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Lead & Copper Rule in U.S. Drinking Water

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

Lead & Copper Rule has been found in violation of EPA standards in 472 water systems across 40 states, with 9,150 total health-based violations recorded. The most affected states are Texas, Colorado, Missouri.

Total Violations
9,150
Water Systems Affected
472
States Affected
40

Lead & Copper Rule 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 9,150 health-based violations for Lead & Copper Rule affecting 472 community water systems in 40 states. Violation counts cluster heaviest in Texas, Colorado, Missouri, with Texas alone accounting for 2,426 violations across 44 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?

Lead and copper enter water through corroding pipes and plumbing fixtures. Lead is especially harmful to children and pregnant women.

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 Lead & Copper Rule.

# State Violations Systems Affected
1 Texas 2,426 44
2 Colorado 1,626 43
3 Missouri 1,001 28
4 Wisconsin 686 30
5 Georgia 370 22
6 Illinois 320 32
7 South Dakota 236 9
8 Minnesota 143 26
9 North Carolina 139 15
10 Vermont 131 7
11 Iowa 88 14
12 Oklahoma 88 6
13 Kansas 85 7
14 New Hampshire 80 12
15 Wyoming 74 3
16 New Jersey 71 9
17 New York 69 11
18 Utah 63 5
19 New Mexico 58 4
20 Massachusetts 55 5
21 Florida 53 8
22 Arizona 47 4
23 Michigan 43 9
24 Pennsylvania 33 5
25 Montana 24 1
26 Arkansas 19 2
27 Rhode Island 19 3
28 Alabama 17 3
29 Maryland 14 1
30 Delaware 13 3
31 Virginia 13 6
32 Connecticut 12 4
33 South Carolina 10 5
34 California 6 3
35 Tennessee 6 1
36 Mississippi 5 1
37 Nevada 3 1
38 North Dakota 2 1
39 Maine 1 1
40 Nebraska 1 1

Most Affected Water Systems

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

Water System State Violations
CITY OF BRADY WATER SYSTEM TX 563
WAUKESHA WATER UTILITY WI 357
MAY VALLEY WA CO 233
KENDALL COUNTY WCID 1 TX 191
CITY OF MASON TX 153
SOUTH SWINK WATER AUTHORITY CO 140
BLUE RIDGE MOBILE HOME PARK TX 128
SILEX PWS MO 120
TEMPE WSC 1 TX 119
BEEHIVE WATER ASSOCIATION CO 117
SHIRT TAIL GULCH DEVELOPMENT SD 106
SUSSEX VILLAGE HALL & WATER UTILITY WI 96
TERRE DU LAC MO 92
CITY OF EDEN TX 90
SOUTH SILVER CREEK I II & III MO 88
NORTH SAN SABA WSC TX 88
VALLEY WC CO 86
MILLERSVIEW DOOLE WSC TX 83
RIO BRAZOS WATER SYSTEM TX 82
LAKELAND SERVICES TX 77
WESTLAKE MEADOWS SUBDIVISION MO 76
ARIMAK WATER SUPPLY TX 76
CHERAW TOWN OF CO 69
HOLBROOK CENTER SOFT WA CO 66
CITY OF MELVIN TX 65
COUNTRY ACRES MHP (LA SALLE COUNTY) CO 62
LANAGAN PWS MO 62
SOUTH COUNCIL CREEK 2 MO 62
CIRCLE H MHP NC 59
LANCE CREEK WATER DISTRICT WY 58
CLUBB VILLA SENIOR LIVING MO 56
GIBSON GA 55
COUNCIL CREEK VILLAGE MO 54
LIVE OAK HILLS SUBDIVISION MO 53
DELLS CLUB CONDO ASSOC 3 WI 53
CASSANDRA WATER SYSTEM NM 52
RIVERSIDE WC CO 51
WELCH PWA OK 51
HIGHLAND COURT TX 51
BIG PLAINS WATER SSD - CEDAR POINT UT 49
BUDA IL 48
G & W WSC TX 47
FRIO CANON WATER TX 47
EAST END WA CO 46
LAND AND WTR ASSN IL 46
VISTA VERDE WATER SYSTEMS MO 46
EMERALD ESTATES TX 46
WHITE TAIL RIDGE LAKES ESTATES TX 46
MANZANOLA TOWN OF CO 44
TAYLOR CO.-POTTERVILLE COMM. GA 44

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Lead & Copper Rule in my water?

Lead & Copper Rule has been detected in violation of EPA health standards in 472 water systems across 40 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 Lead & Copper Rule violations?

EPA SDWIS records show 472 community water systems with health-based Lead & Copper Rule violations, totaling 9,150 violations. These represent cases where the contaminant exceeded the EPA Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL).

Which states have the most Lead & Copper Rule violations?

The states with the most Lead & Copper Rule violations are: Texas (2,426 violations), Colorado (1,626 violations), Missouri (1,001 violations), Wisconsin (686 violations), Georgia (370 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