Water Quality: Burlington, VT
4 water systems • 42,230 people served
Multiple Health ViolationsWater Quality Summary
Burlington is served by 4 public water systems with a combined service population of 42,230 people, and has 104 EPA Safe Drinking Water Act violations on record. Critically, 16 of those are health-based violations, meaning one or more contaminants were detected above EPA-established safe levels — a serious public health concern. Burlington's violation count is 46% above the national average for Vermont. Contaminants associated with violations include Gross Alpha, Total Organic Carbon.
Contaminants Found
Alpha-emitting radioactive particles increase cancer risk, particularly from bone and other internal cancers.
Common source: Natural uranium and radium in geological formations
EPA limit: 15 pCi/L (excluding radon and uranium)
Not a direct health risk but reacts with disinfectants to form carcinogenic byproducts such as trihalomethanes.
Common source: Decaying plant material, algae, soil organic matter in source water
EPA limit: Treatment technique (must reduce TOC based on source water level)
Water Systems Serving Burlington
| System Name | PWSID | Source | Population | Violations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BURLINGTON DEPT PUBLIC WORKS WATER DIV | VT0005053 | Surface Water | 42,000 | 2 |
| EAST WIND MHP | VT0005287 | Groundwater | 100 | 27 |
| COUNTRY CLUB CONDOMINIUM | VT0005640 | Groundwater | 80 | 61 |
| LIVINGSTON MHP | VT0005089 | Surface Water | 50 | 14 |
Concerned About Your Water?
A home water filter can remove common contaminants. NSF-certified filters are tested against EPA standards.
Consider a reverse osmosis system for comprehensive filtration or a carbon filter for basic improvement.
Other Cities in Vermont
Data Sources
Drinking water violation data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). Data includes all recorded violations for active community water systems.