Portsmouth, VA Water Quality Report
See where Portsmouth drinking water comes from, what the city's 2025 testing found, how hardness and disinfectants are reported, what the report says about PFAS and lead, and where to open the complete official document.
What Portsmouth's Latest Water Quality Report Covers
Portsmouth's annual report covers testing from January 1 through December 31, 2025. It explains the city's water sources, source-water assessment, regulated and secondary substances, PFAS monitoring, lead and copper information, and a monitoring notice tied to the Lead and Copper Rule.
Important distinction: The 2025 contaminant tables mark the listed regulated substances as having no violation, but the report also contains a separate monitoring violation notice because the required 2024 routine lead-and-copper sampling round was missed. That notice is explained below rather than being hidden inside the table.
Where Portsmouth Tap Water Comes From
Portsmouth reports that tap water comes from Lake Meade, with influence from Lakes Cohoon and Kilby, Speight's Run Reservoir and five deep wells. Water is treated at the Lake Kilby Water Treatment Plant before entering the municipal distribution system.
View the Portsmouth Water Quality Report for Reporting Year 2025
The embedded document below is Portsmouth's annual Water Quality Report for reporting year 2025, PWS ID 3740600.
Highlights From Portsmouth's Official Water-Quality Data
The table below pulls out results homeowners commonly ask about. It is a summary only; the embedded city report remains the complete source.
| Substance or Measure | Portsmouth Reported Result | Standard or Context | Report Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barium | 0.025 ppm | MCL 2 ppm | No violation listed |
| Fluoride | 0.82 ppm | MCL 4 ppm | No violation listed |
| Chloramines | 3.73 ppm | MRDL 4 ppm | No violation listed |
| Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | 48 ppb | MCL 60 ppb | No violation listed |
| Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) | 50 ppb | MCL 80 ppb | No violation listed |
| Hardness | 25 ppm | Range 18–36 ppm; no primary drinking-water standard listed | Aesthetic / household context |
| pH | 7.6 | Secondary range 6.5–8.5 | No violation listed |
| Total Dissolved Solids | 210 ppm | Secondary standard 500 ppm | No violation listed |
| Sodium | 66 ppm | Unregulated substance in the report | Reported for context |
MCL = Maximum Contaminant Level. MRDL = Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level. Secondary standards generally address aesthetic or technical qualities rather than primary health-based limits.
What the 2025 Report Shows for PFAS
Portsmouth's PFAS table lists four samples for six compounds. Every result shown for PFOA, PFOS, HFPO-DA, PFHxS, PFNA and PFBS is below the laboratory quantitation or reporting value listed for that sample.
| PFAS Compound | Listed MCL | Listed PQL | Four Reported Samples |
|---|---|---|---|
| PFOA | 4 ng/L | 4 ng/L | <4.0, <3.8, <4.0, <3.9 ng/L |
| PFOS | 4 ng/L | 4 ng/L | <4.0, <3.0, <4.0, <3.9 ng/L |
| HFPO-DA | 10 ng/L | 5 ng/L | <5.0, <4.7, <5.0, <4.9 ng/L |
| PFHxS | 10 ng/L | 3 ng/L | <3.0, <2.8, <3.0, <2.9 ng/L |
| PFNA | 10 ng/L | 4 ng/L | <4.0, <3.8, <4.0, <3.9 ng/L |
| PFBS | N/A | 3 ng/L | <5.0, <2.8, <3.0, <2.9 ng/L |
A “less than” result means the laboratory did not report a quantified concentration above the value shown. It should not be rewritten as an exact zero.
The Report Includes a Monitoring Violation — Here's What Happened
A required routine sampling round was missed.
Portsmouth states that lead and copper are normally sampled once every three years. The previous round was completed in 2021, and the next routine round was due in 2024, but that sampling round was not conducted. The report says an error in the state's water-quality monitoring scheduling system contributed to the missed samples.
The city also reports that a separate delayed-paperwork notice was resolved and full compliance was restored in April 2026.
