Head-to-head water quality

Columbus, OH vs Tampa, FL

Side-by-side water quality comparison: Columbus (Grade F) vs Tampa (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

Columbus

Tampa

Better

Violations subscore / 45

0.0

Tie

Lead/Copper subscore / 20

16.0

Tie

Contaminant subscore / 20

7.4

6.4

Columbus

Compliance subscore / 10

8.0

Tie

Source subscore / 5

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

Columbus

Tampa

Better

Lead 90th-percentile (latest) · EPA action level: 15 µg/L

0.0 µg/L

Tampa

Copper 90th-percentile (latest) · EPA action level: 1.3 mg/L

46.0 mg/L

1.8 mg/L

Tampa

PFAS — "forever chemicals"

UCMR 5 testing, 2023–2025. Federal MCLs: PFOA + PFOS = 4 ng/L; HFPO-DA = 10 ng/L.

Factor

Columbus

Tampa

Better

PFAS analytes detected

7 of 30

8 of 30

Columbus

PFAS exceeds federal MCL

Yes

Tie

PFAS hazard index · Sum of (max/MCL) across detected analytes; > 1 indicates exceedance

1.80

9.00

Columbus

Violation history

SDWA enforcement actions — fewer is better.

Factor

Columbus

Tampa

Better

Violations (last 5 years)

Columbus

Health-based violations (total)

Columbus

Unresolved violations

144

Columbus

Other contaminants tested

UCMR rounds 1–4 + UCMR 5 lithium. Maxima where data exists; "—" means not tested.

Factor

Columbus

Tampa

Better

Chromium-6 (max)

0.35 µg/L

0.26 µg/L

Tampa

HAA5 (avg)

16.32 µg/L

14.71 µg/L

Tampa

Manganese (max)

0.48 µg/L

4.70 µg/L

Columbus

Strontium (max)

1300.00 µg/L

793.00 µg/L

Tampa

1,4-Dioxane (max)

0.12 µg/L

0.17 µg/L

Columbus

NDMA (max)

—

6.70 ng/L

Tampa

Vanadium (max)

0.69 µg/L

3.10 µg/L

Columbus

Chlorate (max)

370.00 µg/L

630.00 µg/L

Columbus

Molybdenum (max)

12.00 µg/L

2.60 µg/L

Tampa

Industrial proximity

Superfund National Priorities List + Toxic Release Inventory facilities within 10 miles of the city centroid.

Factor

Columbus

Tampa

Better

Superfund sites within 10 mi

Columbus

TRI lbs to surface water within 10 mi (2023)

103

231

Columbus

System size & source

Factor

Columbus

Tampa

Population served

1.3M

1.0M

—

Water source

Surface water

—

Number of water systems

—

See the full reports

Full report

Columbus, OH water quality

Grade F · 1.3M served

Full report

Tampa, FL water quality

Grade F · 1.0M served

All cities in Ohio → All cities in Florida →

Frequently asked

Which has better water — Columbus or Tampa?

Columbus, OH scores higher (35.5 vs 34.4) on WaterVerge's 100-point methodology, earning a Grade F compared to Tampa's Grade F. The score combines violation history, lead and copper levels, contaminant testing, monitoring compliance, and source-water type.

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.