Is Charlestown, MD tap water safe?
The short answer
2 of the 2 utilities serving Charlestown have a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and Maryland’s records: Town of Charlestown and Town of North East.
Town of Charlestown, which serves the most people here, has 1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 2.0 ppb, above the health goal. Health goals are stricter than legal limits and are not enforced.
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 Charlestown’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
Town of Charlestown
Maryland · serves 3,791 people · about 530 in Charlestown
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 2.0 ppb, above the health goal.
1 health-based violation since 2016
- Open report
Town of North East
Maryland · serves 8,600 people · about 120 in Charlestown
2 results above the legal limit and 1 result above the health goal. The worst: Haloacetic acids (HAA5) at 69.4 ppb, above the legal limit.
13 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 Town of Charlestown’s water, which serves the most people here. Another utility’s report names what handles its own results.
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Brita Tahoe Pitcher with Elite Filter (OB60, OB06)
Pitcher
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 13, 2026
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 53checked Oct. 13, 2026
Certified for: Lead
Brita Everyday Pitcher with Elite Filter (OB46, OB06)
Pitcher
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 13, 2026
Certified for: Lead
PUR PLUS 11-Cup Pitcher (PPT111W)
Pitcher
- NSF listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
Certified for: Lead
Water testing near Charlestown
The 3 labs Maryland certifies closest to Charlestown, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Community Environmental Laboratories, Inc.
Aberdeen, MD · about 13 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, lead and copper
Batta Laboratories, LLC
Newark, DE · about 15 miles
Certified for asbestos
Home Land Labs - Forest Hill
Forest Hill, MD · about 22 miles
Certified for bacteria
Maryland Department of Health laboratory: Testing of private well water for bacteria, nitrate, lead, copper, iron, hardness and more, on samples sent in through your local health department. Bacteria is $41, nitrate $18, and lead, copper or iron $20 each. Well Water Testing Fees, Maryland Department of Health.
All 92 certified labs for MarylandWhich ZIP codes are in Charlestown: 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: MDE, Maryland's certified drinking water laboratories; distances from the Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation area gazetteer.
Near Charlestown
Towns nearby with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read Town of Charlestown’s full reportEvery result with its dates, the violations, and the certification claim that handles each finding.Open the report
- Filters for LeadRanked by certification and what they cost over five years.The best water filters for lead, ranked
- On a private well?No utility tests a well. A certified lab test is the first step.How to test well water