Is Rochester, MN Tap Water Safe? Quality & Contaminants

What was found in Rochester'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
Copper	971.2 µg/L 75% of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L Main supplier: Rochester · 123,624 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 1373 µg/L — Briarwood Subdivision · 90 people · 2019	7/9	SYR4
Fluoride	1240 µg/L 31% of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L Main supplier: Rochester · 123,624 people · 2019	1/9	SYR4
Nitrate-Nitrite	710 µg/L 7.1% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Main supplier: Rochester · 123,624 people · 2019	1/9	SYR4
Cyanide	120 µg/L 60% of the EPA limit 200 µg/L Main supplier: Rochester · 123,624 people · 2019	2/9	SYR4
Barium	88.25 µg/L 4.4% of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L Main supplier: Rochester · 123,624 people · 2019	7/9	SYR4
Chloroform	9.18 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: Rochester · 123,624 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 43 µg/L — Chester Heights · 300 people · 2018	6/9	SYR4
Lithium	10.8 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: Rochester · 123,624 people · 2024	1/9	UCMR-5
Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon And U	9.52 pCi/L 63% of the EPA limit 15 pCi/L Main supplier: Rochester · 123,624 people · 2019	5/9	SYR4
Lead	9.165 µg/L 61% of the EPA limit 15 µg/L Main supplier: Rochester · 123,624 people · 2019	6/9	SYR4
Dichloroacetic Acid	3.455 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: Rochester · 123,624 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 4.9 µg/L — Chester Heights · 300 people · 2018	3/9	SYR4
Bromodichloromethane	3.97 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: Rochester · 123,624 people · 2019	5/9	SYR4
Dibromochloromethane	2.2 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: Rochester · 123,624 people · 2019	5/9	SYR4
Trichloroacetic Acid	1.8 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: Rochester · 123,624 people · 2019	3/9	SYR4
Dibromoacetic Acid	1 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: Rochester · 123,624 people · 2019	1/9	SYR4
Tetrachloroethylene	0.8300 µg/L 17% of the EPA limit 5 µg/L Main supplier: Rochester · 123,624 people · 2019	1/9	SYR4
Trichloroethylene	0.4340 µg/L 8.7% of the EPA limit 5 µg/L Main supplier: Rochester · 123,624 people · 2019	1/9	SYR4
Chromium	0.3140 µg/L 0.3% of the EPA limit 100 µg/L Main supplier: Rochester · 123,624 people · 2019	1/9	SYR4
Toluene	0.2400 µg/L 0% of the EPA limit 1000 µg/L Main supplier: Rochester · 123,624 people · 2019	1/9	SYR4
Lead	0.0070 mg/L 47% of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L Main supplier: Rochester · 123,624 people · 2025	9/9	LCR
PFHXS	0.0039 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: Rochester · 123,624 people · 2024	1/9	UCMR-5

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 Rochester

Supplier	Population served
Rochester	123,624
Chester Heights	300
Zumbro Ridge Estates	270
Hallmark Terrace Mobile Home Park	170
Sandy Slopes Community	158
Meadowbrook Addition	125
Briarwood Subdivision	90
Country Home Trailer Park	56
Sunrise Mobile Home Park	50

Frequently asked questions about Rochester tap water

Is Rochester tap water safe to drink?

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

9 public water suppliers report drinking-water monitoring for Rochester, Minnesota to the EPA. Each is listed above with its population served.

What contaminants are in Rochester's water?

The contaminants EPA monitoring detected in Rochester include Copper, Fluoride, Nitrate-Nitrite, Cyanide, 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.