Is Paducah, KY Tap Water Safe? Quality & Contaminants

What was found in Paducah'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	900 µg/L 9% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Main supplier: PADUCAH WATER WORKS · 65,004 people · 2019	1/1	SYR4
Fluoride	800 µg/L 20% of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L Main supplier: PADUCAH WATER WORKS · 65,004 people · 2019	1/1	SYR4
Chlorite	799.5 µg/L 80% of the EPA limit 1000 µg/L Main supplier: PADUCAH WATER WORKS · 65,004 people · 2014	1/1	SYR4
Copper	121.6 µg/L 9.4% of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L Main supplier: PADUCAH WATER WORKS · 65,004 people · 2019	1/1	SYR4
TTHM	85.1 µg/L 106% of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 80 µg/L Main supplier: PADUCAH WATER WORKS · 65,004 people · 2019	1/1	SYR4
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)	64 µg/L 107% of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 60 µg/L Main supplier: PADUCAH WATER WORKS · 65,004 people · 2019	1/1	SYR4
Barium	26 µg/L 1.3% of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L Main supplier: PADUCAH WATER WORKS · 65,004 people · 2019	1/1	SYR4
Lead	7.5 µg/L 50% of the EPA limit 15 µg/L Main supplier: PADUCAH WATER WORKS · 65,004 people · 2018	1/1	SYR4
Selenium	3 µg/L 6% of the EPA limit 50 µg/L Main supplier: PADUCAH WATER WORKS · 65,004 people · 2019	1/1	SYR4
Combined Radium (-226 And -228)	2.3 pCi/L 46% of the EPA limit 5 pCi/L Main supplier: PADUCAH WATER WORKS · 65,004 people · 2014	1/1	SYR4
Chlorobenzene	0.7000 µg/L 0.7% of the EPA limit 100 µg/L Main supplier: PADUCAH WATER WORKS · 65,004 people · 2019	1/1	SYR4
Chromium	0.7000 µg/L 0.7% of the EPA limit 100 µg/L Main supplier: PADUCAH WATER WORKS · 65,004 people · 2019	1/1	SYR4
Atrazine	0.5700 µg/L 19% of the EPA limit 3 µg/L Main supplier: PADUCAH WATER WORKS · 65,004 people · 2017	1/1	SYR4
Arsenic	0.3000 µg/L 3% of the EPA limit 10 µg/L Main supplier: PADUCAH WATER WORKS · 65,004 people · 2019	1/1	SYR4
Mercury	0.2000 µg/L 10% of the EPA limit 2 µg/L Main supplier: PADUCAH WATER WORKS · 65,004 people · 2019	1/1	SYR4
PFOS	0.0081 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: PADUCAH WATER WORKS · 65,004 people · 2024	1/1	UCMR-5
Pfba	0.0073 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: PADUCAH WATER WORKS · 65,004 people · 2024	1/1	UCMR-5
PFOA	0.0058 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: PADUCAH WATER WORKS · 65,004 people · 2024	1/1	UCMR-5
Pfpea	0.0046 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: PADUCAH WATER WORKS · 65,004 people · 2024	1/1	UCMR-5
PFBS	0.0033 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: PADUCAH WATER WORKS · 65,004 people · 2024	1/1	UCMR-5
Lead	0.0 mg/L 0% of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L Main supplier: PADUCAH WATER WORKS · 65,004 people · 2024	1/1	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 Paducah

Supplier	Population served
PADUCAH WATER WORKS	65,004

Frequently asked questions about Paducah tap water

Is Paducah tap water safe to drink?

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

1 public water supplier report drinking-water monitoring for Paducah, Kentucky to the EPA. Each is listed above with its population served.

What contaminants are in Paducah's water?

The contaminants EPA monitoring detected in Paducah include Nitrate, Fluoride, Chlorite, Copper, 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.