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Community Water System · PWS ME0091300

Portland Water District-Greater

Portland, Maine 04102 - drinking water served from surface water sources to 135,068 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

135,068
People served
20
EPA violations
0
Health-based
No PFAS
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 20 drinking-water violations at Portland Water District-Greater - below the Maine per-system average.

20
Total EPA violations on record
0%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
135,068
People served by this system
0
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Portland Water District-Greater

Portland Water District-Greater is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 135,068 residents in Portland, Maine (Cumberland County) through 54,027 service connections. Its water is drawn from surface water sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 20 total violations for this system , of which 0 (0%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 16 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2022.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is CARBON, TOTAL, recorded in 4 violations (MR). This system was sampled under EPA's UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program and no PFAS compounds were detected above the minimum reporting level.

Across Maine, EPA tracks 1,864 public water systems serving 936,624 people, with 148,796 cumulative violations and 23,741 health-based violations on record. About 94% of systems in the state carry at least one violation, and state-wide the average per system is 79.8 violations. Statewide, 14 of 41 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (34.1%).

Portland Water District-Greater's 20 violations sit below the Maine average.

All figures above are sourced directly from EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 public data releases and are updated as EPA publishes new reporting cycles.

Population Served
135,068
Total Violations
20
Health-Based Violations
0
Water Source
Surface Water

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
54,027
County
Cumberland
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
0
Monitoring Violations
16
Treatment Tech Violations
0

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
CARBON, TOTAL MR 4 2022
Bromate MR 4 2022
TTHM MR 4 2022
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 4 2022

PFAS Testing Results (UCMR5)

Results from EPA's Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule. 0 of 116 samples detected PFAS.

Contaminant Date Result MRL Status
PFPeS 9/3/2024 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
6:2 FTS 9/3/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
4:2 FTS 9/3/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
8:2 FTS 9/3/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMPA 9/3/2024 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeA 9/3/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMBA 9/3/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTA 9/3/2024 <8.00 ppt 8.00 ppt Not Detected
NFDHA 9/3/2024 <20.00 ppt 20.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpS 9/3/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBA 9/3/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxS 9/3/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTrDA 9/3/2024 <7.00 ppt 7.00 ppt Not Detected
NEtFOSAA 9/3/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFEESA 9/3/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpA 9/3/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFUnA 9/3/2024 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
11Cl-PF3OUdS 9/3/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
NMeFOSAA 9/3/2024 <6.00 ppt 6.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOS 9/3/2024 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBS 9/3/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
HFPO-DA 9/3/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFNA 9/3/2024 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOA 9/3/2024 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDA 9/3/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDoA 9/3/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxA 9/3/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
ADONA 9/3/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
9Cl-PF3ONS 9/3/2024 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
6:2 FTS 6/11/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
NEtFOSAA 6/11/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTrDA 6/11/2024 <7.00 ppt 7.00 ppt Not Detected
NMeFOSAA 6/11/2024 <6.00 ppt 6.00 ppt Not Detected
8:2 FTS 6/11/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxA 6/11/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFEESA 6/11/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
NFDHA 6/11/2024 <20.00 ppt 20.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeS 6/11/2024 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpS 6/11/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeA 6/11/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBS 6/11/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpA 6/11/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFUnA 6/11/2024 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
11Cl-PF3OUdS 6/11/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDA 6/11/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTA 6/11/2024 <8.00 ppt 8.00 ppt Not Detected
9Cl-PF3ONS 6/11/2024 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDoA 6/11/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOA 6/11/2024 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOS 6/11/2024 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected

Verify This Water System

The figures above are aggregated from EPA's public databases. To verify the underlying records, or to file a complaint, request a Consumer Confidence Report, or check current monitoring status, go directly to the federal and state regulators that enforce the Safe Drinking Water Act for Portland Water District-Greater.

Federal Source of Truth

EPA SDWIS, Federal Reports

EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) holds the federal compliance record for every regulated public water system. Open the system-level report by PWS ID:

View PWS ID ME0091300 on SDWIS

Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search

State Regulator

Maine Drinking Water Authority

Maine's primacy agency administers the Safe Drinking Water Act locally. Search EPA SDWIS for the current state contact, or use the state's public health or environment department portal.

Find ME regulator via EPA SDWIS

Violation Timeline

Each row links to the EPA SDWIS public record for verification. Cross-reference the contaminant code on EPA's federal report to see violation dates, return-to-compliance status, and enforcement actions.

Year (latest) Contaminant Category Count EPA Record
2022 CARBON, TOTAL MR 4 SDWIS / ME0091300 / 2920
2022 Bromate MR 4 SDWIS / ME0091300 / 1011
2022 TTHM MR 4 SDWIS / ME0091300 / 2950
2022 Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 4 SDWIS / ME0091300 / 2456

How Portland Water District-Greater Compares

Cross-reference this system's record against state averages and the federal MCL framework for context.

Metric Portland Water District-Greater Maine avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 20 79.8 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 0 12.7 Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL
PFAS detection None 34.1% EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt
Population served 135,068 502 Sizing context for compliance burden

Sources: EPA SDWIS and EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR Part 141). State averages computed across 1,864 regulated public water systems in Maine.

Federal MCL reference, Safe Drinking Water Act thresholds
Contaminant Federal MCL / Action Level Note
Lead 0 mg/L (Action Level: 0.015 mg/L) Lead and Copper Rule treatment technique
Arsenic 0.010 mg/L (10 ppb) Health-based MCL since 2006
Total Coliform Treatment technique (RTCR) Indicator organism, monitoring trigger
PFOA / PFOS (PFAS) 4.0 ppt each (final 2024 rule) Compliance deadline 2029 (EPA proposed extending to 2031, not yet final as of May 2026)
Nitrate (as N) 10 mg/L Acute health risk for infants

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Portland Water District-Greater water safe to drink?
Portland Water District-Greater (PWS ID: ME0091300) has 20 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 135,068 people using Surface Water sources.
How many people does Portland Water District-Greater serve?
Portland Water District-Greater serves 135,068 people in Portland, Maine. It is a Local-owned system using Surface Water water sources with 54,027 service connections.
What type of violations does Portland Water District-Greater have?
Portland Water District-Greater has 20 total violations: 0 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 16 monitoring/reporting violations, and 0 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Portland Water District-Greater water?
No. Portland Water District-Greater was tested for PFAS under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program and no PFAS contamination was detected.
What water source does Portland Water District-Greater use?
Portland Water District-Greater uses Surface Water as its primary water source. It is classified as a Community Water System (CWS), serving residential populations year-round.
Where does this data come from?
All data comes from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and the UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program. SDWIS tracks compliance for all public water systems regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Data Sources: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), Q4 2025. PFAS data from EPA UCMR5 monitoring program (2023-2025). This data is provided for informational purposes only.
Data sourced from EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 PFAS monitoring data. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainWater Editorial

Every figure on PlainWater is rendered directly from EPA SDWIS drinking-water data, no number is typed in by an editor. This system's figures are rendered directly from EPA SDWIS data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.