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Copper in U.S. Drinking Water

Health-based violation data for Copper from EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). Covers all community water systems with violations on record.

Copper has been found in violation of EPA standards in 369 water systems across 34 states, with 6,339 total health-based violations recorded. The most affected states are Texas, Missouri, Colorado.

Total Violations
6,339
Water Systems Affected
369
States Affected
34

Copper 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 6,339 health-based violations for Copper affecting 369 community water systems in 34 states. Violation counts cluster heaviest in Texas, Missouri, Colorado, with Texas alone accounting for 2,313 violations across 70 systems. EPA health-effect summaries describe the specific exposure concerns that drove the federal standard.

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.

What are the health effects of this contaminant?

Copper enters water from household plumbing. Exposure at elevated levels can cause gastrointestinal distress and, with long-term exposure, liver and kidney damage.

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Consult your doctor for personalized health guidance U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Consult your doctor for personalized health guidance

Violations by State

States ranked by number of health-based violations for Copper.

# State Violations Systems Affected
1 Texas 2,313 70
2 Missouri 868 29
3 Colorado 690 20
4 Wisconsin 439 9
5 Georgia 328 25
6 South Dakota 182 9
7 Oklahoma 158 17
8 New Jersey 70 12
9 Florida 66 7
10 Minnesota 60 18
11 New Mexico 57 9
12 Pennsylvania 55 5
13 New Hampshire 50 7
14 South Carolina 49 4
15 Utah 45 3
16 North Carolina 43 8
17 Virginia 40 4
18 Massachusetts 38 2
19 Idaho 36 5
20 Illinois 25 3
21 Iowa 24 4
22 New York 19 7
23 Maine 16 2
24 Alabama 13 2
25 Oregon 13 1
26 Rhode Island 13 2
27 Arizona 12 3
28 California 11 2
29 Nebraska 11 7
30 Wyoming 7 2
31 Kansas 5 1
32 Vermont 5 4
33 Montana 3 1
34 West Virginia 3 1

Most Affected Water Systems

Top 50 water systems by number of Copper health-based violations.

Water System State Violations
CITY OF BRADY WATER SYSTEM TX 444
WAUKESHA WATER UTILITY WI 309
TEMPE WSC 1 TX 184
MAY VALLEY WA CO 179
ABRAXAS UTILITIES MO 138
SOUTH SWINK WATER AUTHORITY CO 124
CITY OF MASON TX 123
SAN PEDRO CANYON SUBDIVISION - UPPER TX 112
KENDALL COUNTY WCID 1 TX 98
SOUTH SILVER CREEK I II & III MO 88
ARIMAK WATER SUPPLY TX 84
MILLERSVIEW DOOLE WSC TX 82
SHIRT TAIL GULCH DEVELOPMENT SD 80
WESTLAKE MEADOWS SUBDIVISION MO 72
LAKELAND SERVICES TX 72
TERRE DU LAC MO 70
VALLEY WC CO 68
SOUTH COUNCIL CREEK 2 MO 62
LANAGAN PWS MO 60
CITY OF MELVIN TX 60
COUNCIL CREEK VILLAGE MO 54
WHITE TAIL RIDGE LAKES ESTATES TX 54
LIVE OAK HILLS SUBDIVISION MO 53
SADDLE CLUB ESTATES TX 52
G & W WSC TX 51
HIGHLAND COURT TX 51
VROMAN WC CO 49
TEXAS LANDING UTILITIES MO 49
FRIO CANON WATER TX 49
EMERALD ESTATES TX 49
PEWAUKEE VILLAGE WATERWORKS WI 48
SKIDMORE WSC TX 46
HARRIS COUNTY MUD 25 BROOK HOLLOW WEST S TX 46
VISTA VERDE WATER SYSTEMS MO 46
OAK PARK GA 45
PATTERSON VALLEY WC CO 43
PINWAH PINES ESTATES TX 40
HOMESTEAD WC CO 39
SANDY RUN MHP (SC0860037) SC 38
EUREKA WC CO 37
CHART HOUSE CONDOMINIUM TX 37
A & S WATER SERVICES TX 34
LAKE LIVINGSTON PINESHADOWS EAST TX 34
LEXINGTON GA 32
TANGLEWOOD FOREST SUBDIVISION TX 32
LAST FRONTIER SUBDIVISION GA 31
ATASCOSA RURAL WSC TX 31
FRANKLIN COUNTY WATER SYSTEM GA 30
BOWLING GREEN, TOWN OF VA 30
HARRAH OK 29

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Copper in my water?

Copper has been detected in violation of EPA health standards in 369 water systems across 34 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 Copper violations?

EPA SDWIS records show 369 community water systems with health-based Copper violations, totaling 6,339 violations. These represent cases where the contaminant exceeded the EPA Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL).

Which states have the most Copper violations?

The states with the most Copper violations are: Texas (2,313 violations), Missouri (868 violations), Colorado (690 violations), Wisconsin (439 violations), Georgia (328 violations).

Explore More

Water Quality Home → All Contaminants → Browse by State →

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.

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Data sourced from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainEnviro Editorial