What was found in Fairbanks's water
The level at the city's main supplier, the highest level anywhere in the city, the EPA limit for each, and where every figure comes from.
| Contaminant | Level vs EPA limit | Suppliers | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrate | 9450 µg/L 95% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Highest in the city: WILDWOOD HOMES LLC · 114 people · 2018 | 7/17 | SYR4 |
| Nitrate-Nitrite | 9424 µg/L 94% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Highest in the city: WILDWOOD HOMES LLC · 114 people · 2019 | 10/17 | SYR4 |
| Copper | 124 µg/L 9.5% of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L Main supplier: GOLDEN HEART UTILITIES · 78,324 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 3300 µg/L — VALLEY WATER COMPANY · 1,575 people · 2019 | 15/17 | SYR4 |
| Fluoride | 400 µg/L 10% of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L Highest in the city: BIRCHVIEW RENTAL PROPERTIES, LLC · 31 people · 2019 | 9/17 | SYR4 |
| Barium | 130 µg/L 6.5% of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L Highest in the city: WHITE BIRCH APARTMENTS · 72 people · 2019 | 8/17 | SYR4 |
| TTHM | 65.75 µg/L 82% of the EPA limit 80 µg/L Main supplier: GOLDEN HEART UTILITIES · 78,324 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 111.075 µg/L — UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA - FAIRBANKS · 6,200 people · 2019 | 5/17 | SYR4 |
| Chloroform | 61.47 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: GOLDEN HEART UTILITIES · 78,324 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 92.3 µg/L — UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA - FAIRBANKS · 6,200 people · 2019 | 5/17 | SYR4 |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | 36.975 µg/L 62% of the EPA limit 60 µg/L Main supplier: GOLDEN HEART UTILITIES · 78,324 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 56.4 µg/L — UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA - FAIRBANKS · 6,200 people · 2019 | 5/17 | SYR4 |
| Trichloroacetic Acid | 19.3 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: GOLDEN HEART UTILITIES · 78,324 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 31.85 µg/L — UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA - FAIRBANKS · 6,200 people · 2019 | 5/17 | SYR4 |
| Lead | 19.25 µg/L 128% of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 15 µg/L Main supplier: GOLDEN HEART UTILITIES · 78,324 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 29.3 µg/L — UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA - FAIRBANKS · 6,200 people · 2019 | 14/17 | SYR4 |
| Dichloroacetic Acid | 17.225 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: GOLDEN HEART UTILITIES · 78,324 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 27 µg/L — UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA - FAIRBANKS · 6,200 people · 2019 | 5/17 | SYR4 |
| Bromodichloromethane | 4.773 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: GOLDEN HEART UTILITIES · 78,324 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 16 µg/L — UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA - FAIRBANKS · 6,200 people · 2019 | 6/17 | SYR4 |
| Selenium | 10 µg/L 20% of the EPA limit 50 µg/L Highest in the city: BIRCHVIEW RENTAL PROPERTIES, LLC · 31 people · 2019 | 3/17 | SYR4 |
| Arsenic | 8.39 µg/L 84% of the EPA limit 10 µg/L Highest in the city: NELSON PARK · 80 people · 2017 | 7/17 | SYR4 |
| Combined Uranium | 5 µg/L 17% of the EPA limit 30 µg/L Highest in the city: WILDWOOD HOMES LLC · 114 people · 2013 | 2/17 | SYR4 |
| Combined Radium (-226 And -228) | 3 pCi/L 60% of the EPA limit 5 pCi/L Highest in the city: PIONEER WELLS AT FOX · 880 people · 2018 | 3/17 | SYR4 |
| Antimony, Total | 2.7 µg/L 45% of the EPA limit 6 µg/L Highest in the city: WILDWOOD HOMES LLC · 114 people · 2019 | 1/17 | SYR4 |
| Dibromochloromethane | 1.646 µg/L No EPA limit set Highest in the city: UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA - FAIRBANKS · 6,200 people · 2019 | 2/17 | SYR4 |
| Chromium | 1.4 µg/L 1.4% of the EPA limit 100 µg/L Highest in the city: WILDWOOD HOMES LLC · 114 people · 2019 | 2/17 | SYR4 |
| Toluene | 1.2 µg/L 0.1% of the EPA limit 1000 µg/L Highest in the city: VALLEY WATER COMPANY · 1,575 people · 2019 | 1/17 | SYR4 |
