Cuyahoga County tap water: hardness, PFAS and lead

Cuyahoga County, Ohio has about 1,240,594 residents (Census 2024 estimate) and 7 community water systems in EPA records. The largest local system is Cleveland Public Water System, serving about 1,308,955 people from surface water.

✓ 0 of 6 largest systems with health-based violationsPFAS detected at 0 of 5 sampled systemsHardness 6.8 gpg (high confidence)

Public-record figures, not a test of your tap. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.

How hard is Cuyahoga County water?

Cleveland Public Water System Measured (utility report, 2025) · High confidence

6.8 gpg (117 mg/L), moderately hard · range 105–130 mg/L

Source: CLEVELAND PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM water quality report, 2025

Public-record figures, not a test of your tap. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.

Softener size at 6.8 gpg

For a 3-person home using 57 gallons per person per day and regenerating weekly, you'd remove about 8,140 grains between regenerations. Suggested size: 24,000 grain.

Estimate only. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.

Open the softener calculator with 6.8 gpg

Largest water systems in Cuyahoga County

The 6 biggest of 7 community water systems on EPA records for this county. Service areas don't follow county lines; your water bill names your provider.

Cleveland Public Water System

OH1801212 · serves about 1,308,955 people · Surface water

✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below detection✓ No PFAS detected

Lead 90th percentile: <DL (below the lab detection/reporting limit; reported as 0) (period starting 2022-01-01) Older result. Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

EPA ECHO record

Lakewood City Pws

OH1801003 · serves about 50,942 people · Surface water

✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below action level✓ No PFAS detected

Lead 90th percentile: 1.2 ppb (period starting 2026-01-01). Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

EPA ECHO record

Berea City Pws

OH1800111 · serves about 18,789 people · Surface water

✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below detection✓ No PFAS detected

Lead 90th percentile: <DL (below the lab detection/reporting limit; reported as 0) (period starting 2025-01-01). Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

EPA ECHO record

Bedford City Pws

OH1800003 · serves about 13,149 people · Surface water

✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below detection✓ No PFAS detected

Lead 90th percentile: <DL (below the lab detection/reporting limit; reported as 0) (period starting 2025-01-01). Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

EPA ECHO record

Chagrin Falls Village Pws

OH1800212 · serves about 4,991 people · Surface water

✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below detection✓ No PFAS detected

Lead 90th percentile: <DL (below the lab detection/reporting limit; reported as 0) (period starting 2022-01-01) Older result. Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

EPA ECHO record

Columbia Park Water System

OH1841012 · serves about 2,716 people · Surface water

✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below detectionPFAS: not sampled

Lead 90th percentile: <DL (below the lab detection/reporting limit; reported as 0) (period starting 2025-01-01). Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

EPA ECHO record

Public-record figures, not a test of your tap. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.

A PFAS detection is not a violation. Federal limits (4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS) apply to running annual averages, with compliance required by 2029. In May 2026 EPA proposed extending the PFOA/PFOS deadline to 2031 and removing other PFAS limits; not final as of 2026-10-21.

Test your own tap

These are public records for whole systems. Your home's pipes, fixtures and any private well can change what you drink. A certified lab test or a hardness test strip gives you your own numbers. Then use our PFAS and lead filter selector to see which certifications to look for.

Common questions about Cuyahoga County water

Is tap water in Cuyahoga County safe to drink?

None of the 6 largest systems here have a health-based violation in EPA records since October 2021. Cleveland Public Water System's most recent lead 90th percentile was below the lab detection limit (2022), below the 15 ppb action level. Public records can't guarantee what comes out of your tap, especially with older plumbing, so a home test is the surest check.

How hard is the water in Cuyahoga County?

Cleveland Public Water System reports about 6.8 grains per gallon (117 mg/L), which is moderately hard. For a 3-person home at 6.8 gpg, our softener calculator suggests a 24,000 grain unit as a starting point.

Is there PFAS in Cuyahoga County water?

None of the 5 sampled systems listed here detected PFAS above EPA's reporting levels in UCMR 5 testing.

Which water system serves my address in Cuyahoga County?

Most homes are served by Cleveland Public Water System or one of the other systems listed on this page, but service areas don't follow county lines. Your water bill names your provider, and its annual Consumer Confidence Report has the full test results.

More Ohio counties

Sources for this page

Data as of October 21, 2026. Figures are copied from public records and combined with our own calculations; they can be out of date or wrong. Tapped Out isn't affiliated with any utility or the EPA. Written and reviewed by the Tapped Out team. How we calculate · All sources.