PlainEnviro

Columbus Water Quality

Ohio

Health Violations

The tap water in Columbus, Ohio is served by 15 EPA-regulated water systems covering approximately 1,337,783 people. 12 health-based violations are on record, most recently for 5200 in 2024. Data source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System.

15
Water Systems
1,337,783
Population Served
12
Total Violations
12
Health-Based Violations

Drinking water in Columbus, Ohio is delivered through 15 EPA-regulated community water systems serving an estimated 1,337,783 people. Each system is tracked in the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) under the Safe Drinking Water Act, which requires testing for regulated contaminants, consumer notification of violations, and publication of an annual Consumer Confidence Report.

The SDWIS record for Columbus shows 12 total violations across all 15 systems, of which 12 are health-based, meaning either a Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) was exceeded or a required treatment technique was not followed. Contaminants cited in health-based violations include 5200, 8000, 1040. 46 TRI-reporting industrial facilities are also located within the city limits.

A past EPA violation does not mean the water is currently unsafe, utilities are required to notify customers and remediate under state primacy oversight. For current water-quality status and treatment practices, review your local utility's most recent Consumer Confidence Report or contact the Ohio drinking water program. All records above reflect federal EPA SDWIS data and are not independently verified against state databases.

Community Water Systems

System Name Pop. Served Violations Status
COLUMBUS PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM 1,305,946 3 Health
LONDON CITY PWS 10,256 4 Health
SANITARY DISTRICT #4 8,575 1 Health
MID-OHIO WSD WATER DISTRICT 1 5,176 0 Clean
MID-OHIO WSD PLAIN CITY WTP 4,467 0 Clean
TIMBERLAKE WATER SYSTEM 1,600 1 Health
AURORA ESTATES 574 0 Clean
FOXLAIR FARMS MHP INC. 275 0 Clean
LEONARD PARK PWS 266 1 Health
ONTARIO PLACE 248 0 Clean
WAGON WHEEL MOBILE HOME 118 0 Clean
RUSTIC ACRES PARK 108 2 Health
FOREST HILLS MHP 78 0 Clean
WATERFALL ESTATES 51 0 Clean
CAMP WISSALOHICAN WATER SYSTEM 45 0 Clean

Does this city have health-based water violations?

Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels that exceeded EPA maximum contaminant levels (MCLs). This does not necessarily mean water is currently unsafe.

Contaminant Begin Date
5200 2024-10-17
5200 2024-10-17
5200 2024-10-17
8000 2023-10-03
8000 2023-10-03
8000 2022-07-01
8000 2022-07-01
8000 2022-07-01
8000 2022-07-01
1040 2016-06-01
1040 2016-06-01
1040 2016-06-01

TRI Facilities in Columbus

Facility Total Releases
Gfs Chemicals Inc 677.1K lbs
V&s Columbus Galvanizing LLC 181.9K lbs
Anheuser-Busch Columbus Brewery 133.4K lbs
Core Molding Technologies 130.2K lbs
Mills Metal Finishing 120.9K lbs
Sonoco Metal Packaging LLC 119.1K lbs
Worthington Cylinder Corp 98.6K lbs
Capital Resin Corp 89.0K lbs
Opc Polymers 68.5K lbs
Mettler Toledo LLC 55.1K lbs

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Columbus, Ohio water safe to drink? ▼
Columbus is served by 15 EPA-regulated water systems covering approximately 1,337,783 people. 12 health-based violations have been recorded. A past violation does not necessarily mean water is currently unsafe, systems are required to notify customers and resolve issues. Contact your local water utility for current status.
How many water violations does Columbus have? ▼
Columbus water systems have a total of 12 violations on record in the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System, of which 12 are health-based (MCL exceedances). The remaining violations are monitoring or reporting violations.
What contaminants were found in Columbus water? ▼
Health-based violations for Columbus water systems include the following contaminants: 5200, 8000, 1040. Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS).
How many water systems serve Columbus? ▼
15 EPA-regulated community water systems serve Columbus, Ohio, collectively covering approximately 1,337,783 people. Data is from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS).
Where does Columbus get its drinking water? ▼
Columbus's water supply comes from 15 EPA-regulated community water systems. Source type data is not available for all systems. For detailed supply information, contact your local water utility. Source: EPA SDWIS.
Are there pollution sources near Columbus? ▼
Yes, 46 EPA Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) facilities are registered in Columbus, Ohio, reporting a combined 2.0M lbs of toxic chemical releases. TRI data reflects self-reported emissions; it does not measure exposure or health effects. Source: EPA TRI.

Related Guides

Understanding Water Quality Violations
What MCL violations mean and how to read EPA data
How to Check Environmental Quality
Step-by-step guide to checking your local environment
Understanding EPA Data
How EPA collects and publishes environmental data

About This Data

Water system data comes from the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). Violations are reported by state agencies to EPA and include both health-based (MCL exceedances) and monitoring/reporting violations.

A reported violation does not necessarily mean water is currently unsafe to drink. Many violations are resolved quickly, and public water systems are required to notify customers of significant issues. For current water quality, contact your local water utility.

TRI facility data comes from the EPA Toxic Release Inventory. Facilities shown are those that self-report to the TRI program. PlainEnviro presents this data without advocacy framing.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

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Data sourced from U.S. EPA environmental datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainEnviro Editorial