Is Middletown, DE tap water safe?
The short answer
None of the 4 utilities serving Middletown has a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and Delaware’s records.
Artesian Water Company, which serves the most people here, has 2 results above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029 and 1 result above the health goal. The worst: PFOA at 23.1 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029.
The water from Artesian Water Company is soft to very hard depending on the source, 9 to 361 mg/L (0.5 to 21.1 grains per gallon). How Delaware’s water compares.
A town can be served by more than one utility, and some homes are on private wells. The name on your water bill tells you which is yours, and your ZIP code narrows it down. They are listed by how many people each serves in Middletown’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
Artesian Water Company
Delaware · serves 231,114 people · about 3,800 in Middletown
2 results above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029 and 1 result above the health goal. The worst: PFOA at 23.1 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029. Hardness: soft to very hard depending on the source, 9 to 361 mg/L (0.5 to 21.1 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Middletown Water Department
Delaware · serves 17,700 people · about 860 in Middletown
Nothing in its records is above a health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
East Ncc District
Delaware · serves 5,538 people · about 410 in Middletown
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Arsenic at 0.17 ppb, above the health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
North West Pump District
Delaware · serves 4,149 people · about 170 in Middletown
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 0.8 ppb, above the health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
What handles it
Each of these is certified, on a certifier’s listing, for a result above a line in Artesian Water Company’s water, which serves the most people here. Another utility’s report names what handles its own results.
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ZeroWater 10 Cup Pitcher (ZP-010)
Pitcher
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53checked Oct. 4, 2026
Certified for: PFOA, PFOS, Lead
Aquasana Claryum Direct Connect (AQ-MF-1)
Under-sink carbon
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 16, 2026
Certified for: PFOA, PFOS, Lead
Express Water StreamLine Direct Connect System (USC001)
Under-sink carbon
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 16, 2026
Certified for: PFOA, PFOS, Lead
Water testing near Middletown
The 3 labs Delaware certifies closest to Middletown, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Brandywine Science Center, Inc.
Kennett Square, PA · about 30 miles
Chesapeake Environmental Lab
Stevensville, MD · about 50 miles
Water Testing Laboratories of MD
Stevensville, MD · about 50 miles
Delaware Division of Public Health: Test kits for private well owners, for bacteria plus nitrate, nitrite, iron, fluoride, sodium, hardness and other minerals. Pick one up and bring it back on a weekday at state health offices, including Newark, Smyrna and Georgetown. No charge for the kit or the testing. Private Drinking Water, Delaware Health and Social Services.
All 13 certified labs for DelawareWhich ZIP codes are in Middletown: Census 2020 relationship files. Which utilities serve them, and how many people: EPA SDWIS and EPA’s service area map. Each utility’s results: EPA UCMR 5, EPA SDWIS, and EPA’s and the state’s compliance monitoring, as its report lists them. How they are measured: methodology. Certified labs: Delaware Office of Drinking Water, approved laboratories; distances from the Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation area gazetteer.
Near Middletown
Other towns in New Castle County with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read Artesian Water Company’s full reportEvery result with its dates, the violations, and the certification claim that handles each finding.Open the report
- Filters for PFOARanked by certification and what they cost over five years.The best water filters for PFAS, ranked
- On a private well?No utility tests a well. A certified lab test is the first step.How to test well water