Is Cleveland, TN Tap Water Safe? Quality & Contaminants

What was found in Cleveland'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	951.6 µg/L 9.5% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Main supplier: CLEVELAND UTILITIES · 95,087 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 1621 µg/L — OCOEE UTILITY DISTRICT · 21,082 people · 2019	2/2	SYR4
TTHM	62.12 µg/L 78% of the EPA limit 80 µg/L Main supplier: CLEVELAND UTILITIES · 95,087 people · 2019	2/2	SYR4
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)	52.845 µg/L 88% of the EPA limit 60 µg/L Main supplier: CLEVELAND UTILITIES · 95,087 people · 2019	2/2	SYR4
Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon And U	2.06 pCi/L 14% of the EPA limit 15 pCi/L Main supplier: CLEVELAND UTILITIES · 95,087 people · 2014	1/2	SYR4
2,4-D	0.5000 µg/L 0.7% of the EPA limit 70 µg/L Main supplier: CLEVELAND UTILITIES · 95,087 people · 2019	1/2	SYR4
PFBS	0.0327 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CLEVELAND UTILITIES · 95,087 people · 2024 Highest in the city: 0.0410 µg/L — OCOEE UTILITY DISTRICT · 21,082 people · 2023	2/2	UCMR-5
Pfba	0.0100 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CLEVELAND UTILITIES · 95,087 people · 2024	1/2	UCMR-5
PFOA	0.0060 µg/L No EPA limit set Highest in the city: OCOEE UTILITY DISTRICT · 21,082 people · 2023	1/2	UCMR-5
Pfpea	0.0033 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CLEVELAND UTILITIES · 95,087 people · 2024 Highest in the city: 0.0048 µg/L — OCOEE UTILITY DISTRICT · 21,082 people · 2023	2/2	UCMR-5
PFOS	0.0045 µg/L No EPA limit set Highest in the city: OCOEE UTILITY DISTRICT · 21,082 people · 2023	1/2	UCMR-5
Pfhxa	0.0040 µg/L No EPA limit set Highest in the city: OCOEE UTILITY DISTRICT · 21,082 people · 2023	1/2	UCMR-5
PFHXS	0.0030 µg/L No EPA limit set Highest in the city: OCOEE UTILITY DISTRICT · 21,082 people · 2023	1/2	UCMR-5
Lead	0.0010 mg/L 6.7% of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L Main supplier: CLEVELAND UTILITIES · 95,087 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 Cleveland

Supplier	Population served
CLEVELAND UTILITIES	95,087
OCOEE UTILITY DISTRICT	21,082

Frequently asked questions about Cleveland tap water

Is Cleveland tap water safe to drink?

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

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

What contaminants are in Cleveland's water?

The contaminants EPA monitoring detected in Cleveland include Nitrate, TTHM, Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5), Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon And U, 2,4-D. 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.