Is Rochester, WA tap water safe?
The short answer
None of the 5 utilities serving Rochester has a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and Washington’s records.
Rochester, which serves the most people here, has 1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 2.2 ppb, above the health goal. Health goals are stricter than legal limits and are not enforced.
The water from Rochester is soft, typically 40 mg/L (2.3 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 Rochester’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
Rochester
Washington · serves 1,762 people · about 330 in Rochester
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 2.2 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: soft, typically 40 mg/L (2.3 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Grand Mound
Washington · serves 3,764 people · about 150 in Rochester
Nothing in its records is above a health goal. Hardness: soft, typically 53 mg/L (3.1 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Tahoma Meadows 694
Washington · serves 80 people · under 100 in Rochester
Nothing in its records is above a health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Grandview Valley Estates
Washington · serves 138 people · under 100 in Rochester
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 1.8 ppb, above the health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Prairie Vista
Washington · serves 63 people · under 100 in Rochester
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 0.7 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: soft, 54 mg/L (3.2 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 Rochester’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 Rochester
The 3 labs Washington certifies closest to Rochester, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Lewis County Environmental Health Laboratory
Chehalis, WA · about 12 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate
Olympic Analytical LLC dba Vanguard Laboratory
Olympia, WA · about 21 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate
Thurston County Health Department Laboratory
Olympia, WA · about 25 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate
ZIP codes in Rochester
Which ZIP codes are in Rochester: 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 Rochester
Towns nearby with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read Rochester’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