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Lead Contamination

Lead in New Mexico Drinking Water

Ranked by 90th percentile lead level (ppb) · Data from EPA SDWIS & UCMR

163
Cities Tested
3
Exceeds Limit
2%
% Exceeds Limit
2.5 ppb
State Avg
▼ 0% vs national
vs National
157
Health Violations
Analysis

Lead in New Mexico: what the data shows

New Mexico has 163 cities with lead monitoring data, with very few cities exceeding the EPA action level of 15 ppb. The state average 90th percentile lead level is 2.5 ppb, compared to 3.3 ppb nationally — better than the national average. 3 cities exceed the 15 ppb action level. High lead levels in tap water typically indicate aging infrastructure — lead service lines, lead solder in older plumbing, or lead-containing brass fixtures. There is no safe level of lead exposure for children. The 90th percentile measurement means that 90% of tap samples in a city are at or below the reported level. This is the standard EPA uses under the Lead and Copper Rule to determine if a water system needs to take corrective action. An NSF 53-certified pitcher or under-sink filter can effectively remove lead at the tap.

Comparison

Cities exceeding 15 ppb EPA Action Level

New Mexico
2%
3 of 163 cities
← = Exactly at national rate
National avg
2%
378 of 15681 cities
City Map

Lead data across New Mexico

Each dot is a city, colored by overall water quality grade. Cities with lead levels above the 15 ppb EPA action level are highlighted. Size reflects population served.

Worst Offenders

Top 10 cities by lead level in New Mexico

Highest Lead levels (ppb)

  1. 1 F Ramah, Pinehill 58.0 ppb Yes 1K
  2. 2 F Tijeras 21.0 ppb Yes 2K
  3. 3 F Maxwell 17.0 ppb Yes 601
  4. 4 F Arroyo Hondo 14.0 ppb 694
  5. 5 F Gallup 10.9 ppb 22K
  6. 6 B- Gamerco 8.3 ppb 2K
  7. 7 F Cuba 7.9 ppb 2K
  8. 8 F Hagerman 7.0 ppb 2K
  9. 9 D+ Thoreau High School Compound 6.9 ppb 746
  10. 10 F Jemez Springs 6.8 ppb 2K
All Cities

