Table of Contents
Can You Drink Tap Water in Fort Wayne?
Yes, Fort Wayne's tap water is generally considered safe to drink as Fort Wayne has no active health based violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) that we are aware of. Other factors such as lead piping in a home, or low levels of pollutants on immunocompromised individuals, should also be considered, however. To find more recent info we might have, you can check out our boil water notice page, the city's water provider website, or Fort Wayne's local Twitter account.
According the EPA’s ECHO database, from April 30, 2019 to June 30, 2022, Fort Wayne's water utility, Fort Wayne - 3 Rivers Filtration Plant, had 1 non-health-based violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act. For more details on the violations, please see our violation history section below. This assessment is based on the Fort Wayne - 3 Rivers Filtration Plant water system, other water systems in the city may have different results.
While tap water that meets the EPA health guidelines generally won’t make you sick to your stomach, it can still contain regulated and unregulated contaminants present in trace amounts that could potentially cause health issues over the long-run. These trace contaminants may also impact immunocompromised and vulnerable individuals.
The EPA is reviewing if it’s current regulations around pollutant levels in tap water are strict enough, and the health dangers posed by unregulated pollutants, like PFAS.
Water Quality Report for Fort Wayne Tap Water
The most recent publicly available numbers for measured contaminant levels in Fort Wayne tap water are in its 2020 Water Quality Report. As you can see, there are levels which the EPA considers to be acceptable, but being below the maximum allowable level doesn’t necessarily mean the water is healthy.
Lead in tap water, for example, is currently allowed at up to 15ppb by the EPA, but it has set the ideal goal for lead at zero. This highlights how meeting EPA standards doesn’t necessarily mean local tap water is healthy.
EPA regulations continue to change as it evaluates the long term impacts of chemicals and updates drinking water acceptable levels. The rules around arsenic, as well as, lead and copper are currently being re-evaluated.
There are also a number of "emerging" contaminants that are not currently. For example, PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), for which the EPA has issued a health advisory. PFAS are called "forever chemicals" since they tend not to break down in the environment or the human body and can accumulate over time.
We recommend looking at the contaminants present in Fort Wayne's water quality reports, or getting your home's tap water tested to see if you should be filtering your water.
Fort Wayne Tap Water Safe Drinking Water Act Violation History - Prior 10 Years
Below is a ten year history of violations for the water system named Fort Wayne - 3 Rivers Filtration Plant for Fort Wayne in Indiana. For more details please see the "What do these Violations Mean?" section below.
For the compliance period beginning June 1, 2021, Fort Wayne had 1 non-health based Safe Drinking Water Act violation with the violation category being Reporting Violation, more specifically, the violation code was Report Sample Result/Fail Monitor (RTCR) which falls into the Microbials rule code group, and the Total Coliform Rules rule code family for the following contaminant code: Revised Total Coliform Rule.
Is there Lead in Fort Wayne Water?
Based on the EPA’s ECHO Database, 90% of the samples taken from the Fort Wayne water system, Fort Wayne - 3 Rivers Filtration Plant, between sample start date and sample end date, were at or below, 0.0048 mg/L of lead in Fort Wayne water. This is 32.0% of the 0.015 mg/L action level. This means 10% of the samples taken from Fort Wayne contained more lead.
While Fort Wayne water testing may have found 0.0048 mg/L of lead in its water, that does not mean your water source has the same amount. The amount of lead in water in a city can vary greatly from neighborhood to neighborhood, or even building to building. Many buildings, particularly older ones, have lead pipes or service lines which can be a source of contamination. To find out if your home has lead, we recommend getting you water tested.
No amount of lead in water is healthy, only less dangerous. As lead accumulates in our bodies over time, even exposure to relatively small amounts can have negative health effects. For more information, please check out our Lead FAQ page.
Are there PFAS in Fort Wayne Tap Water?
Currently, testing tap water for PFAS isn’t mandated on a national level. We do have a list of military bases where there have been suspected or confirmed leaks. There appears to be at least one military base - ANG Fort Wayne - near Fort Wayne with suspected leaks.
With many potential sources of PFAS in tap water across the US, the best information we currently have about which cities have PFAS in their water is this ewg map, which you can check to see if Fort Wayne has been evaluated for yet.
Our stance is better safe than sorry, and that it makes sense to try to purify the tap water just in case.
