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Is Ellicott City, MD tap water safe?

2 utilities serve Ellicott City, by EPA’s records. Here is what EPA’s and Maryland’s records show for each, against the legal limits and the stricter health goals.

Matched to your utility using EPA records.

The short answer

1 of the 2 utilities serving Ellicott City has a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and Maryland’s records: City of Baltimore.

Howard County D.P.W. Distribution, which serves the most people here, has 1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 3.0 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 Ellicott City’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.

What handles it

Each of these is certified, on a certifier’s listing, for a result above a line in Howard County D.P.W. Distribution’s water, which serves the most people here. Another utility’s report names what handles its own results.

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Every claim, and more filters, in the full report

Water testing near Ellicott City

A utility tests the water it sends out. A test of your own tap shows what your pipes add, and on a private well it is the only test there is. It takes a lab Maryland certifies.

The 3 labs Maryland certifies closest to Ellicott City, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.

  • Phase Separation Science, Inc.

    Baltimore, MD · about 5 miles

    Certified for nitrate, lead and copper, metals, minerals and other inorganics, organic chemicals, disinfection byproducts

    (410) 747-8770

  • Howard County Government - Little Patuxent Water Reclamation Plant

    Savage, MD · about 9 miles

    Certified for bacteria

    (410) 313-1210

  • Maryland Spectral Services, Inc.

    Baltimore, MD · about 9 miles

    Certified for nitrate, lead and copper, metals, minerals and other inorganics, organic chemicals, disinfection byproducts

    (410) 247-7600

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 Maryland

ZIP codes in Ellicott City

Which ZIP codes are in Ellicott City: 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 Ellicott City

Other towns in Howard County with a page of their own.

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