Arsenic Contamination

Arsenic in Virginia Drinking Water

Ranked by arsenic violation count · Data from EPA SDWIS & UCMR

114

Cities Tested

114

Has Violations

100%

% Has Violations

2.7 violations

State Avg

▼ 0% vs national

vs National

198

Health Violations

Analysis

Arsenic in Virginia: what the data shows

Virginia has 114 cities with arsenic-related violations on record. Arsenic contamination is a federal MCL violation at levels above 10 µg/L (10 ppb). The state has 114 cities with at least one arsenic violation. Arsenic enters drinking water primarily through erosion of natural deposits, particularly in western states with arsenite-bearing geology. Industrial sources include mining runoff, glass manufacturing, and semiconductor production. Groundwater systems are significantly more likely to have arsenic issues than surface water systems. Long-term arsenic exposure above the MCL increases the risk of bladder, lung, and skin cancer, as well as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Reverse osmosis and specialized arsenic-removal media are the most effective point-of-use treatment options.

Comparison

Cities exceeding 10 µg/L EPA MCL

Virginia

100%

114 of 114 cities

← = Exactly at national rate

National avg

100%

5489 of 5489 cities

City Map

Arsenic data across Virginia

Each dot is a city with arsenic violation data. Cities with at least one arsenic-related violation are highlighted. Size reflects population served.

Worst Offenders

Top 10 cities by arsenic level in Virginia

Highest Arsenic levels (violations)