Fort Wayne SDWA Violation History Table - Prior 10 Years
| Compliance Period | Status | Health-Based? | Category Code | Code | Rule Code | Contaminant Code | Rule Group Code | Rule Family Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06/01/2021 - | Resolved | No | Reporting Violation (RPT) | Report Sample Result/Fail Monitor (RTCR) (4B) | Revised Total Coliform Rule (111) | Revised Total Coliform Rule (8000) | Microbials (100) | Total Coliform Rules (110) |
What do these Violations Mean?
Safe Drinking Water Act Violations categories split into two groups, health based, and non-health based. Generally, health based violations are more serious, though non-health based violations can also be cause for concern.
Health Based Violations
- Maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) - maximum allowed contaminant level was exceeded.
- Maximum residual disinfectant levels (MRDLs) - maximum allowed disinfectant level was exceeded.
- Other violations (Other) - the exact required process to reduce the amounts of contaminants in drinking water was not followed.
Non-Health Based Violations
- Monitoring and reporting violations (MR, MON) - failure to conduct the required regular monitoring of drinking water quality, and/or to submit monitoring results on time.
- Public notice violations (Other) - failure to immediately alert consumers if there is a serious problem with their drinking water that may pose a risk to public health.
- Other violations (Other) - miscellaneous violations, such as failure to issue annual consumer confidence reports or maintain required records.
SDWA Table Key
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Compliance Period | Dates of the compliance period. |
| Status |
Current status of the violation.
|
| Health-Based? | Whether the violation is health based. |
| Category Code |
The category of violation that is reported.
|
| Code | A full description of violation codes can be accessed in the SDWA_REF_CODE_VALUES (CSV) table. |
| Contaminant Code | A code value that represents a contaminant for which a public water system has incurred a violation of a primary drinking water regulation. |
| Rule Code |
Code for a National Drinking Water rule.
|
| Rule Group Code |
Code that uniquely identifies a rule group.
|
| Rule Family Code |
Code for rule family.
|
For more clarification please visit the EPA's data dictionary.
Fort Wayne Water - Frequently Asked Questions
| By Mail: | 200 East Berry Street FORT WAYNE, IN, 46802 |
Existing customers can login to their Fort Wayne - 3 Rivers Filtration Plant account to pay their Fort Wayne water bill by clicking here.
If you want to pay your Fort Wayne - 3 Rivers Filtration Plant bill online and haven't made an account yet, you can create an account online. Please click here to create your account to pay your Fort Wayne water bill.
If you don't want to make an account, or can't remember your account, you can make a one-time payment towards your Fort Wayne water bill without creating an account using a one time payment portal with your account number and credit or debit card. Click here to make a one time payment.
Moving to a new house or apartment in Fort Wayne means you will often need to put the water in your name with Fort Wayne - 3 Rivers Filtration Plant. In order to put the water in your name, please click the link to the start service form below. Start service requests for water bills typically take two business days.
Leaving your house or apartment in Fort Wayne means you will likely need to take your name off of the water bill with Fort Wayne - 3 Rivers Filtration Plant. In order to take your name off the water bill, please click the link to the stop service form below. Stop service for water bills requests typically take two business days.
The estimated price of bottled water
$0.97 in USD (1.5-liter)
USER SUBMITTED RATINGS
- Drinking Water Pollution and Inaccessibility
- Water Pollution
- Drinking Water Quality and Accessibility
- Water Quality
The above data is comprised of subjective, user submitted opinions about the water quality and pollution in Fort Wayne, measured on a scale from 0% (lowest) to 100% (highest).
Related FAQS
Fort Wayne Water Quality Report (Consumer Confidence Report)
The EPA mandates that towns and cities consistently monitor and test their tap water. They must report their findings in an annual Consumer Confidence Report. Below is the most recent water quality report from Fort Wayne's Water. If you would like to see the original version of the report, please click here.
2021 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report
FORT WAYNE CITY UTILITIES
Letter from Kumar Menon,
Director of City Utilities
Hindsight and perfect vision are both 20/20. Looking back, 2020 was a challenging year for all of us. As we navigated our way through the last several months, words like pandemic, social distancing and per- sonal protective equipment became so much more common. Hand washing emerged as the first line of defense against the virus. Along with essential workers, the vital importance of water to our collective fight was reinforced again and again.
