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Is Kingsport Tap Water Safe to Drink?

Do not Drink :(

LAST UPDATED: 7:47 pm, August 3, 2022
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Table of Contents

Can You Drink Tap Water in Kingsport?

No, Kingsport's tap water is not safe to drink as it has an active health based violation of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). 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 or the city's water provider website.

According the EPA’s ECHO database, from April 30, 2019 to June 30, 2022, Kingsport's water utility, Bloomingdale Utility District, had 2 non-health-based violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act. For more details on the violations, please see our violation history section below. The last violation for Kingsport was resolved on June 30, 2014. There has been an active violation for Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule since April 1, 2019. This assessment is based on the Bloomingdale Utility District 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.

Kingsport Tap Water Safe Drinking Water Act Violation History - Prior 10 Years

Below is a ten year history of violations for the water system named Bloomingdale Utility District for Kingsport in Tennessee. For more details please see the "What do these Violations Mean?" section below.

For the compliance period beginning April 12, 2020, Kingsport had 1 non-health based Safe Drinking Water Act violation with the violation category being Other Violation, more specifically, the violation code was Public Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation which falls into the Other rule code group, and the Public Notice Rule rule code family for the following contaminant code: Public Notice.

For the compliance period beginning July 1, 2019, Kingsport had 1 non-health based Safe Drinking Water Act violation with the violation category being Other Violation, more specifically, the violation code was Consumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report which falls into the Other rule code group, and the Consumer Confidence Rule rule code family for the following contaminant code: Consumer Confidence Rule.

For the compliance period beginning April 1, 2019, Kingsport had 1 health-based Safe Drinking Water Act violation with the violation category being Treatment Technique Violation, more specifically, the violation code was Failure Submit Treatment Requirement Rpt which falls into the Microbials rule code group, and the Surface Water Treatment Rules rule code family for the following contaminant code: Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule.

From April 1, 2014 to June 30, 2014, Kingsport had 2 non-health based Safe Drinking Water Act violations with the violation category being Monitoring and Reporting, more specifically, the violation code was Monitoring and Reporting (DBP) which falls into the Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule rule code group, and the Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule rule code family for the following contaminant codes: Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5), TTHM.

Is there Lead in Kingsport Water?

Based on the EPA’s ECHO Database, 90% of the samples taken from the Kingsport water system, Bloomingdale Utility District, between sample start date and sample end date, were at or below, 0.001 mg/L of lead in Kingsport water. This is 6.7% of the 0.015 mg/L action level. This means 10% of the samples taken from Kingsport contained more lead.

While Kingsport water testing may have found 0.001 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 Kingsport 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 - Holston Army Ammunition Plant - near Kingsport 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 Kingsport 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.

Kingsport 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
04/12/2020 - Unaddressed No Other Violation (Other) Public Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation (75) Public Notice Rule (410) Public Notice (7500) Other (400) Public Notice Rule (410)
07/01/2019 - Resolved No Other Violation (Other) Consumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report (71) Consumer Confidence Rule (420) Consumer Confidence Rule (7000) Other (400) Consumer Confidence Rule (420)
04/01/2019 - Unaddressed Yes Treatment Technique Violation (TT) Failure Submit Treatment Requirement Rpt (33) Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (123) Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (0800) Microbials (100) Surface Water Treatment Rules (120)
04/01/2014 - 06/30/2014 Resolved No Monitoring and Reporting (MR) Monitoring and Reporting (DBP) (27) Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule (220) Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) (2456) Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule (200) Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule (220)
04/01/2014 - 06/30/2014 Resolved No Monitoring and Reporting (MR) Monitoring and Reporting (DBP) (27) Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule (220) TTHM (2950) Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule (200) Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule (220)

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

  1. Maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) - maximum allowed contaminant level was exceeded.
  2. Maximum residual disinfectant levels (MRDLs) - maximum allowed disinfectant level was exceeded.
  3. Other violations (Other) - the exact required process to reduce the amounts of contaminants in drinking water was not followed.

