Is Foster, RI Tap Water Safe? Quality & Contaminants

What was found in Foster'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	1545 µg/L 15% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Main supplier: ABBEY LANE COMMUNITY ASSN., INC. · 45 people · 2019	2/2	SYR4
Nitrate-Nitrite	1530 µg/L 15% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Main supplier: ABBEY LANE COMMUNITY ASSN., INC. · 45 people · 2017	2/2	SYR4
Copper	505.4 µg/L 39% of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L Main supplier: ABBEY LANE COMMUNITY ASSN., INC. · 45 people · 2019	2/2	SYR4
Fluoride	416 µg/L 10% of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L Main supplier: ABBEY LANE COMMUNITY ASSN., INC. · 45 people · 2019	2/2	SYR4
Lead	79 µg/L 527% of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 15 µg/L Main supplier: ABBEY LANE COMMUNITY ASSN., INC. · 45 people · 2019	2/2	SYR4
Barium	40.6 µg/L 2% of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L Main supplier: ABBEY LANE COMMUNITY ASSN., INC. · 45 people · 2019	2/2	SYR4
Combined Uranium	6.3 µg/L 21% of the EPA limit 30 µg/L Main supplier: ABBEY LANE COMMUNITY ASSN., INC. · 45 people · 2014	1/2	SYR4
Arsenic	4.64 µg/L 46% of the EPA limit 10 µg/L Main supplier: ABBEY LANE COMMUNITY ASSN., INC. · 45 people · 2019	2/2	SYR4
Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon And U	3 pCi/L 20% of the EPA limit 15 pCi/L Main supplier: ABBEY LANE COMMUNITY ASSN., INC. · 45 people · 2014	1/2	SYR4
Selenium	3 µg/L 6% of the EPA limit 50 µg/L Highest in the city: FOSTER SENIOR HOUSING INC. · 31 people · 2019	1/2	SYR4
Chromium	2.2 µg/L 2.2% of the EPA limit 100 µg/L Main supplier: ABBEY LANE COMMUNITY ASSN., INC. · 45 people · 2019	2/2	SYR4
Cadmium	1 µg/L 20% of the EPA limit 5 µg/L Main supplier: ABBEY LANE COMMUNITY ASSN., INC. · 45 people · 2019	1/2	SYR4
Lead	0.0018 mg/L 12% of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L Main supplier: ABBEY LANE COMMUNITY ASSN., INC. · 45 people · 2023 Highest in the city: 0.0020 mg/L — FOSTER SENIOR HOUSING INC. · 31 people · 2007	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 Foster

Supplier	Population served
ABBEY LANE COMMUNITY ASSN., INC.	45
FOSTER SENIOR HOUSING INC.	31

Frequently asked questions about Foster tap water

Is Foster tap water safe to drink?

EPA testing detected 13 contaminants in the water serving Foster. 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 Foster?

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

What contaminants are in Foster's water?

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