All of us made daily adjustments in our personal lives. This was also the case at City Utilities. I can tell you that I have never been prouder of the level of dedication of our essential workers — the women and men of City Utilities — that was demonstrated throughout this difficult period.
Thank you for the notes and social media posts that many of you sent to our City Utilities’ team. Your encouragement meant a great deal to our staff as we focused on our work while juggling the count- less demands we all faced at home to keep our lives functioning and our own families safe.
Three Rivers Water Filtration staff
No matter if the times are ordinary or extraordinary, our focus was, is and always will be on delivering
our lab and our automation processes that perform continuous testing every minute of every day.
Once again, in 2020, City Utilities received national and statewide recognition, receiving awards for water treat- ment, our water distribution system and a geographic app created to aid us and our public safety partners in fire hydrant maintenance.
Recently we were chosen as the fourth best tasting municipal water at the Berkeley International Water Tasting competition. In addition, this year, in renewing
the lab certification at our Three Rivers Water Filtration Plant, our chemists received a perfect (20/20) score on certification testing.
Recognition for our efforts is rewarding, but the awards mean nothing unless we remain laser focused on making improvements that support your family, your neighborhood and our community.
I can promise you we will continue to produce
In 2020, City Utilities invested more than $100 million in water, sewer and stormwater improvements. In hindsight, our community’s invest- ments in underground infrastructure may have been less than enough in past decades. However, looking back over the last dozen years, our investments in infrastructure have significantly benefited our neighborhoods and local businesses. Looking forward, our vision
is to strengthen all our infrastructure to meet future demands of our community.
In 2020, we treated and delivered more than 13 billion gallons of water through our 1,428 miles of water main pipes. That’s a billion gallons more than in 2019.
Treating and delivering
The dedication, resilience and expertise of every City Utilities’ employee are there to see in every drop of water we produce and supply. It is the pledge of excellence we renew every day.
Looking forward, you will clearly see our vision and mission’s impact across 2021 as we continue our efforts to sustain our system, enhance our neighborhoods and promote the growth and development of Fort Wayne, Allen County and Northeast Indiana. Thank you for trusting us through 2020. Here’s to the future.
2021 ANNUAL DRINKING WATER QUALITY REPORT
Supporting Neighborhoods
Nationwide, underground infra- structure has been ignored for decades. City Utilities is committed to replacing aging infrastructure. We are two and a half years into an aggressive commitment to replace 70 miles of aging water mains by 2024. In 2020, new water mains were built in the neighborhoods of Southwood Park, Fairmont, Crestwood Colony, Hamilton, and Frances Slocum. These new pipes will support the
neighborhood for
Water Qualities that Matter to You
City Utilities is committed to providing great water and to adjust- ing the water treatment process as necessary to ensure consistency in water quality. Occasionally, substances are found in drinking water that may cause taste, color and odor. Employees at the Three Rivers Water Filtration Plant work diligently to anticipate these changes in river water quality and adjust the treatment process to remove as much of the taste and odor as possible from the water. This is done by adding powdered activated carbon to the treatment process and adjusting the balance between various types of disin- fecting chemicals being used. For more information on taste, odor or color of drinking water please contact City Utilities by calling
311. City Utilities posts an indicator of current taste and odor of our water at drinkingwater.cityoffortwayne.org.
The feel of water is determined by the softness. The plant softens the water sent to customers
using powdered calcium hydroxide (lime). The lime causes a chemical reaction that helps to remove calcium and magnesium
- the naturally occurring minerals that cause hardness in water. Water hardness is
measured in milligrams of calcium and mag- nesium per liter. Very soft water may be from
mg/L of hardness. Hard water has between 150 and 300 mg/L of hardness. Fort Wayne’s water had an average hardness of 116 mg/L in 2020 and is considered moderately soft.
With moderately softer water, soaps and detergents create more suds, so you use less. Softer water has been found to extend the life of
by as much as 30%.
The Board of Public Works reviews and approves contracts for utility construction projects that impact how your drinking water is treated. The Board meets every Tuesday at noon at Citizens Square, 200 E. Berry Street, Fort Wayne, Indiana. The meetings are open to the public and are on Public Access TV.
