Is Salem, IN Tap Water Safe? Quality & Contaminants

What was found in Salem'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	1090 µg/L 11% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Highest in the city: SALEM WATER WORKS · 8,200 people · 2019	1/3	SYR4
Fluoride	677 µg/L 17% of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L Highest in the city: SALEM WATER WORKS · 8,200 people · 2019	1/3	SYR4
Copper	36.45 µg/L 2.8% of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L Main supplier: EAST WASHINGTON RURAL WATER · 8,613 people · 2017 Highest in the city: 516.75 µg/L — SALEM WATER WORKS · 8,200 people · 2017	3/3	SYR4
Barium	164 µg/L 8.2% of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L Highest in the city: SALEM WATER WORKS · 8,200 people · 2019	1/3	SYR4
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)	105.31 µg/L 176% of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 60 µg/L Main supplier: EAST WASHINGTON RURAL WATER · 8,613 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 120.875 µg/L — SALEM WATER WORKS · 8,200 people · 2019	3/3	SYR4
TTHM	107.275 µg/L 134% of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 80 µg/L Main supplier: EAST WASHINGTON RURAL WATER · 8,613 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 110 µg/L — NEW PEKIN WATER UTILITY · 2,150 people · 2019	3/3	SYR4
Chloroform	20.41 µg/L No EPA limit set Highest in the city: SALEM WATER WORKS · 8,200 people · 2014	1/3	SYR4
Lead	2.3 µg/L 15% of the EPA limit 15 µg/L Main supplier: EAST WASHINGTON RURAL WATER · 8,613 people · 2017 Highest in the city: 7.3 µg/L — NEW PEKIN WATER UTILITY · 2,150 people · 2018	3/3	SYR4
Bromodichloromethane	3.66 µg/L No EPA limit set Highest in the city: SALEM WATER WORKS · 8,200 people · 2014	1/3	SYR4
Chromium	2.95 µg/L 3% of the EPA limit 100 µg/L Highest in the city: SALEM WATER WORKS · 8,200 people · 2019	1/3	SYR4
Di(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate	2.217 µg/L 37% of the EPA limit 6 µg/L Highest in the city: SALEM WATER WORKS · 8,200 people · 2019	1/3	SYR4
Atrazine	1.4775 µg/L 49% of the EPA limit 3 µg/L Highest in the city: SALEM WATER WORKS · 8,200 people · 2019	1/3	SYR4
Arsenic	1.09 µg/L 11% of the EPA limit 10 µg/L Highest in the city: SALEM WATER WORKS · 8,200 people · 2019	1/3	SYR4
Di(2-ethylhexyl) Adipate	0.6000 µg/L 0.2% of the EPA limit 400 µg/L Highest in the city: SALEM WATER WORKS · 8,200 people · 2019	1/3	SYR4
Dibromochloromethane	0.6000 µg/L No EPA limit set Highest in the city: SALEM WATER WORKS · 8,200 people · 2014	1/3	SYR4
Antimony, Total	0.4000 µg/L 6.7% of the EPA limit 6 µg/L Highest in the city: SALEM WATER WORKS · 8,200 people · 2019	1/3	SYR4
Methoxychlor	0.3100 µg/L 0.8% of the EPA limit 40 µg/L Highest in the city: SALEM WATER WORKS · 8,200 people · 2018	1/3	SYR4
Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon And U	0.0900 pCi/L 0.6% of the EPA limit 15 pCi/L Highest in the city: SALEM WATER WORKS · 8,200 people · 2019	1/3	SYR4
Pfba	0.0223 µg/L No EPA limit set Highest in the city: NEW PEKIN WATER UTILITY · 2,150 people · 2023	1/3	UCMR-5
Lead	0.0013 mg/L 8.9% of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L Main supplier: EAST WASHINGTON RURAL WATER · 8,613 people · 2024	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 Salem

Supplier	Population served
EAST WASHINGTON RURAL WATER	8,613
SALEM WATER WORKS	8,200
NEW PEKIN WATER UTILITY	2,150

Frequently asked questions about Salem tap water

Is Salem tap water safe to drink?

EPA testing detected 20 contaminants in the water serving Salem. 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 Salem?

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

What contaminants are in Salem's water?

The contaminants EPA monitoring detected in Salem include Nitrate, Fluoride, Copper, Barium, Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5). 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.