Is Sault Ste. Marie, MI Tap Water Safe? Quality & Contaminants

What was found in Sault Ste. Marie'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
Fluoride	1200 µg/L 30% of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L Highest in the city: MANISTIQUE · 147 people · 2019	2/4	SYR4
Nitrate	600 µg/L 6% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Highest in the city: HESSEL · 240 people · 2019	1/4	SYR4
Copper	356 µg/L 27% of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L Highest in the city: HESSEL · 240 people · 2019	3/4	SYR4
Barium	279 µg/L 14% of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L Highest in the city: MANISTIQUE · 147 people · 2018	3/4	SYR4
Nitrate-Nitrite	200 µg/L 2% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Highest in the city: HESSEL · 240 people · 2018	1/4	SYR4
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)	15.27 µg/L 25% of the EPA limit 60 µg/L Highest in the city: HESSEL · 240 people · 2019	2/4	SYR4
TTHM	14.5 µg/L 18% of the EPA limit 80 µg/L Highest in the city: HESSEL · 240 people · 2019	3/4	SYR4
Lead	9.77 µg/L 65% of the EPA limit 15 µg/L Highest in the city: WETMORE · 52 people · 2019	3/4	SYR4
Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon And U	6.62 pCi/L 44% of the EPA limit 15 pCi/L Highest in the city: MANISTIQUE · 147 people · 2019	3/4	SYR4
Combined Radium (-226 And -228)	3.159 pCi/L 63% of the EPA limit 5 pCi/L Highest in the city: MANISTIQUE · 147 people · 2019	2/4	SYR4
Arsenic	2.69 µg/L 27% of the EPA limit 10 µg/L Highest in the city: MANISTIQUE · 147 people · 2018	1/4	SYR4
Combined Uranium	0.2235 µg/L 0.7% of the EPA limit 30 µg/L Highest in the city: MANISTIQUE · 147 people · 2019	1/4	SYR4
Lead	0.0015 mg/L 10% of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L Main supplier: SAULT STE MARIE · 14,689 people · 2025 Highest in the city: 0.0090 mg/L — WETMORE · 52 people · 2022	4/4	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 Sault Ste. Marie

Supplier	Population served
SAULT STE MARIE	14,689
HESSEL	240
MANISTIQUE	147
WETMORE	52

Frequently asked questions about Sault Ste. Marie tap water

Is Sault Ste. Marie tap water safe to drink?

EPA testing detected 13 contaminants in the water serving Sault Ste. Marie. 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 Sault Ste. Marie?

4 public water suppliers report drinking-water monitoring for Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan to the EPA. Each is listed above with its population served.

What contaminants are in Sault Ste. Marie's water?

The contaminants EPA monitoring detected in Sault Ste. Marie include Fluoride, Nitrate, Copper, Barium, Nitrate-Nitrite. 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.