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Public water system record

Seattle Public Utilities

Serves Seattle, Shoreline, Burien and 2 more places, King County, WA · 1,161,961 people served

Federal records show no health-based violations and no monitoring or reporting issues for Seattle Public Utilities in the last ten years.

  • WA5377050
  • SEATTLE
  • WA
  • 1,161,961 served

System profile

Source water Surface water
ZIP 98134
EPA system ID WA5377050

Verify this system on EPA ECHO →

Health-based violations, last 10 years
0
Resolved
0
Unresolved
0
Any acute record
No
Monitoring issues, last 10 years
0

Key facts

  • Seattle Public Utilities draws water from 4 wells and 2 surface water intakes (4 of them for emergency, seasonal or other part-time use).
  • Most recent formal enforcement: signed compliance agreement by Washington, May 1997.
  • Record on file since 1979, with 2 health-based violations before October 19, 2016.
  • Lead pipe inventory: 0 lead and 0 unknown out of 206,340 service lines.

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Health-based violations

Since October 2016

Violation data reflects EPA records through March 2026. For the most current status, visit the EPA ECHO database.

None since October 2016, and no monitoring or reporting violations either.

Full record since 1979

EPA's records for Seattle Public Utilities go back to 1979. Before October 19, 2016 they list 2 health-based violations (1 resolved, 1 archived by EPA without a recorded fix) and 3 monitoring or reporting violations.

Violations that began in Health-based Monitoring and reporting
1970s 0 1
1990s 1 0
2000s 0 2
2010 to October 18, 2016 1 0

Most recent health-based violation before October 19, 2016: Surface Water Treatment Rule, began December 2015, Resolved.

Show all 2 health-based violations before October 19, 2016
Contaminant Start date Status
Surface Water Treatment Rule
Treatment technique failure
 Dec 1, 2015 Resolved
Lead and Copper Rule
Treatment technique failure
 Jan 1, 1995 Archived

Enforcement actions

Washington regulators took 2 formal enforcement actions against Seattle Public Utilities in 1997. The most recent was a signed compliance agreement in May 1997.

Date By Action Violations covered
May 15, 1997 Washington Signed compliance agreement 1 violation (1 health-based): Lead and Copper Rule
May 4, 1997 Washington Signed compliance agreement 1 violation (1 health-based): Lead and Copper Rule

Where the water comes from

Seattle Public Utilities draws water from 4 wells and 2 surface water intakes (4 of them for emergency, seasonal or other part-time use). It also has an emergency connection to City of Renton. 23 other community water systems and 1 smaller public system such as schools, businesses or campgrounds buy water from Seattle Public Utilities. 4 other public water systems have emergency connections to Seattle Public Utilities.

Emergency or part-time connections to

Community systems that buy water from it

Annual water quality report

Seattle Public Utilities 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 Washington.

Certified drinking water labs by state EPA guidance for private wells