Wayne County tap water: hardness, PFAS and lead

Wayne County, Michigan has about 1,771,063 residents (Census 2024 estimate) and 44 community water systems in EPA records. The largest local system is Detroit City of, serving about 633,218 people from surface water.

! 1 of 6 largest systems with health-based violationsPFAS detected at 0 of 6 sampled systemsHardness 6.3 gpg (high confidence)

Public-record figures, not a test of your tap. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.

How hard is Wayne County water?

Detroit City of Measured (utility report, 2025) · High confidence

6.3 gpg (107 mg/L), moderately hard · range 96–142 mg/L

Source: DETROIT CITY OF water quality report, 2025

Public-record figures, not a test of your tap. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.

Softener size at 6.3 gpg

For a 3-person home using 57 gallons per person per day and regenerating weekly, you'd remove about 7,541 grains between regenerations. Suggested size: 24,000 grain.

Estimate only. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.

Open the softener calculator with 6.3 gpg

Largest water systems in Wayne County

The 6 biggest of 44 community water systems on EPA records for this county. Service areas don't follow county lines; your water bill names your provider.

Detroit City of

MI0001800 · serves about 633,218 people · Surface water

✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below action level✓ No PFAS detected

Lead 90th percentile: 7.5 ppb (period starting 2025-01-01). Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

EPA ECHO record

Dearborn

MI0001730 · serves about 109,976 people · Surface water

✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below action level✓ No PFAS detected

Lead 90th percentile: 6 ppb (period starting 2025-01-01). Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

EPA ECHO record

Canton Township

MI0001100 · serves about 99,627 people · Surface water

✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below detection✓ No PFAS detected

Lead 90th percentile: <DL (below the lab detection/reporting limit; reported as 0) (period starting 2025-01-01). Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

EPA ECHO record

Livonia

MI0003930 · serves about 96,942 people · Surface water

✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below detection✓ No PFAS detected

Lead 90th percentile: <DL (below the lab detection/reporting limit; reported as 0) (period starting 2026-01-01). Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

EPA ECHO record

Westland

MI0007040 · serves about 85,420 people · Surface water

✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below detection✓ No PFAS detected

Lead 90th percentile: <DL (below the lab detection/reporting limit; reported as 0) (period starting 2025-01-01). Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

EPA ECHO record

Taylor

MI0006545 · serves about 63,409 people · Surface water

! 1 health-based violation✓ Lead below action level✓ No PFAS detected

Lead 90th percentile: 10.7 ppb (period starting 2026-01-01). Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

EPA ECHO record

Public-record figures, not a test of your tap. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.

A PFAS detection is not a violation. Federal limits (4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS) apply to running annual averages, with compliance required by 2029. In May 2026 EPA proposed extending the PFOA/PFOS deadline to 2031 and removing other PFAS limits; not final as of 2026-10-21.

Test your own tap

These are public records for whole systems. Your home's pipes, fixtures and any private well can change what you drink. A certified lab test or a hardness test strip gives you your own numbers. Then use our PFAS and lead filter selector to see which certifications to look for.

Common questions about Wayne County water

Is tap water in Wayne County safe to drink?

1 of the 6 largest systems here have at least one health-based violation in EPA records since October 2021 (see each system below for status). Detroit City of's most recent lead 90th percentile was 7.5 ppb (2025), below the 15 ppb action level. Public records can't guarantee what comes out of your tap, especially with older plumbing, so a home test is the surest check.

How hard is the water in Wayne County?

Detroit City of reports about 6.3 grains per gallon (107 mg/L), which is moderately hard. For a 3-person home at 6.3 gpg, our softener calculator suggests a 24,000 grain unit as a starting point.

Is there PFAS in Wayne County water?

None of the 6 sampled systems listed here detected PFAS above EPA's reporting levels in UCMR 5 testing.

Which water system serves my address in Wayne County?

Most homes are served by Detroit City of or one of the other systems listed on this page, but service areas don't follow county lines. Your water bill names your provider, and its annual Consumer Confidence Report has the full test results.

More Michigan counties

Sources for this page

Data as of October 21, 2026. Figures are copied from public records and combined with our own calculations; they can be out of date or wrong. Tapped Out isn't affiliated with any utility or the EPA. Written and reviewed by the Tapped Out team. How we calculate · All sources.