| Xylenes, Total | 1 µg/L 0% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Highest in the city: VALLEY WATER COMPANY · 1,575 people · 2019 | 1/17 | SYR4 |
| 1,1,1-Trichloroethane | 0.8000 µg/L 0.4% of the EPA limit 200 µg/L Highest in the city: BIRCHVIEW RENTAL PROPERTIES, LLC · 31 people · 2019 | 1/17 | SYR4 |
| Tetrachloroethylene | 0.7000 µg/L 14% of the EPA limit 5 µg/L Highest in the city: BIRCHVIEW RENTAL PROPERTIES, LLC · 31 people · 2019 | 1/17 | SYR4 |
| Cadmium | 0.1200 µg/L 2.4% of the EPA limit 5 µg/L Highest in the city: NELSON PARK · 80 people · 2019 | 1/17 | SYR4 |
| PFHXS | 0.0088 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: GOLDEN HEART UTILITIES · 78,324 people · 2025
Highest in the city: 0.0105 µg/L — COLLEGE UTILITIES CORPORATION · 27,000 people · 2024 | 3/17 | UCMR-5 |
| PFOA | 0.0054 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: GOLDEN HEART UTILITIES · 78,324 people · 2025
Highest in the city: 0.0064 µg/L — COLLEGE UTILITIES CORPORATION · 27,000 people · 2024 | 2/17 | UCMR-5 |
| Lead | 0.0024 mg/L 16% of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L Main supplier: GOLDEN HEART UTILITIES · 78,324 people · 2025
Highest in the city: 0.0046 mg/L — BIRCHVIEW RENTAL PROPERTIES, LLC · 31 people · 2025 | 15/17 | LCR |
| Pfhxa | 0.0037 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: GOLDEN HEART UTILITIES · 78,324 people · 2025
Highest in the city: 0.0043 µg/L — COLLEGE UTILITIES CORPORATION · 27,000 people · 2024 | 3/17 | UCMR-5 |
| Pfpea | 0.0033 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: GOLDEN HEART UTILITIES · 78,324 people · 2025
Highest in the city: 0.0039 µg/L — COLLEGE UTILITIES CORPORATION · 27,000 people · 2024 | 2/17 | UCMR-5 |
Each bar shows the measured level as a share of the EPA limit: green is
well under, amber is close to it, red is over. For lead and copper the
limit applies to exactly the 90th-percentile figure shown, so red there
means a real exceedance. For everything else the limit applies to a
running annual average while the figure is the 95th percentile of the
system's samples — over 100% is worth reading, but is not by itself a
violation.
Formal violations are listed separately.
These are the utilities' own EPA-reported results, not a city-wide
average. A detection means the lab measured the
substance — it isn't the same as exceeding a legal limit. Hover a source
tag to see the EPA program and years behind each figure.
Water suppliers serving Fairbanks
| Supplier | Population served |
|---|---|
| GOLDEN HEART UTILITIES | 78,324 |
| COLLEGE UTILITIES CORPORATION | 27,000 |
| UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA - FAIRBANKS | 6,200 |
| H2O 2U, DBA THE FILL | 2,400 |
| VALLEY WATER COMPANY | 1,575 |
| PIONEER WELLS AT FOX | 880 |
| PIONEER WELLS | 600 |
| DOT & PF FOX WATERING POINT | 350 |
| FAIRBANKS WATER COMPANY LLC | 325 |
| TWIN SPRINGS WATER | 310 |
| WILDWOOD HOMES LLC | 114 |
| RAINBOW VALLEY MHP | 105 |
| NELSON PARK | 80 |
| WHITE BIRCH APARTMENTS | 72 |
| PTARMIGAN HEIGHTS UTILITIES | 53 |
| COZY NORTHERN HOMES, LLC | 38 |
| BIRCHVIEW RENTAL PROPERTIES, LLC | 31 |
Frequently asked questions about Fairbanks tap water
Is Fairbanks tap water safe to drink?
EPA testing detected 29 contaminants in the water serving Fairbanks. A detection isn't the same as a violation — most detected levels are within federal limits. Check the level and source for each contaminant above, and your utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report for the official compliance status.
How many water suppliers serve Fairbanks?
17 public water suppliers report drinking-water monitoring for Fairbanks, Alaska to the EPA. Each is listed above with its population served.
What contaminants are in Fairbanks's water?
The contaminants EPA monitoring detected in Fairbanks include Nitrate, Nitrate-Nitrite, Copper, Fluoride, Barium. The full list, with the level at the main supplier and the data source, is in the table above.
Where does this data come from?
Every figure is official EPA drinking-water monitoring — the Lead & Copper Rule, the UCMR-5 nationwide testing program, and the EPA Six-Year Review — not our own testing. Each number is labelled with its source and period.