Is University of Rhode Island Tap Water Safe? Quality Report

Water source: Ground water
Ownership: State government
Counties served: Washington

Compliance record

Formal violations the EPA has on file for this supplier. A health-based violation means a contaminant limit or a required treatment was breached; the rest are monitoring or reporting failures — still violations, but not a measured health risk.

health-based violations

198

violations on file

still open

Violation	Type	Status	Period
MCL	Health-based	Resolved	2008-10-01 → 2008-10-31
MCL	Health-based	Resolved	2008-10-01 → 2008-10-31
MCL	Health-based	Resolved	2008-10-01 → 2008-10-31
MCL	Health-based	Resolved	2008-10-01 → 2008-10-31
MCL	Health-based	Resolved	2008-10-01 → 2008-10-31
MCL	Health-based	Resolved	2008-10-01 → 2008-10-31
MCL	Health-based	Resolved	2008-10-01 → 2008-10-31
MCL	Health-based	Resolved	2008-10-01 → 2008-10-31
MCL	Health-based	Resolved	2005-08-01 → 2005-08-31
MCL	Health-based	Resolved	2005-08-01 → 2005-08-31

PFAS detected

PFAS are industrial “forever chemicals”. These are the EPA's latest nationwide test results (2023–2025).

Contaminant	Max	Detection rate	Period
PFBS	0.0090 µg/L	2/2	2024
Pfhpa	0.0060 µg/L	2/2	2024
Pfhxa	0.0080 µg/L	2/2	2024
PFHXS	0.0040 µg/L	2/2	2024
PFNA	0.0070 µg/L	2/2	2024
PFOA	0.0160 µg/L	2/2	2024
PFOS	0.0050 µg/L	2/2	2024
Pfpea	0.0070 µg/L	2/2	2024

Other contaminants detected

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 this system's samples — over 100% is worth reading, but is not by itself a violation. Where a single sample came in higher than that percentile, it is noted under the bar. Formal violations are listed separately.

Contaminant	Level vs EPA limit	Detection rate	Source	Period
Copper	164.5 µg/L 13% of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L worst single sample: 805 µg/L	31/31	SYR4	2018–2019
Nitrate	4285.5 µg/L 43% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L worst single sample: 4310 µg/L	28/28	SYR4	2012–2019
Lead	0.0064 mg/L 43% of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L	27/27	LCR	2025
Lead	5.09 µg/L 34% of the EPA limit 15 µg/L worst single sample: 8.5 µg/L	23/31	SYR4	2018–2019
TTHM	9.32 µg/L 12% of the EPA limit 80 µg/L worst single sample: 11.9 µg/L	13/14	SYR4	2012–2019
Nitrate-Nitrite	3895 µg/L 39% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L worst single sample: 3950 µg/L	12/12	SYR4	2015–2019
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)	15.69 µg/L 26% of the EPA limit 60 µg/L worst single sample: 19.4 µg/L	8/14	SYR4	2012–2019
Barium	24.6 µg/L 1.2% of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L worst single sample: 27 µg/L	7/7	SYR4	2014–2019
Atrazine	0.1000 µg/L 3.3% of the EPA limit 3 µg/L	6/19	SYR4	2012–2019
Fluoride	814 µg/L 20% of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L worst single sample: 830 µg/L	5/7	SYR4	2014–2019
Bromoform	5.205 µg/L No EPA limit set worst single sample: 5.7 µg/L	4/4	SYR4	2017–2019
Dibromochloromethane	1.44 µg/L No EPA limit set worst single sample: 1.5 µg/L	4/4	SYR4	2017–2019
Chromium	2.9 µg/L 2.9% of the EPA limit 100 µg/L worst single sample: 3 µg/L	3/7	SYR4	2014–2019
Dibromoacetic Acid	1.94 µg/L No EPA limit set worst single sample: 2 µg/L	3/4	SYR4	2017–2019
Xylenes, Total	5.0705 µg/L 0.1% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L worst single sample: 5.3 µg/L	2/8	SYR4	2014–2019
Lithium	11.5 µg/L No EPA limit set	2/2	UCMR-5	2024
Ethylbenzene	0.8800 µg/L 0.1% of the EPA limit 700 µg/L	1/8	SYR4	2014–2019

80 contaminants tested, none detected

1,1,1-Trichloroethane1,1,2-Trichloroethane1,1-Dichloroethylene1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene1,2-DIBROMO-3-CHLOROPROPANE1,2-Dichloroethane1,2-Dichloropropane11Cl-PF3OUdS2,4,5-TP2,4-D4:2 Fts6:2 Fts8:2 Fts9Cl-PF3ONSAdonaAntimony, TotalArsenicBhc-GammaBenzeneBenzo(A)PyreneBeryllium, TotalBromodichloromethaneChlorobenzeneCyanideCadmiumCarbofuranCarbon TetrachlorideChlordaneChloroformCombined Radium (-226 And -228)DichloromethaneDalaponDi(2-ethylhexyl) AdipateDi(2-ethylhexyl) PhthalateDichloroacetic AcidDinosebEthylene DibromideEndrinHexachlorobenzeneHfpo-DaHeptachlorHeptachlor EpoxideHexachlorocyclopentadieneLassoMercuryMethoxychlorMonobromoacetic AcidMonochloroacetic AcidNetfosaaNfdhaNmefosaaNitriteOxamylPfbaPfdaPfdoaPfeesaPfhpsPfmbaPfmpaPfpesPftaPftrdaPfunaPentachlorophenolPicloramSeleniumSimazineStyreneTetrachloroethyleneThallium, TotalTolueneToxapheneTrichloroacetic AcidTrichloroethyleneVinyl Chloridecis-1,2-DichloroethyleneO-DichlorobenzeneP-Dichlorobenzenetrans-1,2-Dichloroethylene

Utility contact

Contact: BOZIKOWSKI, ROBERT
Phone: 401-874-7896
Email: [email protected]

Frequently asked questions about University of Rhode Island

Is University of Rhode Island tap water safe to drink?

EPA monitoring detected 25 contaminants in University of Rhode Island's water. A detection isn't the same as a violation — most levels are within federal limits. See each level and source above, and the utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report for its official compliance status.

What contaminants were detected in University of Rhode Island's water?

EPA monitoring detected Copper, Nitrate, Lead, Lead, TTHM, and others. The full list with the level and data source for each is above.

How many people does University of Rhode Island serve?

University of Rhode Island reports serving 19,354 people in Rhode Island, per its EPA record.

Has University of Rhode Island had any water quality violations?

The EPA has 198 violations on file for University of Rhode Island, of which 48 are health-based (a contaminant limit or required treatment was breached) and 0 remain open. The rest are monitoring or reporting failures.

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.