Non-Health Based Violations

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  • Resolved - The violation has at least one resolving enforcement action. In SDWIS, this indicates that either the system has returned to compliance from the violation, the rule that was violated was no longer applicable, or no further action was needed.
  • Archived - The violation is not Resolved, but is more than five years past its compliance period end date. In keeping with the Enforcement Response Policy, the violation no longer contributes to the public water system's overall compliance status. Unresolved violations are also marked as Archived when a system ceases operations (becomes inactive).
  • Addressed - The violation is not Resolved or Archived, and is addressed by one or more formal enforcement actions.
  • Unaddressed - The violation is not Resolved or Archived, and has not been addressed by formal enforcement.
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Health-Based? Whether the violation is health based.
Category Code
The category of violation that is reported.
  • TT - Treatment Technique Violation
  • MRDL - Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level
  • Other - Other Violation
  • MCL - Maximum Contaminant Level Violation
  • MR - Monitoring and Reporting
  • MON - Monitoring Violation
  • RPT - Reporting Violation
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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.
  • 110 - Total Coliform Rule
  • 121 - Surface Water Treatment Rule
  • 122 - Long Term 1 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule
  • 123 - Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule
  • 130 - Filter Backwash Rule
  • 140 - Ground Water Rule
  • 210 - Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule
  • 220 - Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule
  • 230 - Total Trihalomethanes
  • 310 - Volatile Organic Chemicals
  • 331 - Nitrates
  • 332 - Arsenic
  • 333 - Inorganic Chemicals
  • 320 - Synthetic Organic Chemicals
  • 340 - Radionuclides
  • 350 - Lead and Copper Rule
  • 410 - Public Notice Rule
  • 420 - Consumer Confidence Rule
  • 430 - Miscellaneous
  • 500 - Not Regulated
  • 111 - Revised Total Coliform Rule
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Rule Group Code Code that uniquely identifies a rule group.
  • 120 - Surface Water Treatment Rules
  • 130 - Filter Backwash Rule
  • 140 - Groundwater Rule
  • 210 - Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule
  • 220 - Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule
  • 230 - Total Trihalomethanes
  • 310 - Volatile Organic Chemicals
  • 320 - Synthetic Organic Chemicals
  • 330 - Inorganic Chemicals
  • 340 - Radionuclides
  • 350 - Lead and Copper Rule
  • 400 - Other
  • 500 - Not Regulated
  • 110 - Total Coliform Rules
  • 410 - Public Notice Rule
  • 420 - Consumer Confidence Rule
  • 430 - Miscellaneous
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Rule Family Code Code for rule family.
  • 100 - Microbials
  • 200 - Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule
  • 300 - Chemicals
  • 400 - Other
  • 500 - Not Regulated
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For more clarification please visit the EPA's data dictionary.

Kingsport Water - Frequently Asked Questions

HOW DO I CONTACT KINGSPORT CUSTOMER SERVICE?
To contact customer service for the Kingsport water provider, Bloomingdale Utility District, please use the information below.
By Mail: 3212 BLOOMINGDALE PIKE
KINGSPORT, TN, 37660
HOW TO PAY BILL FOR BLOOMINGDALE UTILITY DISTRICT
Already have an account?

Existing customers can login to their Bloomingdale Utility District account to pay their Kingsport water bill by clicking here.

Want to create a new account?

If you want to pay your Bloomingdale Utility District 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 Kingsport water bill.

Want to pay without an account?

If you don't want to make an account, or can't remember your account, you can make a one-time payment towards your Kingsport 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.

HOW TO START & STOP KINGSPORT WATER SERVICE
Starting Your Service

Moving to a new house or apartment in Kingsport means you will often need to put the water in your name with Bloomingdale Utility District. 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.

Start Service Form

Want to create a new account?

Leaving your house or apartment in Kingsport means you will likely need to take your name off of the water bill with Bloomingdale Utility District. 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.

Stop Service Form

The estimated price of bottled water

$2 in USD (1.5-liter)

USER SUBMITTED RATINGS

Kingsport tap water
  • Drinking Water Pollution and Inaccessibility 75% High
  • Water Pollution 100% Very High
  • Drinking Water Quality and Accessibility 25% Low
  • Water Quality 56% Moderate

The above data is comprised of subjective, user submitted opinions about the water quality and pollution in Kingsport, measured on a scale from 0% (lowest) to 100% (highest).

Related FAQS

Contaminants


Kingsport Water Department

EWG's drinking water quality report shows results of tests conducted by the water utility and provided to the Environmental Working Group by the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation, 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: 107666
  • Data available: 2012-2017
  • Data Source: Surface water
  • Total: 11

Contaminants That Exceed Guidelines

  • Bromodichloromethane
  • Chloroform
  • Chromium (hexavalent)
  • Dibromochloromethane
  • Nitrate
  • Radium%2C combined (-226 & -228)
  • Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)

Other Detected Contaminants

  • Chlorate
  • Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
  • 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

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The US state of Arkansas has issued a notice of violation against the company "Kingsport Water Supply Company". The notice of violation is not limited to the company, but is for the company''s practices in terms of contaminating the drinking water of Arkansas citizens.

This notice was issued after a citizens'' group noticed that they had found elevated levels of lead in their tap water. It is important to note that lead is a dangerous substance. Lead can cause severe health problems.

Although lead does not necessarily mean that there is a problem with the quality of the tap water, the fact that this is an issue that people should be concerned about is a pretty scary situation. Since the Arkansas residents were served by a company that used high-pressure technology in its treatment of the water, it is understandable that the water could have lead in it.

There are many ways that you can test for lead in your tap water. If you do a thorough

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