Information about Lead
Lead in City Utilities drinking water primarily comes from materials and components used in water service lines and interior plumbing; therefore, lead levels in a customer’s water vary depend- ing on the kinds of pipes and plumbing fixtures present in homes and businesses. City Utilities does not control the variety
of materials used in plumbing components inside homes and businesses. However, we are taking steps to reduce lead levels in private plumbing through service line replacements and a new treatment process.
In 2019, City Utilities began using orthophosphate in our treat- ment process to reduce levels of lead found primarily in water service lines, the pipe from the curb to the home, and pipes and hardware inside homes and businesses. Orthophosphate forms a protective layer inside lead service lines and plumbing, creating a barrier between the lead pipes and the water flowing through them. This process is proving effective at reducing lead levels.
In testing water samples from around the community we found results for 2020 well within the regulatory limit. Our result was 3.1 ug/L. compared to an allowable EPA level of 15 ug/L.
City Utilities is taking additional steps to reduce lead levels by offering customers prequalified contractors and financing to help residents with lead service line replacements at an agreed to, lower price. More than 430 property owners have signed up to date.
Elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Until you can elimi- nate the lead in your private plumbing, you can minimize your potential for lead exposure by letting the water run before using it. Turn on the cold water and let it run for 30 seconds to two min- utes before you use the water for drinking or cooking. If you are concerned about the level of lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested by a private laboratory. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods and other steps you can take to minimize exposure to lead is available from the Safe Drinking
Water Hotline
2021 ANNUAL DRINKING WATER QUALITY REPORT
Drinking Water and Your Health
Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drink- ing water than the general population. Immunocompromised individuals such as people with cancer who are undergoing che- motherapy, people who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly people and infants, can be particularly at risk for infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers.
Cryptosporidium is a microbial patho- gen that may be found in surface water such as rivers, lakes and streams throughout the United States. Ingestion of Cryptosporidium may cause cryptosporidiosis, an abdominal infection. Symptoms of the infection include nausea, diarrhea and abdominal cramps. Cryptosporidium
oocysts must be ingested to cause disease, and the
illness may be spread through means other than drinking water. Most healthy individuals can overcome the disease within a few weeks. However, immunocompromised people, infants, small children and the elderly are at greater risk for having cryptosporidiosis advance into a
Guidelines from the US EPA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at
In 2020, the highest level of Cryptosporidium found in the river water coming into the water filtration plant before it was treat- ed was 0.645 oocysts per liter of water. Cryptosporidium was NEVER found in the drinking water that City Utilities sent out to its customers, as is required by federal standards. That means that 100% of the time, City Utilities’ water treatment process was able to remove or deactivate these “germs.”
Improving Water Delivery
The fifth phase of the
in the area.
Sources of Drinking Water
The sources of drinking water (both tap and bottled) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves
Contaminants that may be present in source water include:
- Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations and wildlife.
-
Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be
naturally-occurring or result from urban stormwater runoff, indus- trial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming. - Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential land uses.
- Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum production and can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff and septic systems.
-
Radioactive contaminants, which can be
naturally-occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.
High Service Pump
Engineers and staff at our Three Rivers Water Filtration Plant upgraded a high service pump with a new variable frequency drive in 2020. The new drive will reduce energy consumption, save money and improve the reliability and consistency of our pumping system.
We also replaced the aging under- drains on some of our filter systems. These investments are essential to continue operation at a high level and meet the demands of the future.
- Technology allows operators to adjust water flow from the pump
tHigh Service Pump Team:
Jon Melton, Stephen Williams
2021 ANNUAL DRINKING WATER QUALITY REPORT
Testing Our Water
To ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) sets regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water that comes from public water systems. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health. The US EPA also requires that public water systems make an annual report, such as this one, to all of their customers. Bottled water producers don’t face the same requirement to share information regularly.
The US EPA and the State of Indiana require City Utilities to regularly test the drinking water we produce and send out to make sure that it remains safe. Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of these contaminants in drinking water, at a level below the limits set by regulatory agencies, does not indicate that the water poses a health risk.
The table to the right shows substances that are regulated by the US EPA that were detected in Fort Wayne’s finished drinking water between January 1 and December 31, 2020. Results of all tests per- formed in 2020 met or were better than federal and state standards require. City Utilities tests for many other substances, but because they were not detected, they are not reported here. Some tests are required only once per year because the US EPA and State of Indiana have determined that the concentration of these substances does not change frequently. For tests required only once a year, there is no range of results in the table.
