What was found in Boise'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 | 4545 µg/L 45% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Main supplier: VEOLIA WATER IDAHO · 264,978 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 11200 µg/L — ANDERSON CIRCLE WATER CORP · 40 people · 2019 | 24/25 | SYR4 |
| Nitrate-Nitrite | 3980 µg/L 40% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Main supplier: VEOLIA WATER IDAHO · 264,978 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 4700 µg/L — MALAD AND HILTON WATER COMPANY INC. · 70 people · 2019 | 19/25 | SYR4 |
| Fluoride | 700 µg/L 18% of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L Main supplier: VEOLIA WATER IDAHO · 264,978 people · 2019 | 22/25 | SYR4 |
| Barium | 253 µg/L 13% of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L Main supplier: VEOLIA WATER IDAHO · 264,978 people · 2019 | 15/25 | SYR4 |
| TTHM | 50.045 µg/L 63% of the EPA limit 80 µg/L Main supplier: VEOLIA WATER IDAHO · 264,978 people · 2019 | 7/25 | SYR4 |
| Chloroform | 48 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: VEOLIA WATER IDAHO · 264,978 people · 2019 | 2/25 | SYR4 |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | 39.13 µg/L 65% of the EPA limit 60 µg/L Main supplier: VEOLIA WATER IDAHO · 264,978 people · 2019 | 5/25 | SYR4 |
| Combined Uranium | 27.75 µg/L 93% of the EPA limit 30 µg/L Main supplier: VEOLIA WATER IDAHO · 264,978 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 38.05 µg/L — PARADISE ESTATES WATER CORP · 273 people · 2019 | 24/25 | SYR4 |
| Nitrite | 30 µg/L 3% of the EPA limit 1000 µg/L Highest in the city: FLYING H TRAILER RANCH · 430 people · 2019 | 2/25 | SYR4 |
| Lithium | 24.3 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: VEOLIA WATER IDAHO · 264,978 people · 2024 | 2/25 | UCMR-5 |
| Arsenic | 16.9 µg/L 169% of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 10 µg/L Main supplier: VEOLIA WATER IDAHO · 264,978 people · 2019 | 14/25 | SYR4 |
| Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon And U | 16.088 pCi/L 107% of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 15 pCi/L Main supplier: VEOLIA WATER IDAHO · 264,978 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 16.095 pCi/L — CAPITOL WATER CORP · 9,000 people · 2019 | 9/25 | SYR4 |
| Copper | 10 µg/L 0.8% of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L Highest in the city: IDOC MOUNTAIN VIEW TRANSFORMATION CENTER · 456 people · 2019 | 1/25 | SYR4 |
| Chromium | 5.35 µg/L 5.4% of the EPA limit 100 µg/L Main supplier: VEOLIA WATER IDAHO · 264,978 people · 2019 | 4/25 | SYR4 |
| Gross Beta Particle Activity | 4.9 pCi/L No EPA limit set Highest in the city: IDOC SBX COMPLEX · 3,309 people · 2015 | 1/25 | SYR4 |
| Bromodichloromethane | 4.65 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: VEOLIA WATER IDAHO · 264,978 people · 2019 | 2/25 | SYR4 |
| Dibromochloromethane | 2.8 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: VEOLIA WATER IDAHO · 264,978 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 4.625 µg/L — IDOC MOUNTAIN VIEW TRANSFORMATION CENTER · 456 people · 2014 | 3/25 | SYR4 |
| Bromoform | 0.7860 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: VEOLIA WATER IDAHO · 264,978 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 3.295 µg/L — IDOC SBX COMPLEX · 3,309 people · 2018 | 3/25 | SYR4 |
| Monochloroacetic Acid | 3 µg/L No EPA limit set Highest in the city: IDOC SBX COMPLEX · 3,309 people · 2018 | 1/25 | SYR4 |
| Tetrachloroethylene | 2.76 µg/L 55% of the EPA limit 5 µg/L Main supplier: VEOLIA WATER IDAHO · 264,978 people · 2019 | 1/25 | SYR4 |
| Trichloroethylene | 1.72 µg/L 34% of the EPA limit 5 µg/L Main supplier: VEOLIA WATER IDAHO · 264,978 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 2.265 µg/L — CAPITOL WATER CORP · 9,000 people · 2019 | 2/25 | SYR4 |
