VA / Portsmouth
VA · Tap water records
Portsmouth tap water, in plain English
Here is what the EPA's own data shows about tap water in Portsmouth. According to EPA SDWIS data retrieved June 2026, Portsmouth is served by 2 active community water systems, together reported to serve about 114,915 people.
As of June 2026, EPA records show 17 violations across the community water system(s) serving Portsmouth, going back to the earliest EPA record. None were health-based; the records are monitoring or reporting violations (a required test or report was late or missed). Each is listed by system below, with its status.
What the EPA has on record, by system
Portsmouth, City Of
97,915 served · surface water · PWSID VA3740600 - Monitoring Barium: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in January 2017. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
- Monitoring Beryllium, Total: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in January 2017. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
- Monitoring Arsenic: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in January 2017. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
- Monitoring Antimony, Total: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in January 2017. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
- Monitoring Selenium: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in January 2017. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
- Monitoring Thallium, Total: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in January 2017. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
- Monitoring Mercury: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in January 2017. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
- Monitoring Cryptosporidium: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in April 2016. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
Naval Support Activity Portsmouth
17,000 served · surface water · PWSID VA3740500 - Monitoring Lead and Copper Rule: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded once in January 2006. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
What this means
A health-based violation means a contaminant was recorded above the limit the EPA tracks for it. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was late or missed — not that a contaminant was measured above a limit. “Returned to compliance” means the EPA recorded the issue as resolved.
This page summarizes the EPA's own records and does not assess whether your water is safe to drink. For the most current details, you can verify every record directly with the EPA, and contact your water system with questions.
Source: U.S. EPA Envirofacts SDWIS, retrieved June 2026. Records cover the EPA's full reporting history for these systems. Verify at EPA ECHO.