Is Ketchum, ID Tap Water Safe? Quality & Contaminants

What was found in Ketchum'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	2200 µg/L 22% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Main supplier: KETCHUM CITY OF · 3,555 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 2460 µg/L — GREENHORN SUBD · 75 people · 2019	10/10	SYR4
Fluoride	1610 µg/L 40% of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L Main supplier: KETCHUM CITY OF · 3,555 people · 2019	1/10	SYR4
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)	1.197 µg/L 2% of the EPA limit 60 µg/L Main supplier: KETCHUM CITY OF · 3,555 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 1160 µg/L — GREENHORN SUBD · 75 people · 2019	2/10	SYR4
Nitrate-Nitrite	600 µg/L 6% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Main supplier: KETCHUM CITY OF · 3,555 people · 2013 Highest in the city: 614.5 µg/L — HEATHERLANDS SUBD · 200 people · 2012	5/10	SYR4
Barium	351 µg/L 18% of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L Main supplier: KETCHUM CITY OF · 3,555 people · 2019	6/10	SYR4
Lithium	13 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: KETCHUM CITY OF · 3,555 people · 2024	1/10	UCMR-5
TTHM	5.08 µg/L 6.4% of the EPA limit 80 µg/L Main supplier: KETCHUM CITY OF · 3,555 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 10.61 µg/L — GREENHORN SUBD · 75 people · 2019	2/10	SYR4
Di(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate	8.1395 µg/L 136% of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 6 µg/L Highest in the city: HULEN MEADOWS WATER COMPANY · 390 people · 2019	2/10	SYR4
Selenium	2 µg/L 4% of the EPA limit 50 µg/L Main supplier: KETCHUM CITY OF · 3,555 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 7.85 µg/L — WOODENHILLS WATER WORKS · 62 people · 2018	3/10	SYR4
Combined Uranium	1.5855 µg/L 5.3% of the EPA limit 30 µg/L Main supplier: KETCHUM CITY OF · 3,555 people · 2015 Highest in the city: 6.925 µg/L — WOODENHILLS WATER WORKS · 62 people · 2016	9/10	SYR4
Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon And U	6.589 pCi/L 44% of the EPA limit 15 pCi/L Highest in the city: HULEN MEADOWS WATER COMPANY · 390 people · 2015	3/10	SYR4
Arsenic	1.95 µg/L 20% of the EPA limit 10 µg/L Main supplier: KETCHUM CITY OF · 3,555 people · 2019	2/10	SYR4
Combined Radium (-226 And -228)	1.05 pCi/L 21% of the EPA limit 5 pCi/L Main supplier: KETCHUM CITY OF · 3,555 people · 2015 Highest in the city: 1.485 pCi/L — STARWEATHER ESTATES · 150 people · 2019	4/10	SYR4
Benzo(A)Pyrene	0.0900 µg/L 45% of the EPA limit 0.2000 µg/L Highest in the city: HULEN MEADOWS WATER COMPANY · 390 people · 2019	1/10	SYR4
Lead	0.0090 mg/L 60% of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L Main supplier: KETCHUM CITY OF · 3,555 people · 2024 Highest in the city: 0.0200 mg/L — THE VALLEY CLUB · 135 people · 2025	10/10	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 Ketchum

Supplier	Population served
KETCHUM CITY OF	3,555
HULEN MEADOWS WATER COMPANY	390
COLD SPRINGS SUBD	300
HEATHERLANDS SUBD	200
STARWEATHER ESTATES	150
THE VALLEY CLUB	135
GOLDEN EAGLE RANCH	120
SMILEY CREEK WATER USERS ASSN INC	117
GREENHORN SUBD	75
WOODENHILLS WATER WORKS	62

Frequently asked questions about Ketchum tap water

Is Ketchum tap water safe to drink?

EPA testing detected 15 contaminants in the water serving Ketchum. 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 Ketchum?

10 public water suppliers report drinking-water monitoring for Ketchum, Idaho to the EPA. Each is listed above with its population served.

What contaminants are in Ketchum's water?

The contaminants EPA monitoring detected in Ketchum include Nitrate, Fluoride, Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5), Nitrate-Nitrite, 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.