Spokane County tap water: hardness, PFAS and lead

Spokane County, Washington has about 555,947 residents (Census 2024 estimate) and 87 community water systems in EPA records. The largest local system is Spokane City of, serving about 346,138 people from groundwater.

✓ 0 of 6 largest systems with health-based violationsPFAS detected at 2 of 6 sampled systemsHardness 5.1 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 Spokane County water?

Spokane City of Estimate: untreated local water, not your tap · Low confidence

5.1 gpg (88 mg/L), moderately hard

Spokane County: median of 1,497 results from 231 monitoring sites (streams and wells). Utilities may blend or treat water, so your tap can differ.

Source: Hard Water Map county data, samples through 2016

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 5.1 gpg

For a 3-person home using 57 gallons per person per day and regenerating weekly, you'd remove about 6,105 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.

Open the softener calculator with 5.1 gpg

Largest water systems in Spokane County

The 6 biggest of 87 community water systems on EPA records for this county. Service areas don't follow county lines; your water bill names your provider.

Spokane City of

WA5383100 · serves about 346,138 people · Groundwater

✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below action levelPFAS detected (4 types)

Lead 90th percentile: 2 ppb (period starting 2022-01-01) Older result. Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

  • PFOS: highest sample 6.1 ppt (1 of 12 samples); federal limit 4.0 ppt as a running annual average
  • PFBS: highest sample 3.9 ppt (1 of 12 samples); no individual limit; counted in EPA's PFAS mixture (hazard index) limit
  • PFHxA: highest sample 3.5 ppt (1 of 12 samples); no federal limit
  • PFPeA: highest sample 3.3 ppt (1 of 12 samples); no federal limit

EPA ECHO record

Whitworth Water District 2

WA5396601 · serves about 26,883 people · Groundwater

✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below action levelPFAS detected (4 types)

Lead 90th percentile: 1.3 ppb (period starting 2022-01-01) Older result. Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

  • PFBS: highest sample 5.2 ppt (2 of 18 samples); no individual limit; counted in EPA's PFAS mixture (hazard index) limit
  • PFOS: highest sample 4.6 ppt (1 of 18 samples); federal limit 4.0 ppt as a running annual average
  • PFPeA: highest sample 3.5 ppt (4 of 18 samples); no federal limit
  • PFHxA: highest sample 3.1 ppt (2 of 18 samples); no federal limit

EPA ECHO record

Vera Water & Power

WA5391450 · serves about 24,692 people · Groundwater

✓ No health-based violations! Lead above action level✓ No PFAS detected

Lead 90th percentile: 20.8 ppb (period starting 2023-01-01) Older result. Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

EPA ECHO record

Consolidated Irrig Dist 19 System 2

WA5310221 · serves about 21,220 people · Groundwater

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

Lead 90th percentile: 1.3 ppb (period starting 2022-01-01) Older result. Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

EPA ECHO record

Spo Co Water Dist 3 Sys 1

WA5393351 · serves about 19,035 people · Groundwater

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

Lead 90th percentile: 1.6 ppb (period starting 2021-01-01) Older result. Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

EPA ECHO record

Modern Electric Water Co

WA5355600 · serves about 18,487 people · Groundwater

✓ 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 2023-01-01) Older result. 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 Spokane County water

Is tap water in Spokane County safe to drink?

None of the 6 largest systems here have a health-based violation in EPA records since October 2021. Spokane City of's most recent lead 90th percentile was 2 ppb (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 Spokane County?

There's no published utility figure in our data, but untreated local stream and well samples in Spokane County have a median of about 5.1 grains per gallon (88 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 5.1 gpg, our softener calculator suggests a 24,000 grain unit as a starting point.

Is there PFAS in Spokane County water?

2 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 Spokane County?

Most homes are served by Spokane City of 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 Washington 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.