What was found in Charles Town'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 | 1768.5 µg/L 18% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Main supplier: CHARLES TOWN UTILITIES · 15,220 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 8543 µg/L — WVAW - WALNUT GROVE UTILITIES · 7,250 people · 2019 | 4/4 | SYR4 |
| Nitrate-Nitrite | 1310 µg/L 13% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Main supplier: CHARLES TOWN UTILITIES · 15,220 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 6260 µg/L — WVAW - WALNUT GROVE UTILITIES · 7,250 people · 2019 | 3/4 | SYR4 |
| Fluoride | 860 µg/L 22% of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L Main supplier: CHARLES TOWN UTILITIES · 15,220 people · 2019 | 4/4 | SYR4 |
| Copper | 527.4 µg/L 41% of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L Main supplier: CHARLES TOWN UTILITIES · 15,220 people · 2019 | 4/4 | SYR4 |
| Nitrite | 340 µg/L 34% of the EPA limit 1000 µg/L Main supplier: CHARLES TOWN UTILITIES · 15,220 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 382 µg/L — WVAW - WALNUT GROVE UTILITIES · 7,250 people · 2019 | 3/4 | SYR4 |
| Barium | 32 µg/L 1.6% of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L Main supplier: CHARLES TOWN UTILITIES · 15,220 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 130.25 µg/L — WVAW - WALNUT GROVE UTILITIES · 7,250 people · 2019 | 4/4 | SYR4 |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | 68.225 µg/L 114% of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 60 µg/L Main supplier: CHARLES TOWN UTILITIES · 15,220 people · 2019 | 4/4 | SYR4 |
| TTHM | 66.7145 µg/L 83% of the EPA limit 80 µg/L Main supplier: CHARLES TOWN UTILITIES · 15,220 people · 2019 | 4/4 | SYR4 |
| Chloroform | 54.7495 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CHARLES TOWN UTILITIES · 15,220 people · 2019 | 4/4 | SYR4 |
| Trichloroacetic Acid | 41.425 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CHARLES TOWN UTILITIES · 15,220 people · 2019 | 4/4 | SYR4 |
| Dichloroacetic Acid | 31.2 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CHARLES TOWN UTILITIES · 15,220 people · 2019 | 4/4 | SYR4 |
| Lead | 18.825 µg/L 125% of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 15 µg/L Main supplier: CHARLES TOWN UTILITIES · 15,220 people · 2019 | 4/4 | SYR4 |
| Monochloroacetic Acid | 13.48 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CHARLES TOWN UTILITIES · 15,220 people · 2019 | 1/4 | SYR4 |
| Bromodichloromethane | 11.765 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CHARLES TOWN UTILITIES · 15,220 people · 2019 | 4/4 | SYR4 |
| Chromium | 1.4 µg/L 1.4% of the EPA limit 100 µg/L Main supplier: CHARLES TOWN UTILITIES · 15,220 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 9.575 µg/L — WVAW - DEERFIELD VILLAGE SUBDIVISION · 132 people · 2017 | 3/4 | SYR4 |
| Monobromoacetic Acid | 6.074 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CHARLES TOWN UTILITIES · 15,220 people · 2019 | 1/4 | SYR4 |
| Trichloroethylene | 5.272 µg/L 105% of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 5 µg/L Highest in the city: WVAW - WALNUT GROVE UTILITIES · 7,250 people · 2019 | 1/4 | SYR4 |
| Antimony, Total | 5 µg/L 83% of the EPA limit 6 µg/L Highest in the city: WVAW - WALNUT GROVE UTILITIES · 7,250 people · 2019 | 1/4 | SYR4 |
| Dibromochloromethane | 1.386 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CHARLES TOWN UTILITIES · 15,220 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 4.3 µg/L — WVAW - WALNUT GROVE UTILITIES · 7,250 people · 2019 | 4/4 | SYR4 |
| Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon And U | 3.032 pCi/L 20% of the EPA limit 15 pCi/L Highest in the city: WVAW - WALNUT GROVE UTILITIES · 7,250 people · 2019 | 2/4 | SYR4 |
| Dibromoacetic Acid | 2.525 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CHARLES TOWN UTILITIES · 15,220 people · 2019 | 3/4 | SYR4 |
| Combined Radium (-226 And -228) | 2.22595 pCi/L 45% of the EPA limit 5 pCi/L Highest in the city: WVAW - WALNUT GROVE UTILITIES · 7,250 people · 2018 | 2/4 | SYR4 |
| Di(2-ethylhexyl) Adipate | 1.6 µg/L 0.4% of the EPA limit 400 µg/L Highest in the city: WVAW - WALNUT GROVE UTILITIES · 7,250 people · 2019 | 1/4 | SYR4 |
| Di(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate | 1.22 µg/L 20% of the EPA limit 6 µg/L Highest in the city: WVAW - WALNUT GROVE UTILITIES · 7,250 people · 2019 | 1/4 | SYR4 |
| Thallium, Total | 0.6600 µg/L 33% of the EPA limit 2 µg/L Highest in the city: WVAW - WALNUT GROVE UTILITIES · 7,250 people · 2019 | 1/4 | SYR4 |
| Bromoform | 0.6270 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CHARLES TOWN UTILITIES · 15,220 people · 2019 | 1/4 | SYR4 |
| Cadmium | 0.3300 µg/L 6.6% of the EPA limit 5 µg/L Highest in the city: WVAW - WALNUT GROVE UTILITIES · 7,250 people · 2019 | 1/4 | SYR4 |
| Atrazine | 0.3058 µg/L 10% of the EPA limit 3 µg/L Highest in the city: WVAW - WALNUT GROVE UTILITIES · 7,250 people · 2019 | 3/4 | SYR4 |
| Simazine | 0.1103 µg/L 2.8% of the EPA limit 4 µg/L Highest in the city: WVAW - WALNUT GROVE UTILITIES · 7,250 people · 2019 | 1/4 | SYR4 |
| Chlordane | 0.0663 µg/L 3.3% of the EPA limit 2 µg/L Highest in the city: WVAW - WALNUT GROVE UTILITIES · 7,250 people · 2019 | 2/4 | SYR4 |
| Lead | 0.00060 mg/L 4% of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L Main supplier: CHARLES TOWN UTILITIES · 15,220 people · 2025
Highest in the city: 0.0030 mg/L — WVAW - WALNUT GROVE UTILITIES · 7,250 people · 2025 | 4/4 | 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 Charles Town
| Supplier | Population served |
|---|---|
| CHARLES TOWN UTILITIES | 15,220 |
| WVAW - WALNUT GROVE UTILITIES | 7,250 |
| WVAW - DEERFIELD VILLAGE SUBDIVISION | 132 |
| WVAW - CAVE QUARTER UTILITY | 126 |
Frequently asked questions about Charles Town tap water
Is Charles Town tap water safe to drink?
EPA testing detected 31 contaminants in the water serving Charles Town. 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 Charles Town?
4 public water suppliers report drinking-water monitoring for Charles Town, West Virginia to the EPA. Each is listed above with its population served.
What contaminants are in Charles Town's water?
The contaminants EPA monitoring detected in Charles Town include Nitrate, Nitrate-Nitrite, Fluoride, Copper, Nitrite. 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.