Public water system record
City of Portsmouth
Serves Portsmouth, Portsmouth city, VA · 97,915 people served
Federal records show no health-based violations and 7 monitoring/reporting issues for City of Portsmouth in the last ten years.
System profile
- Health-based violations, last 10 years
- 0
- Resolved
- 0
- Unresolved
- 0
- Any acute record
- No
- Monitoring issues, last 10 years
- 7
Key facts
- City of Portsmouth draws water from 5 wells, 3 surface water intakes and 2 reservoirs (3 of them for emergency, seasonal or other part-time use).
- Record on file since 1977, with 1 health-based violation before October 19, 2016.
- Lead pipe inventory: 30 lead and 34,359 unknown out of 36,551 service lines.
Check whether City of Portsmouth 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.
None since October 2016.
Monitoring and reporting issues
Since October 2016Missed tests or reports, not contaminants found above a limit.
| Issue | Start date | Status |
|---|---|---|
|
Mercury
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2017 | Resolved |
|
Thallium, Total
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2017 | Resolved |
|
Selenium
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2017 | Resolved |
|
Antimony, Total
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2017 | Resolved |
|
Arsenic
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2017 | Resolved |
|
Beryllium, Total
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2017 | Resolved |
|
Barium
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2017 | Resolved |
Full record since 1977
EPA's records for City of Portsmouth go back to 1977. Before October 19, 2016 they list 1 health-based violation (1 resolved) and 6 monitoring or reporting violations.
| Violations that began in | Health-based | Monitoring and reporting |
|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0 | 2 |
| 2000s | 1 | 3 |
| 2010 to October 18, 2016 | 0 | 1 |
| October 19, 2016 to 2019 | 0 | 7 |
Most recent health-based violation before October 19, 2016: Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (acute), began August 2003, Resolved.
Show the health-based violation before October 19, 2016
| Contaminant | Start date | Status |
|---|---|---|
|
Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (acute)
Treatment technique failure
|
Aug 1, 2003 | Resolved |
Where the water comes from
City of Portsmouth draws water from 5 wells, 3 surface water intakes and 2 reservoirs (3 of them for emergency, seasonal or other part-time use). 4 other community water systems and 2 smaller public systems such as schools, businesses or campgrounds buy water from City of Portsmouth.
Community systems that buy water from it
- City of Chesapeake - Western Branch Sys Chesapeake, VA
- City of Suffolk Suffolk, VA
- Naval Support Activity Portsmouth Portsmouth, VA
- Nsa Hampton Roads, Portsmouth Annex Norfolk, VA
Annual water quality report
City of Portsmouth 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 Virginia.
Certified drinking water labs by state EPA guidance for private wells