Interim Sampling
Portsmouth reports that interim sampling began in May 2026 and that 20 of the 30 required sites had been collected when the report was prepared.
Lead Result
Across those 20 sites, the reported 90th-percentile lead result was less than 0.001 ppm, with 0 of 20 sites above the action level.
Copper Result
The reported 90th-percentile copper result was 0.144 ppm, with 0 of 20 sites above the action level.
Why your home can still be different: The city explains that lead in drinking water can come from service-line and household plumbing materials. Public-system monitoring does not test every home's faucet or plumbing.
What These Numbers Mean at Your Portsmouth Home
Municipal Reporting Describes the Public System
The annual report is the best starting point for understanding Portsmouth's public drinking-water supply, treatment and compliance monitoring.
- It summarizes system-wide monitoring.
- It does not test every home individually.
- Service lines, fixtures and household plumbing can influence water at a specific faucet.
Hardness Is Not the Same as a Health Violation
Portsmouth reports hardness at 25 ppm in 2025. Hardness is mainly a household-use issue associated with calcium and magnesium rather than a primary drinking-water health standard.
- 25 ppm is about 1.5 grains per gallon.
- Individual homes can still experience different spotting, scale or soap-performance concerns.
- A water conditioner is a different treatment category from reverse osmosis or PFAS filtration.
Go Deeper Into the Water Question You Have
Water Problems
Compare Portsmouth's official water data with common household concerns and treatment categories.
Explore Portsmouth water problems →Reverse Osmosis
Learn about highly filtered drinking and cooking water from a dedicated point-of-use system.
Explore reverse osmosis →Water Conditioners
Compare whole-home conditioning for hardness, scale and other household water goals.
Explore Portsmouth water conditioners →PFAS Water Filters
Learn how specialized whole-home and drinking-water filtration differ from standard softening.
Explore PFAS filtration →Well Water Treatment
Private wells are not described by the municipal report and should be evaluated at the property.
Explore well-water treatment →Free Water Test
Schedule an in-home evaluation for hardness and common aesthetic water concerns.
Schedule a free water test →Portsmouth Water Quality Report FAQs
What year does the latest Portsmouth Water Quality Report cover?
The report supplied for this page is labeled Reporting Year 2025 and covers testing from January 1 through December 31, 2025. It also includes 2026 information about corrective lead-and-copper monitoring.
Where does Portsmouth, VA drinking water come from?
Portsmouth reports that tap water comes from Lake Meade, with influence from Lakes Cohoon and Kilby, Speight's Run Reservoir and five deep wells.
Does Portsmouth use chlorine or chloramine?
The 2025 report lists chloramines as the disinfectant residual, with an amount detected of 3.73 ppm and a reported range of 1.70 to 4.65 ppm.
How hard is Portsmouth water?
The 2025 report lists hardness at 25 ppm with a range of 18 to 36 ppm. The reported amount is about 1.5 grains per gallon.
Were PFAS detected in the 2025 Portsmouth report?
The PFAS table lists four samples for PFOA, PFOS, HFPO-DA, PFHxS, PFNA and PFBS. Every result is shown with a “less than” sign below the corresponding quantitation or reporting value listed in the table, so the report does not provide a quantified concentration above those values.
Did Portsmouth have a water-quality violation?
The 2025 contaminant tables mark the listed regulated substances as having no violation, but the report separately states that Portsmouth missed the routine 2024 lead-and-copper monitoring round required by the Lead and Copper Rule. It also describes interim sampling begun in May 2026 and a delayed-paperwork notice resolved in April 2026.
Does the city report test the water inside my house?
No. The report summarizes monitoring of the public water system. It does not test every home's faucet, private plumbing, fixtures or private well.
Can East Coast Water Quality's free test check PFAS or lead?
The free in-home evaluation is intended for hardness and common aesthetic water conditions. PFAS, lead and other health-related contaminants may require specialized laboratory testing using the correct sampling method.
Have Questions About Water at Your Portsmouth Home?
Schedule a free in-home water evaluation to explore hardness, taste, odor and the treatment goals that matter at your property.
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