City Utilities also tests for many substances that are not regulated. Monitoring unregulated contaminants helps the US EPA determine where certain contaminants occur and whether the agency should consider regulating those in the future.
Check the City Utilities’ website at www.cityoffortwayne.org/utilities for more information.
Award Winning City Utilities
We are honored to receive national and state recognition in 2020.
Partnership for Safe Water - 20 Year Director’s Award for Water Treatment
Partnership for Safe Water - Director’s Award for Water Distribution System Operations - presented for a thorough and high level of performance and performance improvement in the water distribution system. Presented by AWWA and EPA.
Excellence in GIS Award. The City Utilities Geographic Information Systems (GIS) team was recognized for “One Dot at a Time.
The new App/Dashboard to aid fire hydrant maintenance.
How to Read the
Water Quality Table
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG):
The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.
Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL):
The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology.
Treatment Technique (TT):
A required process intended to reduce the level of a contami- nant in drinking water.
Action Level (AL):
The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements that a water system must follow.
Detected Level:
The highest level of a contaminant detected for comparison against the accepted level. The detected level could be the highest single measurement or it may be an average, depending on the peak level of a contaminant.
Range:
The lowest to highest values for all samples tested for each contaminant. If only one sample is tested, no range is listed.
HA: Health Advisory level.
NA: Not applicable.
MNR: Monitoring not required but recommended.
ppm: Parts per million or milligrams per liter (mg/L).
ppb: Parts per billion or micrograms per liter (ug/L).
NTU:
Nephelometric Turbidity Units. A measure of water’s cloudiness and an indicator of the effectiveness of the water filtration process.
%: Percent of monthly samples that were positive.
Oocyst:
A fertilized gamete of
a parasitic organism’s sporozoans that is enclosed in a thick wall.
Chemists - Michele Gerke,
Steve Hinkleman
Water Quality Table
|
|
|
|
|
Compliance |
Highest Level |
|
|
|
|
|
Contaminants |
Units |
MCLG |
MCL |
Detected in |
|
Range |
Typical Sources |
||
|
Achieved |
Your Water |
|
|||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Disinfectants & Disinfection |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
Chlorine |
ppm |
4 |
4 |
Yes |
|
1.81 |
1.39 - 1.81 |
Additive used in drinking water treatment process to control bacteria |
|
|
Chlorine Dioxide |
ppb |
800 |
800 |
Yes |
|
190 |
|
38 - 190 |
Additive used in drinking water treatment process to control bacteria |
|
Chlorite |
ppm |
0.8 |
1 |
Yes |
|
0.957 |
0.387 - 0.957 |
||
|
Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) |
ppb |
NA |
60 |
Yes |
|
26 |
|
9.2 - 24.7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Highest LRAA at site #10 |
|
|
NOTE: compliance is based on each location’s running annual average (LRAA). |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The location running annual average for the site with the highest individual result of 24.7 was 26 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
Total Organic Carbon (TOC) |
mg/L |
NA |
TT |
Yes |
The percentage of TOC was measured |
NA |
Naturally present in the environment |
||
|
|
|
|
|
|
each month and the system met the |
|
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOC removal requirements |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TTHMs (Total Trihalomethanes) |
ppb |
NA |
80 |
Yes |
|
37 |
15.6 - 53.6 |
||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Highest LRAA at site # 1 |
|
|
NOTE: compliance is based on each location’s running annual average (LRAA). |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The location running annual average for the site with the highest individual result of 53.6 was 37 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Inorganic Compounds |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fluoride |
ppm |
4 |
4 |
Yes |
|
0.8 |
|
0.5 - 0.8 |
Erosion of natural deposits; water additive that |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
