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Tap water quality report

Knoxville, TN

EPA monitoring detected 15 contaminants across the 6 water suppliers serving Knoxville. A detection doesn't automatically mean the water is unsafe — see the level at the main supplier for each below, with its EPA source and period.

6
water suppliers
601,594
people served
15
contaminants found
Tennessee rankings Lead in Tennessee PFAS in Tennessee

What was found in Knoxville'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.

ContaminantLevel vs EPA limitSuppliersSource
Fluoride
742.5 µg/L 19%
of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L
Main supplier: KNOXVILLE UTILITIES BOARD - KUB · 254,671 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 1617.3 µg/L — HALLSDALE-POWELL U.D. · 84,315 people · 2014
3/6 SYR4
Nitrate
670 µg/L 6.7%
of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L
Main supplier: KNOXVILLE UTILITIES BOARD - KUB · 254,671 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 984 µg/L — NORTHEAST KNOX U.D. · 27,941 people · 2019
6/6 SYR4
Nitrate-Nitrite
637.5 µg/L 6.4%
of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L
Main supplier: KNOXVILLE UTILITIES BOARD - KUB · 254,671 people · 2019
1/6 SYR4
TTHM
72.595 µg/L 91%
of the EPA limit 80 µg/L
Main supplier: KNOXVILLE UTILITIES BOARD - KUB · 254,671 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 94.3 µg/L — NORTHEAST KNOX U.D. · 27,941 people · 2019
6/6 SYR4
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)
49.68 µg/L 83%
of the EPA limit 60 µg/L
Main supplier: KNOXVILLE UTILITIES BOARD - KUB · 254,671 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 74.68 µg/L — HALLSDALE-POWELL U.D. · 84,315 people · 2019
6/6 SYR4
Barium
28 µg/L 1.4%
of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L
Main supplier: KNOXVILLE UTILITIES BOARD - KUB · 254,671 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 37.86 µg/L — HALLSDALE-POWELL U.D. · 84,315 people · 2014
3/6 SYR4
Copper
12.6 µg/L 1%
of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L
Main supplier: KNOXVILLE UTILITIES BOARD - KUB · 254,671 people · 2019
1/6 SYR4
Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon And U
3 pCi/L 20%
of the EPA limit 15 pCi/L
Highest in the city: KNOX-CHAPMAN UTILITY DISTRICT · 41,311 people · 2015
4/6 SYR4
Antimony, Total
1.12 µg/L 19%
of the EPA limit 6 µg/L
Highest in the city: KNOX-CHAPMAN UTILITY DISTRICT · 41,311 people · 2018
1/6 SYR4
Arsenic
1.05 µg/L 11%
of the EPA limit 10 µg/L
Highest in the city: KNOX-CHAPMAN UTILITY DISTRICT · 41,311 people · 2018
2/6 SYR4
2,4-D
0.4000 µg/L 0.6%
of the EPA limit 70 µg/L
Highest in the city: FIRST U.D. OF KNOX COUNTY · 115,531 people · 2019
1/6 SYR4
Selenium
0.3790 µg/L 0.8%
of the EPA limit 50 µg/L
Highest in the city: HALLSDALE-POWELL U.D. · 84,315 people · 2014
1/6 SYR4
PFBS
0.0037 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: KNOXVILLE UTILITIES BOARD - KUB · 254,671 people · 2024
Highest in the city: 0.0064 µg/L — FIRST U.D. OF KNOX COUNTY · 115,531 people · 2024
2/6 UCMR-5
Lead
0.00060 mg/L 4%
of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L
Main supplier: KNOXVILLE UTILITIES BOARD - KUB · 254,671 people · 2025
Highest in the city: 0.0036 mg/L — KNOX-CHAPMAN UTILITY DISTRICT · 41,311 people · 2025
6/6 LCR
Pfhxa
0.0030 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Highest in the city: FIRST U.D. OF KNOX COUNTY · 115,531 people · 2024
1/6 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 Knoxville

SupplierPopulation served
KNOXVILLE UTILITIES BOARD - KUB 254,671
FIRST U.D. OF KNOX COUNTY 115,531
HALLSDALE-POWELL U.D. 84,315
WEST KNOX UTILITY DISTRICT 77,825
KNOX-CHAPMAN UTILITY DISTRICT 41,311
NORTHEAST KNOX U.D. 27,941

Frequently asked questions about Knoxville tap water

Is Knoxville tap water safe to drink?

EPA testing detected 15 contaminants in the water serving Knoxville. 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 Knoxville?

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

What contaminants are in Knoxville's water?

The contaminants EPA monitoring detected in Knoxville include Fluoride, Nitrate, Nitrate-Nitrite, TTHM, Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5). 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.