Is Washington, MO tap water safe?
The short answer
1 of the 4 utilities serving Washington has a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and CDC’s records: Washington PWS.
Washington PWS, which serves the most people here, has 1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 2.6 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 Washington’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
Washington PWS
Missouri · serves 14,068 people · about 1,500 in Washington
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 2.6 ppb, above the health goal.
1 health-based violation since 2016
- Open report
Franklin County PWSD 1
Missouri · serves 3,500 people · about 690 in Washington
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 4.1 ppb, above the health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Franklin County PWSD 3
Missouri · serves 8,250 people · about 300 in Washington
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 1.9 ppb, above the health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Franklin County PWSD 1 Cardinal Meadows
Missouri · serves 52 people · based in Washington
Nothing in its records is above a 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 Washington PWS’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 Washington
The 3 labs Missouri certifies closest to Washington, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Franklin County Lab
Union, MO · about 8 miles
Certified for bacteria
Eastern Missouri Water Lab
Lonedell, MO · about 21 miles
Certified for bacteria
Pace Analytical Services LLC-Hazelwood
Hazelwood, MO · about 23 miles
Certified for bacteria
Missouri State Public Health Laboratory: Coliform and E. coli testing for private wells and other private drinking water sources, in kits from your local public health agency. A free state courier can carry the sample to the lab overnight. The handling fee is $10, by check or money order. Private Drinking Water Bacteriological Testing, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
All 64 certified labs for MissouriZIP codes in Washington
Which ZIP codes are in Washington: 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: Missouri DNR, certified microbiological and chemical laboratories; distances from the Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation area gazetteer.
Near Washington
Other towns in Franklin County with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read Washington PWS’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