Hamilton County tap water: hardness, PFAS and lead

Hamilton County, Tennessee has about 386,256 residents (Census 2024 estimate) and 8 community water systems in EPA records. The largest local system is Tennessee American Water, serving about 207,046 people from surface water.

✓ 0 of 6 largest systems with health-based violationsPFAS detected at 5 of 6 sampled systemsHardness 4.3 gpg (low 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 Hamilton County water?

Tennessee American Water Estimate: untreated local water, not your tap · Low confidence

4.3 gpg (74 mg/L), moderately hard

Hamilton County: median of 1,055 results from 175 monitoring sites (streams and wells). Utilities may blend or treat water, so your tap can differ.

Source: Hard Water Map county data, samples through 2022

County estimates: Hard Water Map (hardwatermap.com), CC BY 4.0, derived from the USGS/EPA Water Quality Portal; file generated 2026-07-22. License

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 4.3 gpg

For a 3-person home using 57 gallons per person per day and regenerating weekly, you'd remove about 5,147 grains between regenerations. Suggested size: 24,000 grain. This uses a low-confidence county estimate, so confirm with a test first.

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 4.3 gpg

Largest water systems in Hamilton County

The 6 biggest of 8 community water systems on EPA records for this county. Service areas don't follow county lines; your water bill names your provider.

Tennessee American Water

TN0000107 · serves about 207,046 people · Surface water

✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below action levelPFAS detected (2 types)

Lead 90th percentile: 1 ppb (period starting 2023-01-01) Older result. Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

  • PFBS: highest sample 9.5 ppt (4 of 4 samples); no individual limit; counted in EPA's PFAS mixture (hazard index) limit
  • PFBA: highest sample 8.5 ppt (4 of 4 samples); no federal limit

EPA ECHO record

Hixson Utility District

TN0000303 · serves about 68,306 people · Groundwater

✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below action levelPFAS detected (2 types)

Lead 90th percentile: 0.3 ppb (period starting 2026-01-01). Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

  • PFBS: highest sample 10 ppt (3 of 4 samples); no individual limit; counted in EPA's PFAS mixture (hazard index) limit
  • PFHxS: highest sample 6.1 ppt (1 of 4 samples); federal limit 10.0 ppt as a running annual average, also counted in EPA's PFAS mixture (hazard index) limit (currently in effect; EPA has proposed removing it)

EPA ECHO record

Eastside Utility District

TN0000219 · serves about 59,612 people · Surface water

✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below action levelPFAS detected (1 type)

Lead 90th percentile: 2.3 ppb (period starting 2023-01-01) Older result. Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

  • PFBA: highest sample 11.2 ppt (3 of 4 samples); no federal limit

EPA ECHO record

Savannah Valley U.D.

TN0000613 · serves about 30,571 people · Surface water

✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below action levelPFAS detected (8 types)

Lead 90th percentile: 1.8 ppb (period starting 2023-01-01) Older result. Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

  • PFBS: highest sample 49 ppt (6 of 10 samples); no individual limit; counted in EPA's PFAS mixture (hazard index) limit
  • PFOA: highest sample 35 ppt (2 of 10 samples); federal limit 4.0 ppt as a running annual average
  • PFPeA: highest sample 30 ppt (2 of 10 samples); no federal limit
  • PFHxA: highest sample 28 ppt (2 of 10 samples); no federal limit
  • PFOS: highest sample 18 ppt (2 of 10 samples); federal limit 4.0 ppt as a running annual average
  • PFHpA: highest sample 14 ppt (2 of 10 samples); no federal limit
  • PFBA: highest sample 13 ppt (4 of 10 samples); no federal limit
  • PFHxS: highest sample 4.7 ppt (2 of 10 samples); federal limit 10.0 ppt as a running annual average, also counted in EPA's PFAS mixture (hazard index) limit (currently in effect; EPA has proposed removing it)

EPA ECHO record

Northwest Utility District

TN0000169 · serves about 20,710 people · Surface water

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

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

EPA ECHO record

Walden'S Ridge U.D.

TN0000635 · serves about 9,265 people · Surface water

✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below action levelPFAS detected (1 type)

Lead 90th percentile: 1 ppb (period starting 2023-01-01) Older result. Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

  • PFBS: highest sample 5.1 ppt (2 of 2 samples); no individual limit; counted in EPA's PFAS mixture (hazard index) limit

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 Hamilton County water

Is tap water in Hamilton County safe to drink?

None of the 6 largest systems here have a health-based violation in EPA records since October 2021. Tennessee American Water's most recent lead 90th percentile was 1 ppb (2023), 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 Hamilton County?

There's no published utility figure in our data, but untreated local stream and well samples in Hamilton County have a median of about 4.3 grains per gallon (74 mg/L, moderately hard). That's a low-confidence estimate of source water, not your tap, so test before you buy equipment. For a 3-person home at 4.3 gpg, our softener calculator suggests a 24,000 grain unit as a starting point.

Is there PFAS in Hamilton County water?

5 of the 6 sampled systems listed here detected at least one PFAS in EPA's UCMR 5 testing, and 2 results were above the level of a federal limit in at least one sample. A detection isn't a violation: federal PFAS limits apply to running annual averages starting in 2029.

Which water system serves my address in Hamilton County?

Most homes are served by Tennessee American Water 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 Tennessee 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.