Public water system record
City of Baltimore
Serves Baltimore, Towson, Dundalk and 29 more places, Baltimore city and Baltimore County, MD · 1,600,000 people served
Federal records show 1 health-based violation and 7 monitoring/reporting issues for City of Baltimore in the last ten years. The most serious issue in this window was a resolved Revised Total Coliform Rule violation.
System profile
- Health-based violations, last 10 years
- 1
- Resolved
- 1
- Unresolved
- 0
- Any acute record
- Yes
- Monitoring issues, last 10 years
- 7
Key facts
- City of Baltimore draws water from 3 reservoirs.
- Most recent formal enforcement: compliance order (no penalty) by EPA, June 2010.
- Record on file since 2000, with 5 health-based violations before October 19, 2016.
- Lead pipe inventory: 47 lead and 335,694 unknown out of 336,126 service lines.
Check whether City of Baltimore serves your address
Health-based violations
Since October 2016Violation data reflects EPA records through March 2026. For the most current status, visit the EPA ECHO database.
| Contaminant | Rule family | Start date | Status | Acute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Revised Total Coliform Rule
Contaminant limit exceeded
|
110 | Sep 1, 2022 | Resolved | Yes |
Monitoring and reporting issues
Since October 2016Missed tests or reports, not contaminants found above a limit.
| Issue | Start date | Status |
|---|---|---|
|
LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISIONS
RPT
|
Jul 2, 2025 | Resolved |
|
Chlordane
Monitoring and reporting
|
Apr 1, 2023 | Resolved |
|
Chlordane
Monitoring and reporting
|
Apr 1, 2023 | Resolved |
|
Toxaphene
Monitoring and reporting
|
Apr 1, 2023 | Resolved |
|
Toxaphene
Monitoring and reporting
|
Apr 1, 2023 | Resolved |
|
Nitrate
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2023 | Resolved |
|
Public Notice
OTHER
|
Sep 5, 2022 | Resolved |
Full record since 2000
EPA's records for City of Baltimore go back to 2000. Before October 19, 2016 they list 5 health-based violations (5 resolved) and 22 monitoring or reporting violations.
| Violations that began in | Health-based | Monitoring and reporting |
|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2 | 1 |
| 2010 to October 18, 2016 | 3 | 21 |
| 2020s | 1 | 7 |
Most recent health-based violation before October 19, 2016: Haloacetic Acids (HAA5), began January 2016, Resolved.
Show all 5 health-based violations before October 19, 2016
| Contaminant | Start date | Status |
|---|---|---|
|
Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)
Contaminant limit exceeded
Measured 63 µg/L, federal limit 60 µg/L (1.1 times the limit)
|
Jan 1, 2016 | Resolved |
|
Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)
Contaminant limit exceeded
Measured 60.6 µg/L, federal limit 60 µg/L (at or just above the limit)
|
Apr 1, 2015 | Resolved |
|
Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)
Contaminant limit exceeded
Measured 62 µg/L, federal limit 60 µg/L (at or just above the limit)
|
Jul 1, 2013 | Resolved |
|
Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule
Treatment technique failure
|
Apr 1, 2009 | Resolved |
|
Surface Water Treatment Rule
Treatment technique failure
|
Feb 1, 2000 | Resolved |
Enforcement actions
Maryland regulators and EPA took 1 formal enforcement action against City of Baltimore and issued 1 boil water order between 2000 and 2010. The most recent was a compliance order (no penalty) in June 2010.
| Date | By | Action | Violations covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 30, 2010 | EPA | Compliance order (no penalty) | 1 violation (1 health-based): Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule |
| Feb 21, 2000 | Maryland | Boil water order | 1 violation (1 health-based): Surface Water Treatment Rule |
What the violations mean
Revised Total Coliform Rule
1 incidentThe system did not meet a requirement of the Revised Total Coliform Rule
Coliform and E. coli rules protect against bacteria in the distribution system
Where the water comes from
City of Baltimore draws water from 3 reservoirs. 6 other community water systems and 13 smaller public systems such as schools, businesses or campgrounds buy water from City of Baltimore.
Community systems that buy water from it
- Elkridge Estates of Roland Park Tysons, VA
- Howard County D.P.W. Distribution Columbia, MD
- Keswick Multi-Care Center Baltimore, MD
- Metropolitan of Baltimore Tysons, VA
- Stella Maris Timonium, MD
- The Neighborhoods at St. Elizabeth Baltimore, MD
Annual water quality report
City of Baltimore must give its customers an annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report) by July 1, with the levels its tests found in the previous year.
Systems serving 10,000 or more people must mail or deliver the report to every customer, and from 2027 they must send it twice a year.
Find a posted report with EPA's Consumer Confidence Report search
Testing your own water
To test the water at your tap, or a private well this record does not cover, use a laboratory certified for drinking water by Maryland.
Certified drinking water labs by state EPA guidance for private wells