Is Lorain, OH Tap Water Safe? Quality & Contaminants

What was found in Lorain'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	1145.5 µg/L 29% of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L Main supplier: ELYRIA WATER DEPARTMENT · 68,000 people · 2019	2/2	SYR4
Nitrate	1110 µg/L 11% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Main supplier: ELYRIA WATER DEPARTMENT · 68,000 people · 2019	2/2	SYR4
Nitrate-Nitrite	1110 µg/L 11% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Main supplier: ELYRIA WATER DEPARTMENT · 68,000 people · 2019	2/2	SYR4
Copper	134 µg/L 10% of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L Main supplier: ELYRIA WATER DEPARTMENT · 68,000 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 150 µg/L — LORAIN CITY PWS · 64,152 people · 2019	2/2	SYR4
TTHM	71.775 µg/L 90% of the EPA limit 80 µg/L Main supplier: ELYRIA WATER DEPARTMENT · 68,000 people · 2019	2/2	SYR4
Chloroform	49.14 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: ELYRIA WATER DEPARTMENT · 68,000 people · 2019	2/2	SYR4
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)	39.525 µg/L 66% of the EPA limit 60 µg/L Main supplier: ELYRIA WATER DEPARTMENT · 68,000 people · 2019	2/2	SYR4
Barium	20 µg/L 1% of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L Main supplier: ELYRIA WATER DEPARTMENT · 68,000 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 34.65 µg/L — LORAIN CITY PWS · 64,152 people · 2019	2/2	SYR4
Lead	25.4 µg/L 169% of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 15 µg/L Main supplier: ELYRIA WATER DEPARTMENT · 68,000 people · 2019	2/2	SYR4
Dichloroacetic Acid	18.9 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: ELYRIA WATER DEPARTMENT · 68,000 people · 2019	2/2	SYR4
Trichloroacetic Acid	18.725 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: ELYRIA WATER DEPARTMENT · 68,000 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 18.85 µg/L — LORAIN CITY PWS · 64,152 people · 2019	2/2	SYR4
Bromodichloromethane	16.3 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: ELYRIA WATER DEPARTMENT · 68,000 people · 2019	2/2	SYR4
Dibromochloromethane	6.02 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: ELYRIA WATER DEPARTMENT · 68,000 people · 2019	2/2	SYR4
Monochloroacetic Acid	3.67 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: ELYRIA WATER DEPARTMENT · 68,000 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 5.62 µg/L — LORAIN CITY PWS · 64,152 people · 2019	2/2	SYR4
Dibromoacetic Acid	1.6 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: ELYRIA WATER DEPARTMENT · 68,000 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 1.7 µg/L — LORAIN CITY PWS · 64,152 people · 2019	2/2	SYR4
Bromoform	0.7000 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: ELYRIA WATER DEPARTMENT · 68,000 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 0.7500 µg/L — LORAIN CITY PWS · 64,152 people · 2019	2/2	SYR4
Atrazine	0.2800 µg/L 9.3% of the EPA limit 3 µg/L Main supplier: ELYRIA WATER DEPARTMENT · 68,000 people · 2019	1/2	SYR4
Simazine	0.0600 µg/L 1.5% of the EPA limit 4 µg/L Main supplier: ELYRIA WATER DEPARTMENT · 68,000 people · 2019	1/2	SYR4
Lead	0.0 mg/L 0% of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L Main supplier: ELYRIA WATER DEPARTMENT · 68,000 people · 2025	2/2	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 Lorain

Supplier	Population served
ELYRIA WATER DEPARTMENT	68,000
LORAIN CITY PWS	64,152

Frequently asked questions about Lorain tap water

Is Lorain tap water safe to drink?

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

2 public water suppliers report drinking-water monitoring for Lorain, Ohio to the EPA. Each is listed above with its population served.

What contaminants are in Lorain's water?

The contaminants EPA monitoring detected in Lorain include Fluoride, Nitrate, Nitrate-Nitrite, 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.