The annual Water Quality Report is published by July 1 each year, and covers the previous year's water quality testing and results from January through December. The 2022 water quality data (Jan. 1, 2022, to Dec. 31, 2022) is now available: 2022 Water Quality Report

High standards in water quality

Baltimore DPW takes water quality very seriously and your safety is our highest priority. We maintain high standards in delivering safe, reliable drinking water to you. You have the right to know what is in your drinking water. 

Each year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires water systems to publish Consumer Confidence Reports (CCR), also known as the Water Quality Report. This report provides the facts about your drinking water quality for the previous year. 

Safe drinking water

The EPA establishes safe drinking water regulations that limit the amount of contaminants in tap water. The Water Quality Report lets you know where the City’s drinking water comes from, how the water is treated, what chemicals it contains, and how it meets federal standards for tap water. 

Online or printed reports

The Baltimore City DPW Annual Water Quality Reports are published online for City and County water customers. If you would like a printed copy of the report, please 311 or 410-396-5352 (Baltimore County customers).

Download reports

Water quality laboratories

Baltimore City has two water quality laboratories:

  • Montebello Filtration Plant
  • Ashburton Filtration Plant

Our water quality laboratories are Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) certified and together they perform approximately 150,000 water quality analyses per year to ensure the quality of your drinking water. Most compliance analyses required by State and Federal regulations are completed on site.

The water analysis provides information on the general chemical composition of the water and its mineral or metal content.

Ashburton water quality laboratory

2021 Mineral Analyses Ashburton
2020 Mineral Analyses Ashburton
2019 Mineral Analyses Ashburton
2018 Mineral Analyses Ashburton
2017 Mineral Analyses Ashburton
2016 Mineral Analyses Ashburton
2015 Mineral Analyses Ashburton

Montebello water quality laboratory

2021 Mineral Analyses Montebello
2020 Mineral Analyses Montebello
2019 Mineral Analyses Montebello
2018 Mineral Analyses Montebello
2017 Mineral Analyses Montebello
2016 Mineral Analyses Montebello
2015 Mineral Analyses Montebello

Your water sources

Baltimore uses surface water from rainfall and snowmelt as its water source. This water, approximately 75 billion gallons of available capacity, is collected and stored in the City’s Liberty, Loch Raven, and Prettyboy reservoirs. 

The City water supply is also linked to the Susquehanna River, which flows from Cooperstown, 
N.Y. to Havre de Grace, MD. Water from the Susquehanna River is only used in times of drought. 

The reservoirs are surrounded by mostly native woodlands, which filter out pollutants and prevent soil erosion and runoff. These watershed lands were established for the sole purpose of 
protecting our drinking water supply. 

Although the reservoirs are the property of the City, all the surrounding jurisdictions have a stake in their well-being.