West Virginia Tap Water Quality
Check a West Virginia ZIP Code
Overview
West Virginia American Water serves Charleston and much of the state from the Elk and Kanawha rivers: the same Elk River where the 2014 Freedom Industries MCHM spill contaminated the supply for 300,000 people, the largest do-not-use order in modern US history and the trigger for federal chemical-storage reforms.
The chemical-industry corridor still shapes risk perception, PFAS from the Parkersburg-area DuPont/Chemours Washington Works plant produced the C8 health studies and the litigation dramatized in 'Dark Waters,' while coalfield counties deal with failing small systems, mine-influenced wells, and some of the nation's oldest infrastructure.
Common Contaminants in West Virginia
The Mid-Ohio Valley's PFOA contamination from Washington Works defined the science and litigation of PFAS nationally; affected systems run carbon treatment
The 2014 MCHM spill exposed source-water vulnerability; storage-tank laws and intake protections followed
Iron, manganese, sulfates, and occasional metals in coalfield wells and small systems
Violations & Compliance
The large WVAW systems meet standards; small coalfield systems generate chronic violations and outages, and several have been taken over or regionalized. Infrastructure funding is the state's central water issue.
City Reports for West Virginia
We haven't published individual city water reports for West Virginia yet. Use the ZIP lookup for a statewide assessment, and check your utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report for local detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources & References
The safety rating and guidance on this page draw on the following sources. See our full methodology.
- •US EPA Safe Drinking Water Act regulations
- •EWG Tap Water Database
- •The utility's most recent Consumer Confidence Report (CCR)
- •WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality