We read 11 results from Oro Valley Water Utility’s 2025 water quality report. No results over a legal limit; 5 above a health goal or guideline.
Serves about 42,316 people · Water system ID AZ0410164 · Read the district’s 2025 report (opens in a new tab)
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Results from the 2025 report
Each number is copied from the district’s report and links to the page it’s printed on. Where the report lists several plants, wells or purchased water, the highest is shown.
| Contaminant | Result | Health goal | Legal limit | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenichighest measured · range ND to 2.4 · listed as a violation in the report · Wells · 2025 report, page 3 | 2.4 ppb | 0.004 ppb | 10 ppb | Above the health goal600x the health goal |
| Gross alpha (radioactivity)highest measured · range ND to 2 · listed as a violation in the report · Wells · 2025 report, page 3 | 2 pCi/L | 0 pCi/L | 15 pCi/L | Above the health goalThe health goal is zero |
| Lead90th percentile of homes tested, 0 over the action level · listed as a violation in the report · Customer taps · 2025 report, page 3 | 1.1 ppb | 0.2 ppb | 15 ppb (action level) | Above the health goal5.5x the health goal |
| Radium (combined 226 + 228)highest measured · range ND to 1.7 · listed as a violation in the report · Wells · 2025 report, page 3 | 1.7 pCi/L | 0 pCi/L | 5 pCi/L | Above the health goalThe health goal is zero |
| Uraniumhighest measured · range ND to 4.5 · listed as a violation in the report · Wells · 2025 report, page 3 | 4.5 ppb | 0.6 ppb | 30 ppb | Above the health goal7.5x the health goal |
| Chlorinehighest running annual average · range 0.77 to 0.89 · listed as a violation in the report · Distribution system · 2025 report, page 3 | 0.78 ppm | None set | 4 ppm | Below the legal limit |
| Copper90th percentile of homes tested, 0 over the action level · listed as a violation in the report · Customer taps · 2025 report, page 3 | 0.11 ppm | 0.3 ppm | 1.3 ppm (action level) | Below the health goal |
| Disinfection byproducts (TTHM)as reported · range 1.4 to 17 · listed as a violation in the report · Distribution system · 2025 report, page 3 | 7.3 ppb | None set | 80 ppb | Below the legal limit |
| Fluoridehighest measured · range ND to 0.59 · listed as a violation in the report · Wells · 2025 report, page 3 | 0.59 ppm | 1 ppm | 4 ppm | Below the health goal |
| Nitrate (as N)highest measured · range 0.9 to 3 · listed as a violation in the report · Wells · 2025 report, page 3 | 3 ppm | 10 ppm | 10 ppm | Below the health goal |
| Lithiumaverage · range ND to 19 · Wells · 2025 report, page 4 | 2.05 ppb | None set | None | No health limit |
Utility results describe the whole system, measured where water enters the pipes, not your tap. Your home’s plumbing can add lead or copper.
EPA testing for PFAS and lithium
EPA’s own nationwide testing (UCMR 5) found these in Oro Valley Water Utility’s water between Feb 2024 and Mar 2025. These are EPA lab results, separate from the district’s report. Anything not listed was not detected.
- Lithium19 ppbFound in 4 of 28 samples · highest resultAbove EPA’s health reference level of 10 ppb (a guide, not a legal limit)
Source: EPA UCMR 5 occurrence data. The highest single result is shown; one high sample doesn’t mean every glass is that high.
What you can do
Nothing here is an emergency notice: if the district has a violation, it must tell customers directly. If you’d like to lower these at your tap, these are the treatments that remove them, and the catalog shows the models certified for each. Ranking is by certified removal; commissions never change the order.
Radium and uranium
Found: Gross alpha (radioactivity), Radium (combined 226 + 228), Uranium
What removes it: Reverse osmosis.
Lead
Found: Lead
What removes it: Certified carbon block or RO.
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