Suffolk VA Water Quality Report
Explore Suffolk's drinking-water sources, 2025 testing results, chloramine treatment, PFAS monitoring, lead and copper data, hardness, and the official 2026 Consumer Confidence Report.
What the Latest Suffolk Water Quality Report Covers
Suffolk's 2026 Consumer Confidence Report summarizes water-quality data from 2025. It explains the city's surface-water and groundwater sources, treatment at the G. Robert House, Jr. Water Treatment Facility, supplemental water supplied by Portsmouth, regulated substances, lead and copper, PFAS monitoring and secondary water-quality measures.
Report conclusion: Suffolk states that drinking water produced at the G. Robert House, Jr. Water Treatment Facility meets all regulatory requirements. The Suffolk water-quality tables also mark the listed 2025 results as meeting EPA standards.
Where Suffolk Tap Water Comes From and How It Is Treated
Suffolk uses surface water from Lone Star Lakes, Norfolk's Western Branch Reservoir and Crumps Mill Pond, plus three groundwater wells. At the G. Robert House, Jr. facility, surface water receives conventional treatment while groundwater is treated separately by Electrodialysis Reversal. The treated waters are blended and chloraminated before distribution.
Portsmouth also supplements Suffolk's supply. Under a 1997 agreement, Portsmouth supplies 2.54 million gallons per day. Portsmouth operates the Lake Kilby Water Treatment Plant in downtown Suffolk and uses conventional surface-water treatment.
View the 2026 Suffolk Water Quality Report
The embedded document below is the City of Suffolk Department of Public Utilities 2026 Consumer Confidence Report, reporting water-quality data from 2025. The document also includes data for Portsmouth's Lake Kilby Water Treatment Facility because Portsmouth supplies part of Suffolk's water.
Highlights From Suffolk's Official Water-Quality Data
The table below highlights selected results from the Suffolk portion of the 2026 Consumer Confidence Report. The complete report remains the source for all measured ranges, definitions, footnotes and compliance information.
| Substance or Measure | Suffolk Reported Result | Standard or Context | Report Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barium | 0.009 ppm | MCL 2 ppm | Meets EPA standard |
| Fluoride | 0.95 ppm | MCL 4.0 ppm | Meets EPA standard |
| Chloramines | Average 3.24 ppm | MRDL 4.0 ppm | Meets EPA standard |
| Haloacetic Acids (HAA) | Average 28.5 ppb; highest quarterly LRAA 39 ppb | MCL 60 ppb | Meets EPA standard |
| Total Trihalomethanes (THM) | Average 41 ppb; highest quarterly LRAA 68 ppb | MCL 80 ppb | Meets EPA standard |
| Lead | 90th percentile 1 ppb | Action level 15 ppb | 0 homes exceeded action level |
| Copper | 90th percentile 0.185 ppm | Action level 1.3 ppm | 0 homes exceeded action level |
| Hardness | 10.7 ppm | Report notes water below 60 ppm is soft | Soft |
| pH | 7.59 | Secondary range 6.5–8.5 | Meets reported standard |
| Total Dissolved Solids | 142 ppm | SMCL 500 ppm | Meets reported standard |
This summary covers Suffolk's reported values, not the separate Portsmouth/Lake Kilby values that appear later in the combined document.
Suffolk's UCMR 5 PFAS Results Were Below the Listed Reporting Levels
Suffolk sampled quarterly for UCMR 5 from December 2024 through September 2025. The city states that no detected PFAS levels were found during its UCMR 5 participation, and the report lists the monitored PFAS compounds below the stated reporting levels in each sampling period.
| PFAS Compound | Reported Quarterly Results | Unit | Report Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| PFOA | <4 in Dec. 2024, Mar. 2025, Jun. 2025 and Sep. 2025 | ng/L | Below listed reporting level |
| PFOS | <4 in all four sampling periods | ng/L | Below listed reporting level |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) | <5 in all four sampling periods | ng/L | Below listed reporting level |
| PFHxS | <3 in all four sampling periods | ng/L | Below listed reporting level |
| PFNA | <4 in all four sampling periods | ng/L | Below listed reporting level |
| PFBS | <3 in all four sampling periods | ng/L | Below listed reporting level |
What this means for your home: Utility monitoring describes the public water system; it does not measure PFAS at every individual faucet. If a homeowner needs a property-specific PFAS result, appropriate laboratory sampling is required.
Other Suffolk Water-Quality Details Homeowners May Want to Know
Lead & Copper
Suffolk's 2025 community sampling reported a 90th-percentile lead result of 1 ppb and copper result of 0.185 ppm, with zero homes exceeding the respective action levels. The city also maintains a service-line inventory for homeowners who want to check service-line materials.
Fluoride Is Removed, Not Added
Suffolk reports 0.95 ppm fluoride at the G. Robert House, Jr. facility in 2025. The city explains that naturally occurring fluoride from groundwater is reduced through treatment and blending rather than added to the drinking water.
