Barium in U.S. Drinking Water
Health-based violation data for Barium from EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). Covers all community water systems with violations on record.
Barium has been found in violation of EPA standards in 1,486 water systems across 42 states, with 29,018 total health-based violations recorded. The most affected states are Texas, California, Arizona.
Barium is regulated under the EPA Safe Drinking Water Act, which sets enforceable Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) and associated treatment technique requirements for public water systems. The EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) tracks every recorded violation nationwide and links it back to the specific public water system (PWSID), violation type, and begin date.
Across the United States, SDWIS records show 29,018 health-based violations for Barium affecting 1,486 community water systems in 42 states. Violation counts cluster heaviest in Texas, California, Arizona, with Texas alone accounting for 5,976 violations across 112 systems. The contaminant is listed on the federal primary drinking water regulations.
A health-based violation does not mean residents were necessarily harmed, it means the contaminant exceeded the federal MCL in a compliance sample, triggering notification and remediation requirements. States and utilities maintain primary enforcement responsibility. To check the status of a specific water system, request its most recent Consumer Confidence Report or consult the EPA's Drinking Water Watch portal for the corresponding state.
Violations by State
States ranked by number of health-based violations for Barium.
| # | State | Violations | Systems Affected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | 5,976 | 112 |
| 2 | California | 5,421 | 145 |
| 3 | Arizona | 1,908 | 80 |
| 4 | New Mexico | 974 | 26 |
| 5 | Oregon | 456 | 19 |
| 6 | Washington | 415 | 32 |
| 7 | Minnesota | 375 | 19 |
| 8 | Nevada | 356 | 20 |
| 9 | Illinois | 346 | 28 |
| 10 | Oklahoma | 345 | 13 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | 322 | 52 |
| 12 | Missouri | 309 | 10 |
| 13 | Alaska | 265 | 12 |
| 14 | New York | 262 | 15 |
| 15 | Louisiana | 205 | 9 |
| 16 | Nebraska | 205 | 14 |
| 17 | Colorado | 190 | 11 |
| 18 | Iowa | 183 | 12 |
| 19 | Idaho | 174 | 17 |
| 20 | Kansas | 160 | 9 |
| 21 | Michigan | 159 | 20 |
| 22 | Indiana | 128 | 9 |
| 23 | Pennsylvania | 120 | 15 |
| 24 | Montana | 116 | 10 |
| 25 | Maine | 102 | 11 |
| 26 | Utah | 89 | 5 |
| 27 | Mississippi | 68 | 3 |
| 28 | Ohio | 64 | 5 |
| 29 | Georgia | 49 | 5 |
| 30 | Massachusetts | 40 | 5 |
| 31 | North Carolina | 36 | 3 |
| 32 | Connecticut | 31 | 4 |
| 33 | Florida | 30 | 6 |
| 34 | South Dakota | 21 | 3 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | 21 | 4 |
| 36 | Maryland | 20 | 3 |
| 37 | Wyoming | 17 | 1 |
| 38 | North Dakota | 11 | 3 |
| 39 | Tennessee | 10 | 2 |
| 40 | Arkansas | 5 | 2 |
| 41 | Vermont | 5 | 4 |
| 42 | Virginia | 4 | 1 |
Most Affected Water Systems
Top 50 water systems by number of Barium health-based violations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Barium in my water?
Barium has been detected in violation of EPA health standards in 1,486 water systems across 42 states. To check your specific utility, look up your annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) - water systems are required to disclose all violations.
How many water systems have Barium violations?
EPA SDWIS records show 1,486 community water systems with health-based Barium violations, totaling 29,018 violations. These represent cases where the contaminant exceeded the EPA Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL).
Which states have the most Barium violations?
The states with the most Barium violations are: Texas (5,976 violations), California (5,421 violations), Arizona (1,908 violations), New Mexico (974 violations), Oregon (456 violations).
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About This Data
Violation data is from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). Only health-based violations are shown, these include Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) and Treatment Technique (TT) violations. Monitoring and reporting violations are excluded. Data may not reflect the most current enforcement actions.
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, SDWIS Federal Reporting Services U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, SDWIS Federal Reporting Services
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.