Is Safford, AZ Tap Water Safe? Quality & Contaminants

What was found in Safford'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	5400 µg/L 54% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Main supplier: SAFFORD CITY OF · 20,600 people · 2019	2/3	SYR4
Nitrate-Nitrite	5400 µg/L 54% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Main supplier: SAFFORD CITY OF · 20,600 people · 2019	1/3	SYR4
Fluoride	3165 µg/L 79% of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L Main supplier: SAFFORD CITY OF · 20,600 people · 2019	2/3	SYR4
Copper	352 µg/L 27% of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L Main supplier: SAFFORD CITY OF · 20,600 people · 2017	3/3	SYR4
Lithium	271 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: SAFFORD CITY OF · 20,600 people · 2024	1/3	UCMR-5
Barium	35.85 µg/L 1.8% of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L Main supplier: SAFFORD CITY OF · 20,600 people · 2018 Highest in the city: 39 µg/L — USDJ FBP FED CORR INST SAFFORD · 949 people · 2019	2/3	SYR4
TTHM	36.8 µg/L 46% of the EPA limit 80 µg/L Main supplier: SAFFORD CITY OF · 20,600 people · 2019	3/3	SYR4
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)	8.3 µg/L 14% of the EPA limit 60 µg/L Main supplier: SAFFORD CITY OF · 20,600 people · 2019	1/3	SYR4
Arsenic	8.28 µg/L 83% of the EPA limit 10 µg/L Main supplier: SAFFORD CITY OF · 20,600 people · 2019	1/3	SYR4
Lead	6.15 µg/L 41% of the EPA limit 15 µg/L Main supplier: SAFFORD CITY OF · 20,600 people · 2017	3/3	SYR4
Combined Radium (-226 And -228)	3.95 pCi/L 79% of the EPA limit 5 pCi/L Main supplier: SAFFORD CITY OF · 20,600 people · 2019	1/3	SYR4
Combined Uranium	3.3 µg/L 11% of the EPA limit 30 µg/L Main supplier: SAFFORD CITY OF · 20,600 people · 2018	1/3	SYR4
Di(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate	1.552 µg/L 26% of the EPA limit 6 µg/L Main supplier: SAFFORD CITY OF · 20,600 people · 2019	1/3	SYR4
Selenium	1.517 µg/L 3% of the EPA limit 50 µg/L Main supplier: SAFFORD CITY OF · 20,600 people · 2018	1/3	SYR4
Chromium	1.38 µg/L 1.4% of the EPA limit 100 µg/L Main supplier: SAFFORD CITY OF · 20,600 people · 2018	1/3	SYR4
Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon And U	1.06 pCi/L 7.1% of the EPA limit 15 pCi/L Main supplier: SAFFORD CITY OF · 20,600 people · 2018	1/3	SYR4
Toluene	0.6800 µg/L 0.1% of the EPA limit 1000 µg/L Main supplier: SAFFORD CITY OF · 20,600 people · 2019	1/3	SYR4
Diquat	0.5600 µg/L 2.8% of the EPA limit 20 µg/L Main supplier: SAFFORD CITY OF · 20,600 people · 2018	1/3	SYR4
PFBS	0.1440 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: SAFFORD CITY OF · 20,600 people · 2024	1/3	UCMR-5
Pfba	0.0132 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: SAFFORD CITY OF · 20,600 people · 2024	1/3	UCMR-5
Lead	0.0011 mg/L 7.3% of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L Main supplier: SAFFORD CITY OF · 20,600 people · 2023 Highest in the city: 0.0057 mg/L — USDJ FBP FED CORR INST SAFFORD · 949 people · 2025	3/3	LCR

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 Safford

Supplier	Population served
SAFFORD CITY OF	20,600
USDJ FBP FED CORR INST SAFFORD	949
EDEN WATER COMPANY INC	400

Frequently asked questions about Safford tap water

Is Safford tap water safe to drink?

EPA testing detected 21 contaminants in the water serving Safford. 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 Safford?

3 public water suppliers report drinking-water monitoring for Safford, Arizona to the EPA. Each is listed above with its population served.

What contaminants are in Safford's water?

The contaminants EPA monitoring detected in Safford include Nitrate, Nitrate-Nitrite, Fluoride, Copper, Lithium. 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.