Head-to-head water quality
Baltimore, MD vs Las Vegas, NV
Side-by-side water quality comparison: Baltimore (Grade F) vs Las Vegas (Grade F). Lead, PFAS, violations, and source-water contamination
Score breakdown
Each factor is shown as raw points (out of the maximum). Higher = better.
Factor
Baltimore
Las Vegas
Better
Violations subscore / 45
0.8
0.0
Baltimore
Lead/Copper subscore / 20
16.0
16.0
Tie
Contaminant subscore / 20
13.9
11.8
Baltimore
Compliance subscore / 10
5.0
8.0
Las Vegas
Source subscore / 5
4.0
4.0
Tie
Lead & copper at the tap
Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) 90th-percentile readings — the value that 10% of sampled homes exceed.
Factor
Baltimore
Las Vegas
Better
Lead 90th-percentile (latest) · EPA action level: 15 µg/L
0.0 µg/L
0.0 µg/L
Las Vegas
Copper 90th-percentile (latest) · EPA action level: 1.3 mg/L
2.1 mg/L
140.0 mg/L
Baltimore
PFAS — "forever chemicals"
UCMR 5 testing, 2023–2025. Federal MCLs: PFOA + PFOS = 4 ng/L; HFPO-DA = 10 ng/L.
Factor
Baltimore
Las Vegas
Better
PFAS analytes detected
1 of 30
3 of 30
Baltimore
PFAS exceeds federal MCL
No
No
Tie
PFAS hazard index · Sum of (max/MCL) across detected analytes; > 1 indicates exceedance
—
—
—
Violation history
SDWA enforcement actions — fewer is better.
Factor
Baltimore
Las Vegas
Better
Violations (last 5 years)
29
535
Baltimore
Health-based violations (total)
12
230
Baltimore
Unresolved violations
23
271
Baltimore
Other contaminants tested
UCMR rounds 1–4 + UCMR 5 lithium. Maxima where data exists; "—" means not tested.
Factor
Baltimore
Las Vegas
Better
Chromium-6 (max)
0.09 µg/L
0.85 µg/L
Baltimore
HAA5 (avg)
43.55 µg/L
25.98 µg/L
Las Vegas
Manganese (max)
1.58 µg/L
11.00 µg/L
Baltimore
Strontium (max)
96.10 µg/L
1200.00 µg/L
Baltimore
Vanadium (max)
0.29 µg/L
2.60 µg/L
Baltimore
Chlorate (max)
233.00 µg/L
240.00 µg/L
Baltimore
Molybdenum (max)
—
4.70 µg/L
Las Vegas
Industrial proximity
Superfund National Priorities List + Toxic Release Inventory facilities within 10 miles of the city centroid.
Factor
Baltimore
Las Vegas
Better
Superfund sites within 10 mi
5
0
Las Vegas
TRI lbs to surface water within 10 mi (2023)
63,295
0
Las Vegas
System size & source
Factor
Baltimore
Las Vegas
Population served
1.6M
1.6M
—
Water source
Surface water
Purchased surface water
—
Number of water systems
7
32
—
See the full reports
Frequently asked
Which has better water — Baltimore or Las Vegas?
Baltimore and Las Vegas score similarly on WaterVerge's 100-point methodology — both earn a Grade F. See the full breakdown below to compare individual factors like lead levels, PFAS, and recent violations.
How is the WaterVerge water quality score calculated?
The grade combines five subscores: violation history (45 pts, weighted by recency and health-based severity), lead/copper 90th-percentile vs EPA action levels (20 pts), contaminant testing including PFAS, chromium-6, HAA5, NDMA, perchlorate, and Superfund/TRI proximity (20 pts), monitoring compliance (10 pts), and water-source-type risk (5 pts). Full methodology at /about/methodology.
Where does this water quality data come from?
From the EPA's public records: the SDWIS bulk download (violations + system info), UCMR rounds 1–5 (unregulated contaminant testing including PFAS, chromium-6, HAA5, NDMA, perchlorate, vanadium, lithium), the EPA Toxic Release Inventory (industrial polluters), the Superfund National Priorities List, the USGS Powell Domestic-Well Database (private-well chemistry), and the CDC Community Water Fluoridation system. Data is refreshed quarterly.