Is Burlington, VT Tap Water Safe? Quality & Contaminants

What was found in Burlington'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	700 µg/L 18% of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L Main supplier: BURLINGTON DEPT PUBLIC WORKS WATER DIV · 42,000 people · 2019	1/2	SYR4
Nitrate	260 µg/L 2.6% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Main supplier: BURLINGTON DEPT PUBLIC WORKS WATER DIV · 42,000 people · 2019	1/2	SYR4
Copper	172.5 µg/L 13% of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L Main supplier: BURLINGTON DEPT PUBLIC WORKS WATER DIV · 42,000 people · 2018	2/2	SYR4
Lead	80.9 µg/L 539% of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 15 µg/L Main supplier: BURLINGTON DEPT PUBLIC WORKS WATER DIV · 42,000 people · 2018	2/2	SYR4
TTHM	76.1 µg/L 95% of the EPA limit 80 µg/L Main supplier: BURLINGTON DEPT PUBLIC WORKS WATER DIV · 42,000 people · 2019	2/2	SYR4
Chloroform	69.75 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: BURLINGTON DEPT PUBLIC WORKS WATER DIV · 42,000 people · 2019	2/2	SYR4
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)	61.095 µg/L 102% of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 60 µg/L Main supplier: BURLINGTON DEPT PUBLIC WORKS WATER DIV · 42,000 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 67.64 µg/L — NORTH AVE CO-OP · 301 people · 2019	2/2	SYR4
Trichloroacetic Acid	35.43 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: BURLINGTON DEPT PUBLIC WORKS WATER DIV · 42,000 people · 2019	2/2	SYR4
Dichloroacetic Acid	24.425 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: BURLINGTON DEPT PUBLIC WORKS WATER DIV · 42,000 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 31.69 µg/L — NORTH AVE CO-OP · 301 people · 2019	2/2	SYR4
Monochloroacetic Acid	10.295 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: BURLINGTON DEPT PUBLIC WORKS WATER DIV · 42,000 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 10.68 µg/L — NORTH AVE CO-OP · 301 people · 2019	2/2	SYR4
Bromodichloromethane	6.6 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: BURLINGTON DEPT PUBLIC WORKS WATER DIV · 42,000 people · 2019	2/2	SYR4
Di(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate	3.5 µg/L 58% of the EPA limit 6 µg/L Main supplier: BURLINGTON DEPT PUBLIC WORKS WATER DIV · 42,000 people · 2019	1/2	SYR4
Dibromochloromethane	0.5800 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: BURLINGTON DEPT PUBLIC WORKS WATER DIV · 42,000 people · 2019	1/2	SYR4
Lead	0.0014 mg/L 9.3% of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L Main supplier: BURLINGTON DEPT PUBLIC WORKS WATER DIV · 42,000 people · 2024	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 Burlington

Supplier	Population served
BURLINGTON DEPT PUBLIC WORKS WATER DIV	42,000
NORTH AVE CO-OP	301

Frequently asked questions about Burlington tap water

Is Burlington tap water safe to drink?

EPA testing detected 14 contaminants in the water serving Burlington. 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 Burlington?

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

What contaminants are in Burlington's water?

The contaminants EPA monitoring detected in Burlington include Fluoride, Nitrate, Copper, Lead, 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.