Nashville tap water: lead, PFAS and violations

Supplied by Metro Water Services (Nashville and Davidson County) · EPA ID TN0000494 · 789,969 people

By Daryna Klochko · Data checked Oct 13, 2026
Short answer

Nashville tap water comes from Metro Water Services, which serves 789,969 people. In 2023–2025 sampling, the lead 90th percentile was 0.8 ppb, against the 15 ppb action level. EPA-required UCMR 5 testing found no PFAS at reporting levels. EPA lists no health-based violations in the last 10 years (3 monitoring, reporting or notice records).

Lead · 90th pct 0.8 ppb Action level 15 ppb · 2023–2025 PFAS · UCMR 5 None detected 29 PFAS tested · Feb 2023 – Nov 2023 Hardness — not reported Not in EPA’s records EPA violations · 10 yrs 3 records 0 health-based · 3 in all since 2024

These numbers describe the water system, not your tap. Lead and copper often come from pipes and fixtures inside a home, so your water can differ. Where a goal (MCLG) is 0, EPA’s goal for that contaminant is zero. Legal limits are set above it.

Is Nashville tap water safe to drink?

In the latest results, every contaminant we list with a single federal limit was below that limit or action level. Lead was 0.8 ppb at the 90th percentile, below the 15 ppb action level. EPA’s goal for lead is zero. EPA lists no health-based violations in the last 10 years (3 monitoring, reporting or notice records). See how US tap water compares nationally.

What’s in Nashville tap water

This page uses EPA records only: lead from SDWIS, PFAS and lithium from UCMR 5. Metro Water Services’ yearly water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report) lists more, and EPA explains how to find it.

ContaminantResultLimitSampledSource
LeadComes mostly from home plumbing, not from the source water. 0.8 ppb 90th percentile reported to EPA; previous round (2020–2022): 1 ppb 15 ppbAction level · goal 0Drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027 (Lead and Copper Rule Improvements). 2023–2025 EPA SDWIS record, TN0000494
PFOA and PFOS (PFAS)Two “forever chemicals” with a federal limit. Not detected 8 samples at 2 entry points; none at or above the reporting level (4 ppt) 4.0 ppt eachLegal limit (MCL) · goal 0Utilities must comply from 2029; EPA proposed 2031 in May 2026. Feb 2023 – Nov 2023 EPA UCMR 5 final occurrence data (Aug 2026 release)

ppb = parts per billion (µg/L), ppt = parts per trillion (ng/L). The bar shows the result against the limit (black line). Limits: EPA drinking water regulations, PFAS rule, Lead and Copper Rule Improvements. “Not detected” means below the lab’s reporting level, not zero.

EPA violations

EPA’s SDWIS database lists 3 violation records for Metro Water Services since 2024, none of them health-based. All have a return-to-compliance date.

Jun 2024 · Monitoring Revised Total Coliform Rule Back in compliance Jul 31, 2024
May 2024 · Monitoring Revised Total Coliform Rule Back in compliance Jul 31, 2024
Apr 2024 · Monitoring and reporting Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule Chlorine Back in compliance Jul 31, 2024

Shown: health-based violations and everything from the last 10 years. Source: EPA SDWIS record, TN0000494, retrieved Oct 13, 2026.

How hard is Nashville water?

Hardness is not in EPA’s records. Metro Water Services’ yearly water quality report is the place to look. Hardness has no federal health limit. A test kit or a lab test measures it at your tap (see how to test water hardness).

What to do with these numbers

Only what the data above points to.

Lead · 0.8 ppb

Lead comes from home plumbing

EPA’s goal for lead is zero. Older faucets, lead solder and lead service lines can add lead at your tap. A filter certified to NSF/ANSI 53 for lead reduces it.

Certified to reduce lead. Lead is not necessarily in your water.

All filters compared →
Your tap, not the system

Test your own water

Metro Water Services’ numbers come from its own sampling sites. A certified lab test of your faucet shows lead and copper from your plumbing. How to test your own tap for lead, starting with your water utility.

All water tests compared →

Questions people ask

Does Nashville tap water have lead?
In 2023–2025 sampling, Metro Water Services’ lead 90th percentile was 0.8 ppb (90th percentile reported to EPA; previous round (2020–2022): 1 ppb). The federal action level is 15 ppb, and EPA’s goal is zero. Lead usually enters water from home plumbing, so only a test of your own tap shows your level.
Does Nashville tap water have PFAS?
In EPA’s UCMR 5 testing (Feb 2023 – Nov 2023), none of 29 PFAS were found at or above reporting levels at 2 entry points of Metro Water Services’ system. The federal limit for PFOA and PFOS is 4.0 ppt each. Utilities must comply from 2029. On May 18, 2026 EPA proposed letting systems ask for two more years, to 2031, and dropping the 2024 limits for PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA and PFAS mixtures (the Hazard Index).
Has Metro Water Services had EPA violations?
EPA’s SDWIS database lists 3 violation records for Metro Water Services since 2024, none of them health-based. All have a return-to-compliance date. EPA lists no health-based violations in the last 10 years (3 monitoring, reporting or notice records).
Who supplies water in Nashville?
Metro Water Services (Nashville and Davidson County) (EPA ID TN0000494), a community water system serving 789,969 people through 341,978 connections. Main source: surface water.

Sources and nearby

How to find Metro Water Services’ water quality reportepa.gov EPA record for Metro Water Services (TN0000494)echo.epa.gov EPA UCMR 5 data (PFAS and lithium)epa.gov Tennessee water quality by cityTN Louisville tap waterKYKnoxville tap waterTNMemphis tap waterTN How we researchMethod