We read 13 results from City of Columbia Utilities’s 2025 water quality report. No results over a legal limit; 3 above a health goal or guideline.
Serves about 126,254 people · Water system ID MO3010181 · 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lead90th percentile of homes tested, 0 over the action level · Customer taps · 2025 report | 2.1 ppb | 0.2 ppb | 15 ppb (action level) | Above the health goal11x the health goal |
| PFOA (a PFAS)highest measured · range ND to 1.5 · sampled 2024 · Entry point · 2025 report | 1.5 ppt | 0.007 ppt | 4 ppt from 2029 | Above the health goal214x the health goal |
| PFOS (a PFAS)highest measured · range ND to 2.1 · sampled 2024 · Entry point · 2025 report | 2.1 ppt | 1 ppt | 4 ppt from 2029 | Above the health goal2.1x the health goal |
| Bariumsingle sample · sampled 2024 · Entry point · 2025 report | 0.14 ppm | 2 ppm | 2 ppm | Below the health goal |
| Copper90th percentile of homes tested, 0 over the action level · Customer taps · 2025 report | 0.14 ppm | 0.3 ppm | 1.3 ppm (action level) | Below the health goal |
| Disinfection byproducts (HAA5)highest running annual average · range 10.6 to 19 · Distribution system (site DBPDUAL-06) · 2025 report | 14 ppb | None set | 60 ppb | Below the legal limit |
| Disinfection byproducts (TTHM)highest running annual average · range 36.9 to 44.5 · Distribution system (site DBPDUAL-05) · 2025 report | 43 ppb | None set | 80 ppb | Below the legal limit |
| Fluoridesingle sample · sampled 2024 · Entry point · 2025 report | 0.7 ppm | 1 ppm | 4 ppm | Below the health goal |
| Nitrate (as N)single sample · Entry point · 2025 report | 0.02 ppm | 10 ppm | 10 ppm | Below the health goal |
| Total dissolved solidssingle sample · sampled 2024 · Entry point · 2025 report | 329 ppm | — | 500 ppm guideline | Within the guideline |
| Hardnesssingle sample · sampled 2024 · Entry point · 2025 report | 10.9 gpg (187 ppm) | — | — | Very hard |
| Lithiumhighest measured · range 17.8 to 21.4 · sampled 2024 · Entry point · 2025 report | 21.4 ppb | None set | None | No health limit |
| Sodiumsingle sample · sampled 2024 · Entry point · 2025 report | 35.2 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 City of Columbia Utilities’s water between Jun 2024 and Nov 2024. These are EPA lab results, separate from the district’s report. Anything not listed was not detected.
- Lithium21.4 ppbFound in 2 of 2 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), PFOS (a PFAS)
What removes it: Reverse osmosis.
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