| Di(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate | 2.18 µg/L 36% of the EPA limit 6 µg/L Highest in the city: IDOC IDAHO STATE CORRECTIONAL CENTER · 2,204 people · 2019 | 2/25 | SYR4 |
| Combined Radium (-226 And -228) | 2.045 pCi/L 41% of the EPA limit 5 pCi/L Main supplier: VEOLIA WATER IDAHO · 264,978 people · 2019 | 6/25 | SYR4 |
| 1,1-Dichloroethylene | 1.032 µg/L 15% of the EPA limit 7 µg/L Main supplier: VEOLIA WATER IDAHO · 264,978 people · 2019 | 1/25 | SYR4 |
| Dibromoacetic Acid | 0.9520 µg/L No EPA limit set Highest in the city: IDOC SBX COMPLEX · 3,309 people · 2018 | 1/25 | SYR4 |
| cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene | 0.6000 µg/L 0.9% of the EPA limit 70 µg/L Main supplier: VEOLIA WATER IDAHO · 264,978 people · 2019 | 1/25 | SYR4 |
| Di(2-ethylhexyl) Adipate | 0.4260 µg/L 0.1% of the EPA limit 400 µg/L Main supplier: VEOLIA WATER IDAHO · 264,978 people · 2019 | 1/25 | SYR4 |
| Atrazine | 0.1521 µg/L 5.1% of the EPA limit 3 µg/L Main supplier: VEOLIA WATER IDAHO · 264,978 people · 2019 | 1/25 | SYR4 |
| PFNA | 0.0510 µg/L No EPA limit set Highest in the city: CAPITOL WATER CORP · 9,000 people · 2024 | 1/25 | UCMR-5 |
| Ethylene Dibromide | 0.0238 µg/L 48% of the EPA limit 0.0500 µg/L Main supplier: VEOLIA WATER IDAHO · 264,978 people · 2019 | 1/25 | SYR4 |
| Lead | 0.0020 mg/L 13% of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L Main supplier: VEOLIA WATER IDAHO · 264,978 people · 2026
Highest in the city: 0.0110 mg/L — WEST MEADOWS ESTATES · 270 people · 2025 | 25/25 | LCR |
| PFOS | 0.0098 µg/L No EPA limit set Highest in the city: CAPITOL WATER CORP · 9,000 people · 2024 | 1/25 | UCMR-5 |
| PFOA | 0.0059 µg/L No EPA limit set Highest in the city: CAPITOL WATER CORP · 9,000 people · 2024 | 1/25 | UCMR-5 |
| PFHXS | 0.0055 µg/L No EPA limit set Highest in the city: CAPITOL WATER CORP · 9,000 people · 2024 | 1/25 | UCMR-5 |
| Pfpea | 0.0054 µg/L No EPA limit set Highest in the city: CAPITOL WATER CORP · 9,000 people · 2024 | 1/25 | UCMR-5 |
| Pfhxa | 0.0052 µg/L No EPA limit set Highest in the city: CAPITOL WATER CORP · 9,000 people · 2024 | 1/25 | UCMR-5 |
| PFBS | 0.0040 µg/L No EPA limit set Highest in the city: CAPITOL WATER CORP · 9,000 people · 2024 | 1/25 | 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 Boise
| Supplier | Population served |
|---|---|
| VEOLIA WATER IDAHO | 264,978 |
| CAPITOL WATER CORP | 9,000 |
| IDOC SBX COMPLEX | 3,309 |
| IDOC IDAHO STATE CORRECTIONAL CENTER | 2,204 |
| HILLSDALE ESTATES HOMEOWNERS ASSN | 800 |
| RUSTIC ACRES MOBILE HOME PARK | 540 |
| IDOC MOUNTAIN VIEW TRANSFORMATION CENTER | 456 |
| FLYING H TRAILER RANCH | 430 |
| EAGLE GLEN HOMEOWNERS ASSN INC | 300 |
| WYMOSA WATER ASSN INC | 280 |
| PARADISE ESTATES WATER CORP | 273 |
| WEST MEADOWS ESTATES | 270 |
| KLUGHERZ WATER CORP | 200 |
| EAGLE MHC | 135 |
| LINDA VISTA MOBILE HOME PARK | 125 |
| KRIZVIEW PARK | 120 |
| HAMPTON HOMES HOME OWNERS ASSN | 95 |
| FRANKLIN DOMESTIC WATER USERS | 75 |
| STANLEY POND INC | 72 |
| MALAD AND HILTON WATER COMPANY INC. | 70 |
| ISLAND VILLAGE MOBILE HOME PARK | 70 |
| AMY TRAILER PARK | 46 |
| ANDERSON CIRCLE WATER CORP | 40 |
| RIM ACRES MUTUAL WATER | 31 |
| RILEY TRAILER PARK | 30 |
Frequently asked questions about Boise tap water
Is Boise tap water safe to drink?
EPA testing detected 37 contaminants in the water serving Boise. 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 Boise?
25 public water suppliers report drinking-water monitoring for Boise, Idaho to the EPA. Each is listed above with its population served.
What contaminants are in Boise's water?
The contaminants EPA monitoring detected in Boise include Nitrate, Nitrate-Nitrite, Fluoride, Barium, TTHM. 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.