Is South Hill, WA tap water safe?
The short answer
None of the 9 utilities serving South Hill 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 Tacoma Water Division, which serves the most people here, has 1 result above the health goal. The worst: Arsenic at 0.56 ppb, above the health goal. Health goals are stricter than legal limits and are not enforced.
The water from City of Tacoma Water Division is soft to very hard depending on the source, 12 to 197 mg/L (0.7 to 11.5 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 South Hill’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
City of Tacoma Water Division
Washington · serves 446,245 people · about 17,800 in South Hill
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Arsenic at 0.56 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: soft to very hard depending on the source, 12 to 197 mg/L (0.7 to 11.5 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Firgrove Mutual Inc
Washington · serves 36,168 people · about 17,200 in South Hill
2 results above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029 and 2 results above the health goal. The worst: PFOS at 8.6 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029. Hardness: soft to moderately hard depending on the source, 44 to 102 mg/L (2.6 to 6 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Southwood
Washington · serves 64,155 people · about 6,300 in South Hill
2 results above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029 and 2 results above the health goal. The worst: PFOS at 8.9 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029. Hardness: soft to moderately hard depending on the source, 30 to 101 mg/L (1.8 to 5.9 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Fruitland Mutual Water Company
Washington · serves 15,313 people · about 5,400 in South Hill
3 results above the health goal. The worst: PFOA at 4.0 ppt, above the health goal. Hardness: moderately hard, typically 103 mg/L (6 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
City of Puyallup
Washington · serves 94,520 people · about 4,500 in South Hill
2 results above the health goal. The worst: Arsenic at 6.4 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: soft to moderately hard depending on the source, 48 to 106 mg/L (2.8 to 6.2 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Summit Water & Supply Co
Washington · serves 19,125 people · about 1,900 in South Hill
2 results above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 2.3 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: moderately hard to hard depending on the source, 64 to 124 mg/L (3.7 to 7.3 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Valley Water System
Washington · serves 2,259 people · about 590 in South Hill
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Arsenic at 7.4 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: moderately hard, 70 mg/L (4.1 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Alderwood Estates
Washington · serves 635 people · about 480 in South Hill
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Arsenic at 2.1 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: soft, 42 mg/L (2.5 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Western Ranchettes Inc.
Washington · serves 250 people · about 150 in South Hill
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 2.6 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: moderately hard, typically 90 mg/L (5.2 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 City of Tacoma Water Division’s water, which serves the most people here. Another utility’s report names what handles its own results.
Disclosure: TapBuff earns a commission if you buy through some links on this page. It does not change which standard or filter we name. As an Amazon Associate, TapBuff earns from qualifying purchases. How TapBuff makes money
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 South Hill
The 3 labs Washington certifies closest to South Hill, 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 8 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, lead and copper, metals, minerals and other inorganics, organic chemicals, disinfection byproducts, radioactivity
AmTest Laboratories
Renton, WA · about 24 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, lead and copper, metals, minerals and other inorganics, disinfection byproducts
Analytical Resources, LLC
Tukwila, WA · about 25 miles
Certified for nitrate, lead and copper, metals, minerals and other inorganics
Which ZIP codes are in South Hill: 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 South Hill
Other towns in Pierce County with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read City of Tacoma Water Division’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