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Is Oxford, MS tap water safe?

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

Matched to your utility using EPA records.

The short answer

Neither of the 2 utilities serving Oxford has a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and Mississippi’s records.

City of Oxford, which serves the most people here, has 2 results above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029. The worst: PFOS at 72.2 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029.

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 Oxford’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 City of Oxford’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 Oxford

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 Mississippi certifies.

No lab Mississippi certifies is within 75 miles of Oxford on the state’s list. Some take samples by mail; the state’s page lists them all.

Mississippi State Department of Health: Bacteria testing for private wells: apply online, and the department takes a sample from your well and tests it. It does not test for minerals or chemicals. $10 plus a processing fee, invoiced by email. Private Well Sample application, Mississippi State Department of Health.

All 5 certified labs for Mississippi

ZIP codes in Oxford

Which ZIP codes are in Oxford: 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.