Water Quality Report
How we keep your drinking water safe.
2023 WATER QUALITY REPORT
This report contains important information about your drinking water. Translate it or speak with someone who understands it.
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Drinking Water and Your Health
In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prescribes regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration establishes limits for contaminants in bottled water. Levels of regulated substances are enforced through Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs).
Primary Drinking Water Standards set limits for substances in water that may be harmful to humans if consumed in excess. They include MCLs for contaminants that affect health, monitoring and reporting requirements, and water treatment requirements.
Secondary Drinking Water Standards deal with aesthetic qualities, such as taste and odor, that relate to consumer acceptance rather than health factors.
According to the EPA, drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791.
What if I Have Special Health Needs?
Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population.
Immuno-compromised persons such as those with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, people who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. EPA/Centers for Disease Control guidelines for appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.
Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)
In 2013, the City of Sioux Falls began testing its drinking water for a group of chemicals called perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These chemicals were widely used in manufacturing cookware, food packaging, clothing, carpeting, personal care products, firefighting foams, and other applications. Once introduced into the environment, PFAS remain in the environment for a long time without breaking down and may be linked to adverse human health effects.
In 2016, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a health advisory level the combined amount of two PFAS compounds: perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perflourooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS). In July of that year, the City detected PFAS chemicals in the treated drinking water. All levels were well below the EPA health advisory level. The City proactively tested individual source water wells and discontinued the use of any well where PFAS were detected.
EPA finalized drinking water standards for PFAS chemical in April of 2024 for six (6) substances and are expected to be implemented across all water systems by 2027. The City, along with the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, continue to monitor the information supplied by EPA and their partners.
The City continues to monitor our wells and surface water sources to be able to identify any changes in source water quality. Additionally, the City of Sioux Falls continues to analyze treated water and water purchased from the Lewis and Clark Regional Water System for PFAS monthly. These measures ensure our drinking water is compliant with EPA guidelines
Additional information and answers to a number of questions about PFAS are available at www.siouxfalls.gov/water.
Check your pipes to protect your home.
Drinking water is free of lead when it leaves the water treatment plant; however, water can absorb lead if it travels through lead pipes on its way to your faucet. South Dakota water pipes are free of lead, but we need to find where lead pipes still exist so they can be removed.
As part of a nationwide initiative, water systems are asking everyone to check their pipes and report their results, regardless of what they find. Knowing where the lead lines are is just as important as knowing where they are not.
Take a step-by-step survey to identify and record the material of pipe coming into your home.
Take the Survey
Our Results
Providing an average of 24.11 million gallons of water a day for use in homes, schools, hospitals, and businesses that meets all required water quality standards is the accomplishment of our expertly trained lab analysts and state-certified water treatment operators. Our commitment to exceptional water quality is reflected in the number of tests we perform during and after the treatment process. More than 170,000 analyses on more than 250 substances were conducted during 2023 to ensure reliable results and safe drinking water. This number far exceeds the minimum testing requirements. In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the EPA prescribes regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Even the highest levels detected were well below the required limits. We listed in this report only the substances that were detected.