promotes strong teeth; discharge from fertilizer |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
and aluminum factories |
|
Nitrate (measured as Nitrogen) |
ppm |
10 |
10 |
Yes |
|
2.83 |
0.206 - 2.83 |
Runoff from fertilizer use; leaching from septic systems; |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
sewage discharge; erosion of natural deposits |
|
Nitrite (measured as Nitrogen) |
ppm |
1 |
1 |
Yes |
|
0.043 |
|
0 - 0.043 |
Runoff from fertilizer use; leaching from septic systems; |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
sewage discharge; erosion of natural deposits |
|
Sodium |
ppm |
0 |
NONE |
NA |
|
30 |
|
9.6 - 30 |
Naturally present in the environment |
|
Barium |
ppm |
2 |
2 |
Yes |
|
0.018 |
0.0076 - 0.018 |
Discharge of drilling wastes; discharge from metal refineries; |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
erosion of natural deposits |
|
Thallium |
ppb |
0.5 |
2 |
Yes |
|
0.0 |
|
0.0 - 0.0 |
Discharge from electronics, glass,leaching from |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
drug factories |
Sulfate |
ppm |
NA |
NA |
NA |
32 |
Only one test is |
required per year |
Naturally occurring compound
Microbiological Contaminants
|
Total Coliform |
% of positive |
0 |
5 |
Yes |
2.3 |
0 - 2.3 |
Naturally present in the environment |
|
|
samples monthly |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Turbidity |
% of samples |
100 |
95 |
Yes |
100 |
100 - 100 |
Soil runoff |
|
|
below TT of 0.3 NTU |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Turbidity |
Highest single |
NA |
TT |
Yes |
0.12 |
NA |
Soil runoff |
|
measurement in NTU |
|||||||
|
Cryptosporidium |
oocysts/100 L |
0 |
TT |
Yes |
0 |
NA |
Human and animal fecal waste |
|
Source (Raw) water |
oocysts/ L |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
<0.089 - 0.645 |
Human and animal fecal waste |
|
Cryptosporidium |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Volatile Organic Compounds
NA
Synthetic Organic Compounds Regulated
|
Atrazine |
ppb |
3 |
3 |
Yes |
0.3 |
0.0 - 0.30 |
Runoff of herbicide used on row crops |
|
Simazine |
ppb |
4 |
4 |
Yes |
0.11 |
0.0 - 0.11 |
Runoff of herbicide used on row crops |
|
ppb |
70 |
70 |
Yes |
0.3 |
0.0 - 0.30 |
Runoff of herbicide used on row crops |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Unregulated Compounds
|
Metolachlor |
ppb |
NA |
NA |
NA |
0.0 |
0.0 - 0.0 |
Runoff of herbicide used on row crops |
|
Dicambia |
ppb |
NA |
NA |
NA |
0.1 |
0.0 - 0.1 |
Runoff of herbicide used on row crops |
|
Total Hardness |
ppm |
NA |
NA |
NA |
151 |
86 - 151 |
Runoff of limestone and dolamite; Ave. = 116 |
|
Inorganic Contaminants |
|
|
|
|
90th percentile |
|
|
|
||
|
|
Copper (June - Sept 2020) |
ppm |
1.3 |
90% of samples taken |
Yes |
0.076 Samples taken = 50 samples |
Corrosion of household plumbing systems |
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
below AL = 1.3 |
|
|
Exceeding AL = 0 |
|
|
|
|
|
Lead (June - Sept 2020) |
ppb |
0 |
90% of samples taken |
Yes |
3.1 |
Samples taken = 50 samples |
Corrosion of household plumbing systems; |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
below AL = 15 |
|
|
Exceeding AL = 1 |
erosion of natural deposits |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
Radioactive Contaminants |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
Combined Radium 226/228 |
pCi/L |
0 |
5 |
Yes |
1 |
1 |
- 1 |
Erosion of natural deposits |
|
|
|
Gross alpha excluding radon |
pCi/L |
0 |
15 |
Yes |
0.2 |
0.2 |
- 0.2 |
Erosion of natural deposits |
|
|
|
and Uramium |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FORT WAYNE CITY UTILITIES
Citizens Square, 200 E. Berry, Suite 270
Fort Wayne, IN 46802
Important Information Sources:
Three Rivers Water Filtration Plant Jason Anspach – Water Quality Manager 260 - 427- 8311 or 260-
Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM)
EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline
PRESORT STANDARD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
FORT WAYNE, IN
PERMIT #90
Where Does Fort Wayne’s
Water Come From?
Water provided to customers of City Utilities comes from the St. Joseph River. Water flows into the river from more than 694,000 acres in northeast Indiana, northwest Ohio and a small part of south central Michigan. The primary land use in the watershed is agricultural.
