PlainWater

Community Water System · PWS VA4760100

Richmond, City Of

Richmond, Virginia 23221 - drinking water served from surface water sources to 229,395 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

229,395
People served
97
EPA violations
6
Health-based
No PFAS
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 97 drinking-water violations at Richmond, City Of, 6% of them health-based - above the Virginia per-system average.

97
Total EPA violations on record
6%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
229,395
People served by this system
0
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Richmond, City Of

Richmond, City Of is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 229,395 residents in Richmond, Virginia through 83,254 service connections. Its water is drawn from surface water sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 97 total violations for this system , of which 6 (6%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 91 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2021.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Revised Total Coliform Rule, recorded in 7 violations (MON). This system was sampled under EPA's UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program and no PFAS compounds were detected above the minimum reporting level.

Across Virginia, EPA tracks 2,821 public water systems serving 7,911,199 people, with 146,670 cumulative violations and 25,642 health-based violations on record. About 90% of systems in the state carry at least one violation, and state-wide the average per system is 52 violations. Statewide, 70 of 171 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (40.9%).

Richmond, City Of's 97 violations sit above the Virginia 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
229,395
Total Violations
97
Health-Based Violations
6
Water Source
Surface Water

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
83,254
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
3
Monitoring Violations
91
Treatment Tech Violations
3

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Revised Total Coliform Rule MON 7 2021
Styrene MR 4 1998
Tetrachloroethylene MR 4 1998
Toluene MR 4 1998
trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 4 1998
Vinyl chloride MR 4 1998
1,1,2-Trichloroethane MR 4 1998
Benzene MR 4 1998
Trichloroethylene MR 4 1998
1,1,1-Trichloroethane MR 4 1998
p-Dichlorobenzene MR 4 1998
cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 4 1998
Carbon tetrachloride MR 4 1998
Ethylbenzene MR 4 1998
1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene MR 4 1998
CHLOROBENZENE MR 4 1998
DICHLOROMETHANE MR 4 1998
o-Dichlorobenzene MR 4 1998
1,1-Dichloroethylene MR 4 1998
1,2-Dichloropropane MR 4 1998
Xylenes, Total MR 4 1998
1,2-Dichloroethane MR 4 1998
Coliform (TCR) MCL 3 1993
CARBON, TOTAL TT 3 2020

PFAS Testing Results (UCMR5)

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

Contaminant Date Result MRL Status
9Cl-PF3ONS 8/21/2024 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
PFEESA 8/21/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMBA 8/21/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeA 8/21/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMPA 8/21/2024 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
8:2 FTS 8/21/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
4:2 FTS 8/21/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
11Cl-PF3OUdS 8/21/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
HFPO-DA 8/21/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
NFDHA 8/21/2024 <20.00 ppt 20.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBA 8/21/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
6:2 FTS 8/21/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
ADONA 8/21/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeS 8/21/2024 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFUnA 8/21/2024 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxA 8/21/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDoA 8/21/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDA 8/21/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBS 8/21/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOS 8/21/2024 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFNA 8/21/2024 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxS 8/21/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOA 8/21/2024 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpA 8/21/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpS 8/21/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
ADONA 5/16/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
NFDHA 5/16/2024 <20.00 ppt 20.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDA 5/16/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDoA 5/16/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxA 5/16/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFUnA 5/16/2024 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
11Cl-PF3OUdS 5/16/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
9Cl-PF3ONS 5/16/2024 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOA 5/16/2024 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
HFPO-DA 5/16/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBA 5/16/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
6:2 FTS 5/16/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
4:2 FTS 5/16/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
8:2 FTS 5/16/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMPA 5/16/2024 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeA 5/16/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFEESA 5/16/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeS 5/16/2024 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMBA 5/16/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
NEtFOSAA 5/16/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
NMeFOSAA 5/16/2024 <6.00 ppt 6.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBS 5/16/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpA 5/16/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxS 5/16/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFNA 5/16/2024 <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 Richmond, City Of.

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 VA4760100 on SDWIS

Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search

State Regulator

Virginia Drinking Water Authority

Virginia Department of Health, Office of Drinking Water is the primacy agency that licenses and inspects Richmond, City Of under EPA-delegated authority.

Open VA regulator portal

Source: Virginia Department of Health, Office of Drinking Water

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
2021 Revised Total Coliform Rule MON 7 SDWIS / VA4760100 / 8000
2020 CARBON, TOTAL TT 3 SDWIS / VA4760100 / 2920
1998 Styrene MR 4 SDWIS / VA4760100 / 2996
1998 Tetrachloroethylene MR 4 SDWIS / VA4760100 / 2987
1998 Toluene MR 4 SDWIS / VA4760100 / 2991
1998 trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 4 SDWIS / VA4760100 / 2979
1998 Vinyl chloride MR 4 SDWIS / VA4760100 / 2976
1998 1,1,2-Trichloroethane MR 4 SDWIS / VA4760100 / 2985
1998 Benzene MR 4 SDWIS / VA4760100 / 2990
1998 Trichloroethylene MR 4 SDWIS / VA4760100 / 2984
1998 1,1,1-Trichloroethane MR 4 SDWIS / VA4760100 / 2981
1998 p-Dichlorobenzene MR 4 SDWIS / VA4760100 / 2969
1998 cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 4 SDWIS / VA4760100 / 2380
1998 Carbon tetrachloride MR 4 SDWIS / VA4760100 / 2982
1998 Ethylbenzene MR 4 SDWIS / VA4760100 / 2992

How Richmond, City Of Compares

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

Metric Richmond, City Of Virginia avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 97 52 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 6 9.1 Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL
PFAS detection None 40.9% EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt
Population served 229,395 2,804 Sizing context for compliance burden

Sources: EPA SDWIS and EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR Part 141). State averages computed across 2,821 regulated public water systems in Virginia.

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 Richmond, City Of water safe to drink?
Richmond, City Of (PWS ID: VA4760100) has 97 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 229,395 people using Surface Water sources.
How many people does Richmond, City Of serve?
Richmond, City Of serves 229,395 people in Richmond, Virginia. It is a Local-owned system using Surface Water water sources with 83,254 service connections.
What type of violations does Richmond, City Of have?
Richmond, City Of has 97 total violations: 6 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 91 monitoring/reporting violations, and 3 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Richmond, City Of water?
No. Richmond, City Of was tested for PFAS under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program and no PFAS contamination was detected.
What water source does Richmond, City Of use?
Richmond, City Of 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.