Seattle Public Utilities
EPA ID: WA5377050 · 1,091,904 people served · 63 ZIP codes
Seattle Public Utilities carries 1 resolved violation in the five-year EPA record — each has been formally closed, and the supplier, which serves approximately 1,091,904 people, now meets all applicable federal drinking water standards with no open enforcement activity remaining.
Data: EPA SDWIS Last verified: 2026-04-02
Service Area Map
Coverage area for Seattle Public Utilities Source: EPA SDWIS service area boundaries.
Service area boundary — Grade A
Service Area Demographics
The Seattle Public Utilities serves a community with a median household income of $114,213 and an estimated 994,393 residents across its service area. Approximately 63% of housing stock was built before 1986, which increases the likelihood of lead service lines and older plumbing.
🌊 Where Does Your Water Come From?
Seattle Public Utilities'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 2% of homes in King 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 69th percentile nationally for proximity to Superfund (NPL) sites.
Infrastructure Risk
Detected Contaminants
How Seattle Public Utilities compares to EPA limits
What This Means For You
Surface Water Treatment Rule 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. 2 detections recorded.
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
SEATTLE PUBLIC UTILITIES (EPA ID: WA5377050) is a community water system in Washington that serves approximately 1,091,904 people from surface water sources.
This system provides water to 63 ZIP codes across 2 communities.
Average Home Safety Score: A (95/100)
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, 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 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 98101 | 0.0035 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 98102 | 0.0035 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 98103 | 0.0035 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 98104 | 0.0035 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 98105 | 0.0035 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 98106 | 0.0035 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 98107 | 0.0035 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 98108 | 0.0035 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 98109 | 0.0035 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 98111 | 0.0035 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 98112 | 0.0035 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 98113 | 0.0035 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 98114 | 0.0035 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 98115 | 0.0035 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 98116 | 0.0035 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 98117 | 0.0035 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 98118 | 0.0035 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 98119 | 0.0035 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 98121 | 0.0035 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 98122 | 0.0035 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: 32 ZIP codes confirmed via EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3 plus 31 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 63 ZIP codes:
98062 · 98101 · 98102 · 98103 · 98104 98105 · 98106 · 98107 · 98108 · 98109 98111 · 98112 · 98113 · 98114 · 98115 98116 · 98117 · 98118 · 98119 · 98121 98122 · 98124 · 98125 · 98126 · 98127 98129 · 98131 · 98132 · 98133 · 98134 98136 · 98138 · 98139 · 98141 · 98144 98145 · 98146 · 98148 · 98154 · 98155 98158 · 98160 · 98161 · 98164 · 98165 98166 · 98168 · 98170 · 98171 · 98174 98175 · 98177 · 98178 · 98181 · 98185 98188 · 98189 · 98190 · 98191 · 98194 98195 · 98198 · 98199
Data Sources
This report uses public data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). View the full compliance record for Seattle Public Utilities (WA5377050) on EPA.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Seattle Public Utilities water safe to drink?
Seattle Public Utilities has only monitoring/reporting violations, which are procedural in nature. The system meets federal health-based standards.
How many people does Seattle Public Utilities serve?
Seattle Public Utilities serves approximately 1,091,904 people across 63 ZIP codes in Washington.
Where does Seattle Public Utilities 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 Seattle Public Utilities 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: Seattle Public Utilities Consumer Confidence Report.
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility. Treatment and source data are sourced from the utility's published CCR filings.
Washington’s SWAP, conducted by the Washington State Department of Health Office of Drinking Water, gives all surface waters in Washington a susceptibility rating of “high,” regardless of whether contaminants have been detected or whether there are any sources of contaminants in the watershed.
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 Seattle Public Utilities 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 →
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.
Seattle Public Utilities
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.
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.
Federal compliance violations on record
These entries are taken verbatim from the utility's CCR violations section. EPA defines four broad violation categories: Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL), Treatment Technique (TT), Monitoring & Reporting (M&R), and Public Notification (PN).
-
monitoring2024-06-21
Minor monitoring violation at Cedar Treatment Facility when one part of the monitoring equipment failed to record a portion of data for one of the seven operating ultraviolet (UV) treatment units.
Violations record from Seattle Public Utilities Consumer Confidence Report.
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.
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
Seattle Public Utilities (EPA ID: WA5377050) — request the latest Consumer Confidence Report or ask about specific contaminants.