Fort Wayne draws an average of about 36 million gallons of water each day from the river. This “raw” water is treated, filtered
and tested at the Three Rivers Water Filtration Plant before it is distributed to customers.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has conducted a Source Water Assessment for City Utilities’ water supply. The Source Water Assessment has identified potential sources of contamination. The report also analyzes the hydro- logical conditions that may affect the susceptibility of the water supply to potential contaminants. More information concerning this Source Water Assessment may be obtained by contacting the Water Quality Manager of the Three Rivers Filtration Plant, Jason Anspach,
AVISO IMPORTANTE
Este reporte contiene información importante acerca de su agua potable. Haga que alguien lo traduzca para usted, o hable con alguien que lo entienda. En español: 311.
Protecting Our Water Source
Fort Wayne City Utilities works with partners upstream to protect the quality of water in the St. Joseph River before it gets to Fort Wayne. The St. Joseph River Watershed Initiative is a
Do you want to help protect Fort Wayne’s drinking water at its source? Check out the St. Joe Initiative’s website at www.sjrwi.org for information on ways you can volunteer.
Fire Protection
Some of the investments we make in the water system are specifically intended to increase water capacity and reliability for firefighting. These investments coupled with the professionalism of the Fort Wayne Fire Department, make Fort Wayne’s ISO fire protection rating a Class 2. A com- munity’s ISO rating helps determine what property owners pay for insurance. As a result of the improved rating, Fort Wayne residents have the potential to see lower property insurance costs.
City Utilities’ Mission
To support public safety and public health and enhance regional economic development by delivering high quality, affordable water, wastewater and stormwater services in ways that protect the environment.
Contaminants
Fort Wayne - 3 Rivers Filtration Plant
EWG's drinking water quality report shows results of tests conducted by the water utility and provided to the Environmental Working Group by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, as well as information from the U.S. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History database (ECHO). For the latest quarter assessed by the U.S. EPA (January 2019 - March 2019), tap water provided by this water utility was in compliance with federal health-based drinking water standards.
Utility details
- Serves: 250000
- Data available: 2012-2017
- Data Source: Surface water
- Total: 19
Contaminants That Exceed Guidelines
- Bromodichloromethane
- Chloroform
- Chromium (hexavalent)
- Dibromochloromethane
- Nitrate
- Nitrate and nitrite
- Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
Other Detected Contaminants
- 2%2C4-D
- 4-Androstene-3%2C17-dione
- Atrazine
- Barium
- Chlorate
- Chromium (total)
- Fluoride
- Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
- Molybdenum
- Nitrite
- Strontium
- Vanadium
Reminder
Always take extra precautions, the water may be safe to drink when it leaves the sewage treatment plant but it may pick up pollutants during its way to your tap. We advise that you ask locals or hotel staff about the water quality. Also, note that different cities have different water mineral contents.
Sources and Resources
Sources Cited
Additional Resources
Fort Wayne Tap Water
It is important to have access to clean, potable water for drinking and cooking, as well as other uses, such as bathing and cleaning. For this reason, Fort Wayne is fortunate to have a number of different treatment facilities in the city. These include the following:
Although treatment facilities in Fort Wayne are considered one of the best in the country, there are still risks when using untreated water from the tap. In fact, since Fort Wayne has served as the site of major production points for steel and automotive manufacturing, the presence of dioxins in local water supplies has been a problem for many years. In addition, chemical contaminants pose a threat when consumed in large doses. Fort Wayne is required to test its water for a variety of different contaminants each year, and its goal is to consistently meet those standards. Unfortunately, despite these steps, the presence of dioxins continues to be a problematic issue.
Dioxins are a by-product of petroleum production and have been linked to numerous health problems, including eczema, depression, and cancer. While the levels of dioxins in Fort Wayne water have been found to be below the national standard, companies that produce motor oil or lubricants often add dioxins during the refinement process. If you live in Fort Wayne and want to know how your drinking water is treating, you may be able to have it tested for free. If you find out that your water is contaminated, it is imperative that you call a water treatment company right away. There are multiple companies in Fort Worth that offer testing kits for your home or office, and most will also give a free demonstration of their system so that you can see just exactly what kind of filtration your family’s drinking water will receive.
