industrial chemicals that seep into the water table.
About 1% of homes in Thurston County, Washington 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 70th percentile nationally for proximity to Superfund (NPL) sites. Groundwater sources near contaminated sites may face elevated risk from industrial chemicals.
Infrastructure Risk
Detected Contaminants
How City of Olympia compares to EPA limits
What This Means For You
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. 40 detections recorded. 11 exceed federal EPA limits (4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS). 1 exceeds state limits.
Comparable Water Systems
Similar-sized systems in Washington
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 Olympia (EPA ID: WA5363450) is a community water system in Washington that serves approximately 113,584 people from groundwater sources.
This system provides water to 12 ZIP codes across 2 communities.
Average Home Safety Score: A (94/100)
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, 2025 | Surface Water Treatment Rule | Monitoring | Resolved |
| July 1, 2024 | Surface Water Treatment Rule | Monitoring | Resolved |
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 |
Lead & Copper
EPA Lead and Copper Rule sampling data for ZIP codes served by this system:
| ZIP Code | Lead Level | Exceeds Limit | Sample Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 98501 | 0.0042 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 98502 | 0.0042 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 98504 | 0.0042 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 98505 | 0.0042 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 98506 | 0.0042 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 98507 | 0.0042 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 98508 | 0.0042 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 98512 | 0.0042 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 98516 | 0.0042 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 98599 | 0.0042 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: 7 ZIP codes confirmed via EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3 plus 5 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.
- 98501 — Olympia
- 98502 — Olympia
- 98503 — Lacey
- 98504 — Olympia
- 98505 — Olympia
- 98506 — Olympia
- 98507 — Olympia
- 98508 — Olympia
- 98512 — Olympia
- 98513 — Olympia
- 98516 — Olympia
- 98599 — Olympia
Data Sources
This report uses public data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). View the full compliance record for City of Olympia (WA5363450) on EPA.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is City of Olympia water safe to drink?
City of Olympia has only monitoring/reporting violations, which are procedural in nature. The system meets federal health-based standards.
How many people does City of Olympia serve?
City of Olympia serves approximately 113,584 people across 12 ZIP codes in Washington.
Where does City of Olympia get its water?
The primary water source is groundwater.
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 Olympia, Public Works 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: City of Olympia, Public Works 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 Washington State Department of Health (DOH), Office of Drinking Water assessed the susceptibility of Olympia’s water sources to risk of contamination. DOH determined the McAllister Wellfield, Hoffman, and Indian Summer wells as having low risk; the Allison Springs wells as having moderate risk; and the Shana Park well as being at a high risk of contamination. Our wells are at risk of contamination from such things as road spills, stormwater, septic systems and hazardous materials, including pesticides and fertilizers.
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 Olympia, Public Works 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 →
In 2024, we will contact some community members to request information about the water service line material (from the water meter to your home). This service line material information is crucial for complying with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations, concerning lead service 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.
City of Olympia, Public Works 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.
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 Olympia, Public Works Department 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.
- #44 / 50 Highest Exposure Burden (Washington)
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 Olympia (EPA ID: WA5363450) — request the latest Consumer Confidence Report or ask about specific contaminants.