We read 16 results from Moorhead’s 2025 water quality report. No results over a legal limit; 4 above a health goal or guideline.
Serves about 44,583 people · Water system ID MN1140008 · 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenicas reported · listed as a violation in the report · Treated water · 2025 report, page 4 | 1.6 ppb | 0.004 ppb | 10 ppb | Above the health goal400x the health goal |
| Bromateas reported · range ND to 4.1 · listed as a violation in the report · Treated water · 2025 report, page 4 | 4.1 ppb | 0.1 ppb | 10 ppb | Above the health goal41x the health goal |
| Lead90th percentile of 60 homes tested, 1 over the action level · listed as a violation in the report · Customer taps · 2025 report, page 4 | 8.06 ppb | 0.2 ppb | 15 ppb (action level) | Above the health goal40x the health goal |
| PFOA (a PFAS)as reported · range 0.38 to 0.39 · sampled 2022 · Treated water · 2025 report, page 5 | 0.39 ppt | 0.007 ppt | 4 ppt from 2029 | Above the health goal56x the health goal |
| Chloramineas reported · range 2.1 to 2.4 · listed as a violation in the report · Distribution system · 2025 report, page 4 | 2.21 ppm | None set | 4 ppm | Below the legal limit |
| Copper90th percentile of 60 homes tested, 0 over the action level · listed as a violation in the report · Customer taps · 2025 report, page 4 | 0.08 ppm | 0.3 ppm | 1.3 ppm (action level) | Below the health goal |
| Disinfection byproducts (HAA5)as reported · range 1.3 to 9.6 · listed as a violation in the report · Distribution system · 2025 report, page 4 | 4.9 ppb | None set | 60 ppb | Below the legal limit |
| Disinfection byproducts (TTHM)as reported · range ND to 1 · listed as a violation in the report · Distribution system · 2025 report, page 4 | 0.8 ppb | None set | 80 ppb | Below the legal limit |
| Fluorideas reported · range 0.64 to 0.68 · listed as a violation in the report · Treated water · 2025 report, page 4 | 0.67 ppm | 1 ppm | 4 ppm | Below the health goal |
| Nitrate (as N)as reported · listed as a violation in the report · Treated water · 2025 report, page 4 | 0.19 ppm | 10 ppm | 10 ppm | Below the health goal |
| Sulfateas reported · sampled 2023 · Treated water · 2025 report, page 5 | 231 ppm | — | 250 ppm guideline | Within the guideline |
| Turbidity (cloudiness)highest measured · Treatment plant · 2025 report, page 5 | 0.05 NTU | None set | 1 NTU | Below the legal limit |
| Lithiumas reported · range 63.2 to 99.6 · sampled 2024 · Treated water · 2025 report, page 5 | 86 ppb | None set | None | No health limit |
| PFBA (a PFAS)as reported · range 2.47 to 7.59 · sampled 2024 · Treated water · 2025 report, page 5 | 5.65 ppt | None set | None | No health limit |
| PFHxA (a PFAS)as reported · range ND to 1.44 · sampled 2024 · Treated water · 2025 report, page 5 | 0.88 ppt | None set | None | No health limit |
| Sodiumas reported · sampled 2023 · Treated water · 2025 report, page 5 | 95 ppm | 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 Moorhead’s water between Aug 2023 and Jan 2026. These are EPA lab results, separate from the district’s report. Anything not listed was not detected.
- Lithium99.6 ppbFound in 4 of 4 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.
Lead
Found: Lead
What removes it: Certified carbon block or RO.
PFAS ("forever chemicals")
Found: PFOA (a PFAS)
What removes it: Reverse osmosis.
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