Fort Wayne Drinking Water
In 1999, the Fort Wayne drinking water supply was found to have a high amount of VOCs, Volatile Organic Compounds. VOCs are highly toxic substances that can irritate the skin, respiratory system and eyes. Studies have shown that exposure to VOCs over an extended period of time can cause headaches, ulcers, memory loss, and can even cause cancer. The EPA states that there is no safe level of VOCs, and every manufacture should make sure that they don’t exceed the maximum levels permitted in their product. If you are serviced by a treatment facility, it is absolutely necessary that you also have testing done to ensure that your VOC levels are below the maximum level permitted.
If you have any questions about your Fort Wayne drinking water supply or any other type of water filtration system, you will want to consult with a professional water filtration company. Fort Wayne is fortunate to have several different water filtration companies available to service the Fort Wayne area. You can find a company in Fort Wayne that will test your drinking water for VOCs and tell you what steps need to be taken in order to remove them from your drinking water. They will also install a home water filtration system at your home to remove the VOCs. In addition to removing VOCs from your drinking water, these companies will also provide filters for showers and kitchen faucets.
Having your water tested is the first step towards having your water tested on a regular basis. Since contaminants grow, they eventually end up in our water. There is no way for us to keep ourselves protected from all of the contaminants that are out there in our water. We have to constantly protect ourselves and use water filtration systems to keep ourselves healthy. Fort Wayne water filtration facilities provide you with the protection that you need.
Fort Wayne Water Quality
Fort Wayne is a world-class industrial city located in northern Indiana, just east of Detroit. Like many other cities throughout the Midwest, the water supply to Fort Wayne is considered among the best in the country and has been for many years. The water contains naturally occurring chemicals that make it safer for drinking and much less hazardous to the skin and body. Unfortunately, the same chemicals that make the water safe also make it difficult to treat, meaning that most of Fort Wayne’s wastewater is treated by facilities within the city.
What do you do when the water in your area is contaminated? Your first step should be to have your water tested to determine what type of contaminants are present if there are any. Then, use a filtration system to rid your tap water of those chemicals. You may want to consider filtering your water at home to remove any residual chemicals in your water, as well. There are a number of different types of filters available, from simple ones designed to keep a small amount of chemicals in the water to more advanced systems that can filter out any larger particles.
If you want to make sure that your water is safe, it is imperative that you have it tested regularly. Even if you think that your water is safe, you never know when you might find out differently. The best way to be prepared is to test your water before using it on your property and start planning how to filter and purify your water the right way. You will have great tasting water in no time!
Fort Wayne Water Treatment
If you are looking for a quality water treatment system in Fort Wayne, Indiana, look no further than Fort Wayne Water treatment. The Fort Wayne Water Treatment Plant is owned and operated by the City of Fort Wayne. They treat all of the city’s water including the drinking supply. This is the main reason that the treatment plant is one of the most important municipal facilities around. This treatment center treats about 8 million gallons of water every day.
It is important to be aware that this plant is not just a water purification plant. They also perform sewage treatment and domestic sewage treatment. In addition to treating the city water, it is also used to filter the water that goes into the private wells of several thousand homes. Because of all of these functions, it is important that you find a company to get your water purification done from if you want the best results.
If you are concerned about the quality of your water, Fort Wayne Water Treatment should be your first choice. If you have any questions, they have a knowledgeable customer service department that is ready to help you understand what their water purification process does for you. They can also answer any questions that you may have about the various services that they offer, or about how they can provide a better service to you. Talk to them today to find out more about how they can help you.
Fort Wayne Water
The Fort Wayne Water and Sewer Department have done a great job of maintaining the city’s water supply. This means that when you take your garbage to the curb, the trucks pick it up, load it into the truck and take it to the landfill. The rest of the story is that the water and the sewer department recycle it for use in other facilities around the city.
If you’re one of the many people who take their garbage to the dump, you can forget about it. Fort Wayne has placed a deposit down on the balance of each and every vehicle that they will serve within the city limits. If you choose to cancel your service, the money will be refunded to you. The deposit is usually a few hundred dollars.
There are three treatment plants that are located near Fort Wayne. These plants process all of the water that is generated in the city. There is no chance that it will ever be contaminated with any type of chemical or harmful substance. This is very important to remember if you have a family that relies on wells to supply them with water. any type of microorganism. They are constantly working to improve upon their capabilities so that you get the cleanest water possible in your area.