We read 23 results from Knoxville Utilities Board-Kub’s 2025 water quality report. No results over a legal limit; 1 above a health goal or guideline.
Serves about 254,671 people · Water system ID TN0000366 · Read the district’s 2025 report (opens in a new tab)
Open this district in the water lookupCompare with your own test results, see the district map and get matched filters.
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 · Customer taps · 2025 report, page 6 | 0.6 ppb | 0.2 ppb | 15 ppb (action level) | Above the health goal3x the health goal |
| Aluminumaverage · printed as 25 ppb ppb · System · 2025 report, page 6 | 0.03 ppm | — | 0.2 ppm guideline | Within the guideline |
| Bariumas reported · printed as 24 ppb ppb · Treatment plant · 2025 report, page 6 | 0.02 ppm | 2 ppm | 2 ppm | Below the health goal |
| Chlorideaverage · System · 2025 report, page 6 | 17 ppm | — | 250 ppm guideline | Within the guideline |
| Chlorinehighest running annual average · range 0.5 to 2.4 · Distribution system · 2025 report, page 6 | 1.6 ppm | None set | 4 ppm | Below the legal limit |
| Chlorine dioxideas reported · printed as 0.10 ppm ppm · Treatment plant · 2025 report, page 6 | 100 ppb | None set | 800 ppb | Below the legal limit |
| Chloriteaverage · range 0.02 to 0.04 · Distribution system · 2025 report, page 6 | 0.02 ppm | 0.05 ppm | 1 ppm | Below the health goal |
| Copper90th percentile of homes tested · Customer taps · 2025 report, page 6 | 0.2 ppm | 0.3 ppm | 1.3 ppm (action level) | Below the health goal |
| Disinfection byproducts (HAA5)highest running annual average · range 10 to 40 · Distribution system · 2025 report, page 6 | 31 ppb | None set | 60 ppb | Below the legal limit |
| Disinfection byproducts (TTHM)highest running annual average · range 20 to 79 · Distribution system · 2025 report, page 6 | 56 ppb | None set | 80 ppb | Below the legal limit |
| Fluorideaverage · range 0.47 to 0.68 · Treatment plant · 2025 report, page 6 | 0.57 ppm | 1 ppm | 4 ppm | Below the health goal |
| Ironaverage · printed as 4 ppb ppb · System · 2025 report, page 6 | 0.004 ppm | — | 0.3 ppm guideline | Within the guideline |
| Nitrate (as N)as reported · Treatment plant · 2025 report, page 6 | 0.48 ppm | 10 ppm | 10 ppm | Below the health goal |
| pHaverage · System · 2025 report, page 6 | 7.3 | — | — | Normal range |
| Sulfateaverage · System · 2025 report, page 6 | 13 ppm | — | 250 ppm guideline | Within the guideline |
| Total dissolved solidsaverage · System · 2025 report, page 6 | 120 ppm | — | 500 ppm guideline | Within the guideline |
| Turbidity (cloudiness)highest measured · range 0.01 to 0.11 · Treatment plant · 2025 report, page 6 | 0.11 NTU | None set | 1 NTU | Below the legal limit |
| Zincaverage · printed as 87 ppb ppb · System · 2025 report, page 6 | 0.09 ppm | — | 5 ppm guideline | Within the guideline |
| Alkalinityaverage · System · 2025 report, page 6 | 75 ppm | None set | None | No health limit |
| Calciumaverage · System · 2025 report, page 6 | 26 ppm | None set | None | No health limit |
| Hardnessaverage · System · 2025 report, page 6 | 5.5 gpg (94 ppm) | — | — | Moderately hard |
| Sodiumas reported · Treatment plant · 2025 report, page 6 | 10 ppm | None set | None | No health limit |
| Total organic carbonaverage · range 1.2 to 1.9 · Customer taps · 2025 report, page 6 | 1.5 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 Knoxville Utilities Board-Kub’s water between Jan 2024 and Oct 2024. These are EPA lab results, separate from the district’s report. Anything not listed was not detected.
- PFBS3.7 pptFound in 1 of 4 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.
Lead
Found: Lead
What removes it: Certified carbon block or RO.
More districts: Tennessee water quality · All states · Something look wrong? Tell us