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LEAD AT THE TAP — 2026

Top 25 cities with the highest lead pipe risk

The EPA has no safe level for lead exposure in children. Lead in tap water usually comes from pipes, solder, and fixtures — not the treatment plant. This list includes only tracked cities where our profiles explicitly flag lead service lines or plumbing risk, ordered by Water Safety Score (lowest first). It is not a national ranking of measured lead parts per billion at every public water system.

44
Cities with lead risk in profiles
150,000+
Known lead lines in Chicago alone
1986
Pre-1986 homes = highest risk
WHY THIS MATTERS

Boiling does not remove lead. Standard pitcher filters (Brita, PUR) do not remove lead. Only reverse osmosis or NSF/ANSI 53-certified filters remove lead at the tap.

Run your ZIP on the homepage for live SDWIS lead samples where EPA has them for your utility.

TOP 25 — LEAD PIPE RISK (BY SAFETY SCORE)
#1
Pensacola, FLGrade F
Lead above action level · 55K residents
34/88
#2
Fort Worth, TXGrade F
Lead risk in older neighborhoods · 936K residents
39/88
#3
Sacramento, CAGrade F
Lead at 70 ppb — above EPA action level · 524K residents
41/88
#4
Philadelphia, PAGrade F
Lead service lines · 1.6M residents
42/88
#5
Rochester, NYGrade F
Lead service lines · 210K residents
42/88
#6
Jackson, MSGrade F
Lead contamination · 150K residents
43/88
#7
Miami, FLGrade F
Lead risk in pre-1986 buildings · 2.8M residents
43/88
#8
Madison, WIGrade F
Lead in older buildings · 270K residents
44/88
#9
Milwaukee, WIGrade F
Lead service lines · 590K residents
44/88
#10
Newark, NJGrade F
Lead contamination crisis · 310K residents
45/88
#11
Birmingham, ALGrade F
Lead service lines · 210K residents
48/88
#12
Detroit, MIGrade F
Lead service lines · 630K residents
48/88
#13
Grand Rapids, MIGrade F
Lead service lines · 195K residents
48/88
#14
Hartford, CTGrade F
Lead from older infrastructure · 125K residents
48/88
#15
Portland, ORGrade D-
Lead in older plumbing · 650K residents
50/88
#16
Chicago, ILGrade D-
Lead service lines · 2.7M residents
51/88
#17
Fairfax, VAGrade D
Lead risk in pre-1986 homes · 1.1M residents
54/88
#18
Jersey City, NJGrade D
Lead from aging infrastructure · 290K residents
56/88
#19
New Orleans, LAGrade D
Lead contamination · 380K residents
56/88
#20
Boston, MAGrade D+
Lead service lines in pre-1986 buildings · 675K residents
59/88
#21
Columbus, OHGrade D+
Lead risk in aging infrastructure · 905K residents
59/88
#22
Worcester, MAGrade D+
Lead in older building plumbing · 200K residents
59/88
#23
Tacoma, WAGrade C-
Lead in older buildings · 220K residents
62/88
#24
Akron, OHGrade C
Lead service lines · 190K residents
64/88
#25
Providence, RIGrade C
Lead service lines · 180K residents
64/88
ALL 44 CITIES WITH LEAD RISK FLAGS
#26Spokane, WA
64/88
#27Stamford, CT
64/88
#28Gaithersburg, MD
74/88
#29St. Paul, MN
74/88
#30Minneapolis, MN
75/88
#31Alexandria, VA
76/88
#32Ann Arbor, MI
76/88
#33Toledo, OH
76/88
#34Washington DC, DC
76/88
#35Baltimore, MD
77/88
#36New York City, NY
78/88
#37Cleveland, OH
80/88
#38Denver, CO
80/88
#39Lakewood, CO
80/88
#40San Francisco, CA
80/88
#41Seattle, WA
81/88
#42Buffalo, NY
82/88
#43Pittsburgh, PA
82/88
#44St. Louis, MO
82/88
WHAT TO DO IF YOUR CITY IS ON THIS LIST
1

Check your ZIP — city-wide risk doesn't mean every home is affected. Newer plastic plumbing lowers risk.

2

Test your tap with a certified mail-in kit for measured lead at your faucet.

3

Use NSF/ANSI 53-certified filtration or RO. Flush lines 30 seconds if pipes may contain lead.

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