Is North Yelm, WA tap water safe?
The short answer
None of the 5 utilities serving North Yelm has a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and Washington’s records.
City of Yelm, which serves the most people here, has 1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 1.9 ppb, above the health goal. Health goals are stricter than legal limits and are not enforced.
The water from City of Yelm is moderately hard, 66 mg/L (3.9 grains per gallon). How Washington’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 North Yelm’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
City of Yelm
Washington · serves 17,355 people · about 370 in North Yelm
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 1.9 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: moderately hard, 66 mg/L (3.9 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Clearwood
Washington · serves 2,956 people · under 100 in North Yelm
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 12.6 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: soft, 46 mg/L (2.7 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Nisqually Pines Community Club
Washington · serves 2,037 people · under 100 in North Yelm
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Arsenic at 1.6 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: soft to moderately hard depending on the source, 46 to 68 mg/L (2.7 to 4 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Scenic Shores Water Company
Washington · serves 761 people · under 100 in North Yelm
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 1.3 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: moderately hard, typically 87 mg/L (5.1 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Lake Lawrence
Washington · serves 914 people · under 100 in North Yelm
2 results above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 6.0 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: hard, typically 135 mg/L (7.9 grains per gallon).
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 City of Yelm’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 North Yelm
The 3 labs Washington certifies closest to North Yelm, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Water Management Laboratories, Inc.
Tacoma, WA · about 25 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, lead and copper, metals, minerals and other inorganics, organic chemicals, disinfection byproducts, radioactivity
Thurston County Health Department Laboratory
Olympia, WA · about 25 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate
Olympic Analytical LLC dba Vanguard Laboratory
Olympia, WA · about 30 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate
ZIP codes in North Yelm
Which ZIP codes are in North Yelm: 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: Washington State Department of Ecology, Lab Accreditation Program, environmental laboratories accredited for drinking water analyses; distances from the Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation area gazetteer.
Near North Yelm
Other towns in Thurston County with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read City of Yelm’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