We read 16 results from Kent County Water Authority’s 2025 water quality report. No results over a legal limit; 4 above a health goal or guideline.
Serves about 88,779 people · Water system ID RI1559511 · 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross alpha (radioactivity)single sample · listed as a violation in the report · sampled 2022 · Kent County groundwater sources · 2025 report, page 7 | 4.76 pCi/L | 0 pCi/L | 15 pCi/L | Above the health goalThe health goal is zero |
| Gross beta (radioactivity)highest measured · range 1.48 to 3.6 · listed as a violation in the report · Kent County groundwater sources · 2025 report, page 7 | 3.6 pCi/L | 0 pCi/L | 50 pCi/L | Above the health goalThe health goal is zero |
| Lead90th percentile of 100 homes tested, 1 over the action level · Providence customer taps, highest of 2 sources · 2025 report, page 9 | 2 ppb | 0.2 ppb | 15 ppb (action level) | Above the health goal10x the health goal |
| Total coliform bacteriahighest month · listed as a violation in the report · Providence Water · 2025 report, page 9 | 0.55 % positive | 0 % positive | 5 % positive | Above the health goalThe health goal is zero |
| Bariumhighest measured · range 0.004 to 0.02 · listed as a violation in the report · sampled 2023 · Kent County groundwater sources, highest of 2 sources · 2025 report, page 7 | 0.02 ppm | 2 ppm | 2 ppm | Below the health goal |
| Chlorinehighest measured · range 0.55 to 0.7 · listed as a violation in the report · Kent County distribution, highest of 2 sources · 2025 report, page 7 | 0.7 ppm | None set | 4 ppm | Below the legal limit |
| Copper90th percentile of 100 homes tested, 0 over the action level · Providence customer taps, highest of 2 sources · 2025 report, page 9 | 0.02 ppm | 0.3 ppm | 1.3 ppm (action level) | Below the health goal |
| Disinfection byproducts (HAA5)highest running annual average · range 13.5 to 22.9 · listed as a violation in the report · Providence Water, highest of 2 sources · 2025 report, page 9 | 21.1 ppb | None set | 60 ppb | Below the legal limit |
| Disinfection byproducts (TTHM)highest running annual average · range 27.7 to 71.5 · listed as a violation in the report · Providence Water, highest of 2 sources · 2025 report, page 9 | 64.4 ppb | None set | 80 ppb | Below the legal limit |
| Fluoridehighest measured · range 0.58 to 0.77 · listed as a violation in the report · Providence Water, highest of 2 sources · 2025 report, page 9 | 0.77 ppm | 1 ppm | 4 ppm | Below the health goal |
| Nitrate (as N)highest measured · range 0.09 to 3.72 · listed as a violation in the report · Kent County groundwater sources · 2025 report, page 7 | 3.72 ppm | 10 ppm | 10 ppm | Below the health goal |
| Turbidity (cloudiness)highest measured · range 0.02 to 0.24 · listed as a violation in the report · Kent County / Providence supply · 2025 report, page 7 | 0.24 NTU | None set | 1 NTU | Below the legal limit |
| Chloroformaverage · range ND to 0.71 · Kent County · 2025 report, page 8 | 0.71 ppb | None set | None | No health limit |
| PFBS (a PFAS)average · range 1.49 to 4.52 · Kent County · 2025 report, page 8 | 2.87 ppt | None set | None | No health limit |
| PFHxA (a PFAS)average · range 2.29 to 10.5 · Kent County · 2025 report, page 8 | 5.75 ppt | None set | None | No health limit |
| Sodiumaverage · range 17.6 to 84.8 · Kent County, highest of 2 sources · 2025 report, page 8 | 48.6 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. 1 number we weren’t sure about is held back until a person checks.
EPA testing for PFAS and lithium
EPA’s own nationwide testing (UCMR 5) found these in Kent County Water Authority’s water between Feb 2024 and Nov 2024. These are EPA lab results, separate from the district’s report. Anything not listed was not detected.
- PFOA7.5 pptFound in 5 of 13 samples · highest resultAbove the federal limit that takes effect in 2029 (4 ppt)
- PFBS3.6 pptFound in 2 of 13 samples · highest resultNo federal limit in force for this one
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), Gross beta (radioactivity)
What removes it: Reverse osmosis.
Lead
Found: Lead
What removes it: Certified carbon block or RO.
Bacteria and viruses
Found: Total coliform bacteria
What removes it: UV purification (and tell your utility).
PFAS ("forever chemicals")
Found: PFOA (EPA testing)
What removes it: Reverse osmosis.
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