Is Riverside, MD tap water safe?
The short answer
Neither of the 2 utilities serving Riverside has a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and Maryland’s records.
Harford County D.P.W., which serves the most people here, has 1 result above the health goal. The worst: Arsenic at 0.33 ppb, above the health goal. Health goals are stricter than legal limits and are not enforced.
The water from Harford County D.P.W. is soft, 38 mg/L (2.2 grains per gallon). How Maryland’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 Riverside’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
Harford County D.P.W.
Maryland · serves 104,567 people · about 5,500 in Riverside
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Arsenic at 0.33 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: soft, 38 mg/L (2.2 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
City of Aberdeen
Maryland · serves 18,006 people · about 140 in Riverside
2 results above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029. The worst: PFOS at 8.6 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029.
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 Harford County D.P.W.’s water, which serves the most people here. Another utility’s report names what handles its own results.
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Countertop reverse osmosis
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 58NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
Certified for: Arsenic
Aquasana SmartFlow Reverse Osmosis (AQ-SFRO2)
Under-sink reverse osmosis
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 58NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 9, 2026
Certified for: Arsenic
Brondell Capella RC250 Reverse Osmosis System
Under-sink reverse osmosis
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 58NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 9, 2026
Certified for: Arsenic
Water testing near Riverside
The 3 labs Maryland certifies closest to Riverside, 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 2 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, lead and copper
Home Land Labs - Forest Hill
Forest Hill, MD · about 10 miles
Certified for bacteria
Caliber Analytical Services, LLC
Towson, MD · about 19 miles
Certified for lead and copper, metals, organic chemicals, disinfection byproducts
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 Riverside: 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 Riverside
Other towns in Harford County with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read Harford County D.P.W.’s full reportEvery result with its dates, the violations, and the certification claim that handles each finding.Open the report
- Filters for ArsenicRanked by certification and what they cost over five years.The best reverse osmosis systems, ranked
- On a private well?No utility tests a well. A certified lab test is the first step.How to test well water