All Cities

All Virginia cities ranked by arsenic level

#	City	Level	Violations?	Violations	Grade
1	Rockville	39 violations	Yes	384	F
2	Remington	27 violations	Yes	37	A-
3	Hopewell	11 violations	Yes	24	F
4	Warrenton	11 violations	Yes	55	F
5	Lovingston	11 violations	Yes	44	F
6	Charlottesville	8 violations	Yes	33	F
7	Roanoke	7 violations	Yes	85	F
8	North Tazewell	6 violations	Yes	2	C+
9	Weber City	5 violations	Yes	32	F
10	Pearisburg	5 violations	Yes	26	D
11	Mount Jackson	5 violations	Yes	13	D
12	Stanardsville	5 violations	Yes	34	D
13	Chesapeake City	4 violations	Yes	48	F
14	Mcincr, Mcb Quantico	4 violations	Yes	26	C
15	Lynchburg	4 violations	Yes	14	C
16	Luray	4 violations	Yes	39	D
17	Wise	3 violations	Yes	23	B
18	Front Royal	3 violations	Yes	16	F
19	Wytheville	3 violations	Yes	8	B
20	Dahlgren	3 violations	Yes	17	C
21	Lexington	3 violations	Yes	1	A
22	Bluefield	3 violations	Yes	3	A-
23	Edinburg	3 violations	Yes	9	C
24	Richmond	3 violations	Yes	16	D
25	Narrows	3 violations	Yes	0	C
26	Cleveland	3 violations	Yes	1	D+
27	Newport News City	2 violations	Yes	8	A-
28	Stafford	2 violations	Yes	3	B-
29	Fredericksburg	2 violations	Yes	21	C
30	Harrisonburg City	2 violations	Yes	0	A
31	Bedford	2 violations	Yes	19	B-
32	Verona	2 violations	Yes	28	B+
33	Staunton City	2 violations	Yes	2	A
34	Culpeper	2 violations	Yes	18	B-
35	Marion	2 violations	Yes	7	B
36	Hampton City	2 violations	Yes	6	B+
37	Chatham	2 violations	Yes	46	F
38	Jonesville	2 violations	Yes	15	C+
39	Isle Of Wight	2 violations	Yes	87	C-
40	Prince George	2 violations	Yes	15	C+
41	Big Stone Gap	2 violations	Yes	3	A-
42	Goochland	2 violations	Yes	7	B
43	Petersburg	2 violations	Yes	7	B+
44	Bridgewater	2 violations	Yes	0	B
45	Covington City	2 violations	Yes	4	C-
46	Pennington Gap	2 violations	Yes	3	B
47	Yorktown	2 violations	Yes	16	B+
48	Orange	2 violations	Yes	3	A-
49	Tazewell	2 violations	Yes	1	B+
50	Coeburn	2 violations	Yes	1	A
51	Timberville	2 violations	Yes	5	B+
52	Broadway	2 violations	Yes	1	B
53	Norton City	2 violations	Yes	0	A-
54	Clifton Forge	2 violations	Yes	11	B-
55	Appalachia	2 violations	Yes	1	A
56	Amherst	2 violations	Yes	8	B+
57	Gate City	2 violations	Yes	7	A-
58	Bland	2 violations	Yes	2	B+
59	Clarksville	2 violations	Yes	6	B+
60	St. Paul	2 violations	Yes	3	A
61	Knott'S Island	2 violations	Yes	2	B+
62	Knott'S Island	2 violations	Yes	2	B+
63	Ashburn	1 violations	Yes	2	A-
64	Arlington	1 violations	Yes	3	B
65	Portsmouth City	1 violations	Yes	18	A
66	Leesburg	1 violations	Yes	2	A-
67	Abingdon	1 violations	Yes	7	B+
68	Winchester	1 violations	Yes	9	A-
69	Manassas City	1 violations	Yes	5	A
70	Christiansburg	1 violations	Yes	21	F
71	Hopewell City	1 violations	Yes	9	A-
72	Winchester City	1 violations	Yes	1	A
73	Salem City	1 violations	Yes	0	A+
74	Bristol City	1 violations	Yes	0	A
75	Pulaski	1 violations	Yes	61	D
76	Williamsburg City	1 violations	Yes	0	A
77	Lebanon	1 violations	Yes	10	F
78	Clintwood	1 violations	Yes	30	D
79	Madison	1 violations	Yes	28	D
80	Manassas Park City	1 violations	Yes	6	A
81	Hillsville	1 violations	Yes	10	B
82	South Boston	1 violations	Yes	39	B
83	Louisa	1 violations	Yes	78	D
84	Purcellville	1 violations	Yes	0	A-
85	Ruckersville	1 violations	Yes	4	B
86	Lexington City	1 violations	Yes	2	A
87	Strasburg	1 violations	Yes	6	A-
88	Galax City	1 violations	Yes	0	A
89	Dublin	1 violations	Yes	5	D
90	Rocky Mount	1 violations	Yes	4	B+
91	Berryville	1 violations	Yes	11	C+
92	Richlands	1 violations	Yes	4	A
93	Altavista	1 violations	Yes	5	A-
94	Grottoes	1 violations	Yes	8	B
95	Waverly	1 violations	Yes	3	A-
96	Lovettsville	1 violations	Yes	0	A
97	Gretna	1 violations	Yes	6	B-
98	Shenandoah	1 violations	Yes	8	A
99	Floyd	1 violations	Yes	7	B+
100	New Market	1 violations	Yes	0	A
101	Stuart	1 violations	Yes	0	A
102	Exmore	1 violations	Yes	11	C
103	Appomattox	1 violations	Yes	1	A
104	Dayton	1 violations	Yes	2	A
105	Brookneal	1 violations	Yes	24	B+
106	Cedar Bluff	1 violations	Yes	0	A
107	Middletown	1 violations	Yes	0	A
108	Sugar Grove	1 violations	Yes	2	D+
109	Moneta	1 violations	Yes	14	C
110	Dilwyn	1 violations	Yes	2	A-
111	King George	1 violations	Yes	34	D
112	Brunswick	1 violations	Yes	1	B+
113	Charles City	1 violations	Yes	14	C-
114	Franklin	1 violations	Yes	2	A-

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about arsenic in Virginia

Is arsenic in Virginia tap water a concern?

Yes — 114 cities in Virginia have arsenic-related violations on record. The EPA MCL for arsenic is 10 µg/L. Even at levels below the MCL, long-term arsenic exposure has been linked to cancer and cardiovascular disease.

How can I remove arsenic from my drinking water in Virginia?

Reverse osmosis (RO) systems are the most effective at removing arsenic, typically reducing it by 90% or more. Specialized arsenic-removal media (such as iron-based adsorption filters) are also highly effective. Standard carbon filters and pitcher filters do NOT effectively remove arsenic. If your water comes from a private well, have it tested for arsenic.

Where does arsenic in Virginia water come from?

Arsenic enters drinking water primarily through natural erosion of arsenic-bearing rock formations. It is most common in groundwater systems in the western United States, parts of the Midwest, and New England. Industrial sources include mining, smelting, and agricultural pesticide residues. Groundwater sources are far more likely to contain arsenic than surface water.

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