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Tap water quality report

Bear, DE

EPA monitoring detected 50 contaminants across the 5 water suppliers serving Bear. A detection doesn't automatically mean the water is unsafe — see the level at the main supplier for each below, with its EPA source and period.

5
water suppliers
232,086
people served
50
contaminants found
Delaware rankings Lead in Delaware PFAS in Delaware

What was found in Bear'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.

ContaminantLevel vs EPA limitSuppliersSource
Nitrate
6961.5 µg/L 70%
of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2019
1/5 SYR4
Nitrate-Nitrite
6559 µg/L 66%
of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2019
1/5 SYR4
Fluoride
958.1 µg/L 24%
of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2019
1/5 SYR4
Copper
335.3 µg/L 26%
of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2017
1/5 SYR4
Barium
187 µg/L 9.4%
of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2019
1/5 SYR4
TTHM
80 µg/L 100%
of the EPA limit 80 µg/L
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2019
1/5 SYR4
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)
60 µg/L 100%
of the EPA limit 60 µg/L
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2019
1/5 SYR4
Chloroform
59.65 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2019
1/5 SYR4
Lead
47.865 µg/L 319%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 15 µg/L
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2017
1/5 SYR4
Dichloroacetic Acid
33 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2019
1/5 SYR4
Trichloroacetic Acid
28.685 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2019
1/5 SYR4
Xylenes, Total
15.1 µg/L 0.2%
of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2019
1/5 SYR4
Bromodichloromethane
12.96 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2019
1/5 SYR4
Chromium
11.12 µg/L 11%
of the EPA limit 100 µg/L
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2019
1/5 SYR4
Selenium
6.58 µg/L 13%
of the EPA limit 50 µg/L
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2019
1/5 SYR4
Combined Radium (-226 And -228)
6.53 pCi/L 131%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 5 pCi/L
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2019
1/5 SYR4
Monochloroacetic Acid
6.34 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2019
1/5 SYR4
Toluene
4.768 µg/L 0.5%
of the EPA limit 1000 µg/L
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2019
1/5 SYR4
Tetrachloroethylene
4.7555 µg/L 95%
of the EPA limit 5 µg/L
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2019
1/5 SYR4
Dibromochloromethane
3.5 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2019
1/5 SYR4
Chlorobenzene
2.8 µg/L 2.8%
of the EPA limit 100 µg/L
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2019
1/5 SYR4
Toxaphene
2.5 µg/L 83%
of the EPA limit 3 µg/L
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2019
1/5 SYR4
Bromoform
2.105 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2019
1/5 SYR4
Ethylbenzene
1.922 µg/L 0.3%
of the EPA limit 700 µg/L
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2019
1/5 SYR4
Dibromoacetic Acid
1.862 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2019
1/5 SYR4
cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene
1.57 µg/L 2.2%
of the EPA limit 70 µg/L
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2019
1/5 SYR4
1,2-Dichloroethane
1.429 µg/L 29%
of the EPA limit 5 µg/L
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2019
1/5 SYR4
Arsenic
1.2625 µg/L 13%
of the EPA limit 10 µg/L
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2019
1/5 SYR4
Chlordane
0.8480 µg/L 42%
of the EPA limit 2 µg/L
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2019
1/5 SYR4
Trichloroethylene
0.8460 µg/L 17%
of the EPA limit 5 µg/L
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2019
1/5 SYR4
Mercury
0.7235 µg/L 36%
of the EPA limit 2 µg/L
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2019
1/5 SYR4
Di(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate
0.5766 µg/L 9.6%
of the EPA limit 6 µg/L
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2019
1/5 SYR4
Pentachlorophenol
0.4700 µg/L 47%
of the EPA limit 1 µg/L
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2019
1/5 SYR4
Benzene
0.3400 µg/L 6.8%
of the EPA limit 5 µg/L
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2019
1/5 SYR4
1,1-Dichloroethylene
0.3200 µg/L 4.6%
of the EPA limit 7 µg/L
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2019
1/5 SYR4
Atrazine
0.1455 µg/L 4.9%
of the EPA limit 3 µg/L
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2019
1/5 SYR4
1,1,1-Trichloroethane
0.1355 µg/L 0.1%
of the EPA limit 200 µg/L
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2019
1/5 SYR4
Di(2-ethylhexyl) Adipate
0.1310 µg/L 0%
of the EPA limit 400 µg/L
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2019
1/5 SYR4
Thallium, Total
0.1195 µg/L 6%
of the EPA limit 2 µg/L
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2019
1/5 SYR4
Pfpea
0.1060 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2025
1/5 UCMR-5
Pfba
0.0791 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2025
1/5 UCMR-5
Pfhxa
0.0722 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2025
1/5 UCMR-5
Cadmium
0.0400 µg/L 0.8%
of the EPA limit 5 µg/L
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2019
1/5 SYR4
Heptachlor Epoxide
0.0346 µg/L 17%
of the EPA limit 0.2000 µg/L
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2019
1/5 SYR4
PFOA
0.0231 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2025
1/5 UCMR-5
Pfhpa
0.0189 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2025
1/5 UCMR-5
PFHXS
0.0089 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2025
1/5 UCMR-5
PFBS
0.0087 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2025
1/5 UCMR-5
PFOS
0.0060 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2025
1/5 UCMR-5
Lead
0.0010 mg/L 6.7%
of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L
Main supplier: ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY · 231,114 people · 2026
4/5 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 Bear

SupplierPopulation served
ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY 231,114
ST ANDREWS APARTMENTS 360
ST ANDREWS APARTMENT NEW ADDITION 272
MERIDIAN CROSSING APARTMENTS 220
ST ANDREWS SINGLE FAMILY HOMES 120

Frequently asked questions about Bear tap water

Is Bear tap water safe to drink?

EPA testing detected 50 contaminants in the water serving Bear. 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 Bear?

5 public water suppliers report drinking-water monitoring for Bear, Delaware to the EPA. Each is listed above with its population served.

What contaminants are in Bear's water?

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