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Tap water quality report

Scarborough, ME

EPA monitoring detected 19 contaminants across the 3 water suppliers serving Scarborough. 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.

3
water suppliers
135,178
people served
19
contaminants found
Maine rankings Lead in Maine PFAS in Maine

What was found in Scarborough'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
Copper
3.95 µg/L 0.3%
of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L
Main supplier: PORTLAND WATER DISTRICT-GREATER · 135,068 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 2030 µg/L — SCARBOROUGH GARDENS · 45 people · 2019
3/3 SYR4
Nitrate
100 µg/L 1%
of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L
Main supplier: PORTLAND WATER DISTRICT-GREATER · 135,068 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 2010 µg/L — SCARBOROUGH GARDENS · 45 people · 2019
2/3 SYR4
Fluoride
770 µg/L 19%
of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L
Main supplier: PORTLAND WATER DISTRICT-GREATER · 135,068 people · 2019
1/3 SYR4
Combined Uranium
190.01 µg/L 633%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 30 µg/L
Main supplier: PORTLAND WATER DISTRICT-GREATER · 135,068 people · 2019
2/3 SYR4
Lead
95.1 µg/L 634%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 15 µg/L
Highest in the city: SCARBOROUGH GARDENS · 45 people · 2019
2/3 SYR4
Barium
4 µg/L 0.2%
of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L
Main supplier: PORTLAND WATER DISTRICT-GREATER · 135,068 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 47.65 µg/L — CRYSTAL SPRING ESTATES · 65 people · 2017
3/3 SYR4
Arsenic
42.05 µg/L 421%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 10 µg/L
Highest in the city: CRYSTAL SPRING ESTATES · 65 people · 2019
1/3 SYR4
Nitrate-Nitrite
29 µg/L 0.3%
of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L
Highest in the city: CRYSTAL SPRING ESTATES · 65 people · 2019
1/3 SYR4
Nitrite
29 µg/L 2.9%
of the EPA limit 1000 µg/L
Highest in the city: CRYSTAL SPRING ESTATES · 65 people · 2019
1/3 SYR4
TTHM
1.8 µg/L 2.3%
of the EPA limit 80 µg/L
Main supplier: PORTLAND WATER DISTRICT-GREATER · 135,068 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 25.715 µg/L — SCARBOROUGH GARDENS · 45 people · 2019
2/3 SYR4
Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon And U
22.73 pCi/L 152%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 15 pCi/L
Highest in the city: SCARBOROUGH GARDENS · 45 people · 2017
2/3 SYR4
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)
12.95 µg/L 22%
of the EPA limit 60 µg/L
Main supplier: PORTLAND WATER DISTRICT-GREATER · 135,068 people · 2019
2/3 SYR4
Combined Radium (-226 And -228)
9.797 pCi/L 196%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 5 pCi/L
Highest in the city: SCARBOROUGH GARDENS · 45 people · 2018
1/3 SYR4
Chloroform
8.4 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Highest in the city: SCARBOROUGH GARDENS · 45 people · 2012
1/3 SYR4
Chromium
7.425 µg/L 7.4%
of the EPA limit 100 µg/L
Highest in the city: SCARBOROUGH GARDENS · 45 people · 2018
2/3 SYR4
Bromodichloromethane
3.5 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Highest in the city: SCARBOROUGH GARDENS · 45 people · 2012
1/3 SYR4
Dibromochloromethane
2.6 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Highest in the city: SCARBOROUGH GARDENS · 45 people · 2012
1/3 SYR4
Beryllium, Total
1 µg/L 25%
of the EPA limit 4 µg/L
Highest in the city: CRYSTAL SPRING ESTATES · 65 people · 2017
1/3 SYR4
Lead
0.0019 mg/L 13%
of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L
Main supplier: PORTLAND WATER DISTRICT-GREATER · 135,068 people · 2023
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 Scarborough

SupplierPopulation served
PORTLAND WATER DISTRICT-GREATER 135,068
CRYSTAL SPRING ESTATES 65
SCARBOROUGH GARDENS 45

Frequently asked questions about Scarborough tap water

Is Scarborough tap water safe to drink?

EPA testing detected 19 contaminants in the water serving Scarborough. 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 Scarborough?

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

What contaminants are in Scarborough's water?

The contaminants EPA monitoring detected in Scarborough include Copper, Nitrate, Fluoride, Combined Uranium, Lead. 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.