Hamilton County tap water: hardness, PFAS and lead
Hamilton County, Tennessee has about 386,256 residents (Census 2024 estimate) and 8 community water systems in EPA records. The largest local system is Tennessee American Water, serving about 207,046 people from surface water.
✓ 0 of 6 largest systems with health-based violationsPFAS detected at 5 of 6 sampled systemsHardness 4.3 gpg (low 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 Hamilton County water?
Tennessee American WaterEstimate: untreated local water, not your tap · Low confidence
4.3 gpg(74 mg/L), moderately hard
Hamilton County: median of 1,055 results from 175 monitoring sites (streams and wells). Utilities may blend or treat water, so your tap can differ.
County estimates: Hard Water Map (hardwatermap.com), CC BY 4.0, derived from the USGS/EPA Water Quality Portal; file generated 2026-07-22. License
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 4.3 gpg
For a 3-person home using 57 gallons per person per day and regenerating weekly, you'd remove about 5,147 grains between regenerations. Suggested size: 24,000 grain. This uses a low-confidence county estimate, so confirm with a test first.
Estimate only. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.
The 6 biggest of 8 community water systems on EPA records for this county. Service areas don't follow county lines; your water bill names your provider.
Tennessee American Water
TN0000107 · serves about 207,046 people · Surface water
✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below action levelPFAS detected (2 types)
Lead 90th percentile: 1 ppb (period starting 2023-01-01) Older result. Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).
PFBS: highest sample 9.5 ppt (4 of 4 samples); no individual limit; counted in EPA's PFAS mixture (hazard index) limit
PFBA: highest sample 8.5 ppt (4 of 4 samples); no federal limit
TN0000303 · serves about 68,306 people · Groundwater
✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below action levelPFAS detected (2 types)
Lead 90th percentile: 0.3 ppb (period starting 2026-01-01). Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).
PFBS: highest sample 10 ppt (3 of 4 samples); no individual limit; counted in EPA's PFAS mixture (hazard index) limit
PFHxS: highest sample 6.1 ppt (1 of 4 samples); federal limit 10.0 ppt as a running annual average, also counted in EPA's PFAS mixture (hazard index) limit (currently in effect; EPA has proposed removing it)
TN0000613 · serves about 30,571 people · Surface water
✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below action levelPFAS detected (8 types)
Lead 90th percentile: 1.8 ppb (period starting 2023-01-01) Older result. Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).
PFBS: highest sample 49 ppt (6 of 10 samples); no individual limit; counted in EPA's PFAS mixture (hazard index) limit
PFOA: highest sample 35 ppt (2 of 10 samples); federal limit 4.0 ppt as a running annual average
PFPeA: highest sample 30 ppt (2 of 10 samples); no federal limit
PFHxA: highest sample 28 ppt (2 of 10 samples); no federal limit
PFOS: highest sample 18 ppt (2 of 10 samples); federal limit 4.0 ppt as a running annual average
PFHpA: highest sample 14 ppt (2 of 10 samples); no federal limit
PFBA: highest sample 13 ppt (4 of 10 samples); no federal limit
PFHxS: highest sample 4.7 ppt (2 of 10 samples); federal limit 10.0 ppt as a running annual average, also counted in EPA's PFAS mixture (hazard index) limit (currently in effect; EPA has proposed removing it)
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 Hamilton County water
Is tap water in Hamilton County safe to drink?
None of the 6 largest systems here have a health-based violation in EPA records since October 2021. Tennessee American Water's most recent lead 90th percentile was 1 ppb (2023), 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 Hamilton County?
There's no published utility figure in our data, but untreated local stream and well samples in Hamilton County have a median of about 4.3 grains per gallon (74 mg/L, moderately hard). That's a low-confidence estimate of source water, not your tap, so test before you buy equipment. For a 3-person home at 4.3 gpg, our softener calculator suggests a 24,000 grain unit as a starting point.
Is there PFAS in Hamilton County water?
5 of the 6 sampled systems listed here detected at least one PFAS in EPA's UCMR 5 testing, and 2 results were above the level of a federal limit in at least one sample. A detection isn't a violation: federal PFAS limits apply to running annual averages starting in 2029.
Which water system serves my address in Hamilton County?
Most homes are served by Tennessee American Water 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.
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.