E. coli Samples
The Suffolk regulated-contaminant table reports zero positive E. coli samples for 2025. The city also states that it has never found Cryptosporidium or Giardia in the city's drinking-water supply.
Chloramines require special handling for a few uses
Suffolk uses chloramines for disinfection. The city notes that chloramines are suitable for normal drinking, bathing and cooking, but must be removed before water is used for kidney dialysis or fish tanks and ponds. Dialysis patients should follow guidance from their physician or dialysis center, and aquarium owners should use appropriate treatment for chloraminated water.
What the Suffolk Water Quality Report Does—and Does Not—Tell You
The Consumer Confidence Report explains Suffolk's municipal water sources, treatment, monitoring and regulatory results. It does not provide a complete diagnosis of water at an individual property.
What the Report Tells You
- Where Suffolk's municipal drinking water comes from.
- How surface water and groundwater are treated and blended.
- Which regulated and selected unregulated substances were reported.
- How reported values compare with EPA regulatory limits or secondary standards.
- System-wide information about lead, copper, PFAS, hardness, pH and other water-quality measures.
What It May Not Tell You About Your Home
- Conditions caused by an individual service line, plumbing or fixtures.
- How water tastes, smells or behaves at a specific property.
- Whether a household wants additional treatment for chloramine or drinking-water goals.
- What is present in a private well, which is separate from the municipal supply.
- Which treatment system best fits a specific household concern.
Explore Water Treatment and Testing Options
Continue with the Suffolk resource that matches the concern you want to address at home.
Water Problems
Review local contaminant data, household concerns and treatment options.
Explore water problems →Reverse Osmosis
Learn about highly filtered drinking and cooking water at a dedicated faucet.
Explore reverse osmosis →Water Conditioners
Explore whole-home treatment for chloramine, taste, odor and other supported conditioning goals.
Explore water conditioners →PFAS Water Filters
Compare whole-home PFAS filtration and reverse-osmosis drinking-water treatment.
Explore PFAS filtration →Well Water Treatment
Explore testing-led treatment for private-well conditions at individual Suffolk properties.
Explore well-water treatment →Free Water Test
Learn about ECWQ's in-home evaluation for common household water concerns.
Explore free water testing →Suffolk Water Quality Report FAQs
What year does the 2026 Suffolk Water Quality Report cover?
The 2026 Consumer Confidence Report summarizes water-quality data from 2025. Suffolk's UCMR 5 table includes quarterly samples collected from December 2024 through September 2025.
Where does Suffolk drinking water come from?
Suffolk uses Lone Star Lakes, Norfolk's Western Branch Reservoir, Crumps Mill Pond and three groundwater wells. Portsmouth also supplies 2.54 million gallons of water per day to supplement Suffolk's sources.
How is Suffolk drinking water treated?
At the G. Robert House, Jr. Water Treatment Facility, surface water receives conventional treatment with alum addition, sedimentation, filtration and chlorination. Groundwater is treated separately using Electrodialysis Reversal and chlorination. The treated waters are blended, and the finished water is chloraminated before distribution.
Did Suffolk's 2025 water-quality results meet EPA standards?
The city's 2026 report states that drinking water produced at the G. Robert House, Jr. facility meets all regulatory requirements, and the Suffolk tables mark the listed regulated and secondary results as meeting the applicable standards shown in the report.
Were PFAS detected in Suffolk's UCMR 5 monitoring?
Suffolk states that no detected levels were found during its UCMR 5 participation. The report lists PFOA and PFOS below 4 ng/L, HFPO-DA below 5 ng/L, PFHxS below 3 ng/L, PFNA below 4 ng/L and PFBS below 3 ng/L in each of the four sampling periods shown.
Is Suffolk water hard?
The Suffolk portion of the report lists hardness at 10.7 ppm and notes that water below 60 ppm is considered soft.
Does Suffolk add fluoride to drinking water?
No. Suffolk explains that fluoride occurs naturally in groundwater and is reduced through treatment and blending. The G. Robert House, Jr. facility reported 0.95 ppm fluoride in 2025.
Does the city report test the water inside my house?
The report includes public-system monitoring and compliance sampling, including lead and copper samples from selected homes, but it does not provide a complete water analysis for every individual property. Household plumbing and fixtures can affect water at a specific tap.
How can I test water at my Suffolk home?
East Coast Water Quality offers a free in-home evaluation for common household water concerns. For lead concerns, the City of Suffolk's report directs customers to the Suffolk Water Quality Laboratory at 757-514-7040. Some contaminants require specialized laboratory sampling rather than an in-home screening.
Have Questions About Water at Your Suffolk Home?
Schedule a free in-home water evaluation to review common household water concerns and determine whether additional treatment fits your goals.
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