All New Mexico cities ranked by lead level

# City Level Level Exceeds? Violations Grade
1 Ramah, Pinehill 58.0 ppb
Yes 6
F
2 Tijeras 21.0 ppb
Yes 181
F
3 Maxwell 17.0 ppb
Yes 23
F
4 Arroyo Hondo 14.0 ppb
No 52
F
5 Gallup 10.9 ppb
No 70
F
6 Gamerco 8.3 ppb
No 7
B-
7 Cuba 7.9 ppb
No 49
F
8 Hagerman 7.0 ppb
No 21
F
9 Thoreau High School Compound 6.9 ppb
No 6
D+
10 Jemez Springs 6.8 ppb
No 69
F
11 Alto 6.7 ppb
No 38
F
12 Las Vegas 6.4 ppb
No 93
F
13 Hurley 6.0 ppb
No 0
B-
14 Mora 6.0 ppb
No 4
C+
15 Red River 6.0 ppb
No 11
B
16 Central 5.4 ppb
No 15
C+
17 Bluewater 5.3 ppb
No 28
C-
18 Kayenta 5.0 ppb
No 0
D
19 Canon 5.0 ppb
No 10
D+
20 Moriarty 4.8 ppb
No 156
F
21 Thoreau 4.3 ppb
No 16
C
22 Capitan 4.2 ppb
No 3
B
23 El Rito 4.1 ppb
No 10
C+
24 Velarde 4.1 ppb
No 6
C+
25 Grants 4.0 ppb
No 7
B
26 Cerrillos 3.8 ppb
No 18
F
27 Ruidoso 3.5 ppb
No 63
F
28 Navajo Dam 3.3 ppb
No 97
F
29 Hobbs 3.2 ppb
No 24
F
30 Timberon 3.1 ppb
No 10
F
31 Rociada 3.1 ppb
No 45
F
32 Carlsbad 3.0 ppb
No 38
F
33 Milan 3.0 ppb
No 2
B+
34 High Rolls 3.0 ppb
No 34
D
35 Arroyo Seco 3.0 ppb
No 5
C+
36 Mesilla 2.9 ppb
No 7
C+
37 Tierra Amarilla 2.8 ppb
No 22
D
38 Cloudcroft 2.7 ppb
No 57
D
39 Penasco 2.7 ppb
No 10
C+
40 Tohatchi 2.7 ppb
No 2
D+
41 Magdalena 2.6 ppb
No 12
D
42 Taos Ski Valley 2.6 ppb
No 4
B+
43 Albuquerque 2.5 ppb
No 232
F
44 Vaughn 2.5 ppb
No 32
D+
45 Rincon 2.5 ppb
No 2
A-
46 Chamisal 2.5 ppb
No 3
B+
47 San Ysidro 2.4 ppb
No 79
F
48 Placitas 2.3 ppb
No 176
D
49 Chimayo 2.3 ppb
No 22
D
50 Crownpoint Boarding School 2.2 ppb
No 0
B+
51 Truchas 2.2 ppb
No 22
F
52 Bayard 2.1 ppb
No 0
A
53 Estancia 2.1 ppb
No 21
F
54 Rio Rancho 2.0 ppb
No 4
B+
55 Organ 2.0 ppb
No 19
C
56 Silver City 2.0 ppb
No 40
F
57 Anthony 2.0 ppb
No 73
F
58 Dulce 2.0 ppb
No 77
B-
59 Pecos 2.0 ppb
No 55
D
60 Logan 2.0 ppb
No 7
B+
61 Carrizozo 2.0 ppb
No 20
D
62 San Antonio 2.0 ppb
No 1
B+
63 San Rafael 2.0 ppb
No 27
F
64 Santa Ana Pueblo 2.0 ppb
No 2
A
65 Tesuque 2.0 ppb
No 131
F
66 Dona Ana 1.9 ppb
No 21
F
67 Edgewood 1.9 ppb
No 9
F
68 Tularosa 1.9 ppb
No 15
F
69 Jemez Pueblo 1.8 ppb
No 14
A-
70 Garfield 1.8 ppb
No 6
A-
71 Dexter 1.8 ppb
No 3
A-
72 Alcalde 1.7 ppb
No 50
F
73 Eagle Nest 1.7 ppb
No 3
C+
74 Glorieta 1.6 ppb
No 30
D
75 Alamogordo 1.5 ppb
No 41
F
76 Ruidoso Downs 1.5 ppb
No 3
A-
77 Ramah 1.5 ppb
No 26
C+
78 Artesia 1.4 ppb
No 75
F
79 Polvadera 1.4 ppb
No 7
B-
80 Arenas Valley 1.4 ppb
No 1
B+
81 Holloman Air Force Base 1.3 ppb
No 2
C+
82 Laguna 1.3 ppb
No 45
F
83 La Luz 1.2 ppb
No 13
B-
84 Texico 1.2 ppb
No 5
B-
85 Radium Springs 1.2 ppb
No 4
B-
86 Alamo 1.2 ppb
No 13
D
87 White Sands Missile Rang 1.1 ppb
No 2
B+
88 Aztec 1.1 ppb
No 59
F
89 Isleta 1.1 ppb
No 7
A-
90 Santo Domingo 1.1 ppb
No 24
A-
91 Tatum 1.1 ppb
No 2
B+
92 Las Cruces 1.0 ppb
No 222
F
93 Clovis 1.0 ppb
No 66
F
94 Sunland Park 1.0 ppb
No 116
F
95 San Felipe Pueblo 1.0 ppb
No 12
B+
96 Bosque Farms 1.0 ppb
No 11
D
97 Clayton 1.0 ppb
No 1
A-
98 Santa Rosa 1.0 ppb
No 7
D
99 Fort Sumner 1.0 ppb
No 51
D+
100 Mayhill 1.0 ppb
No 53
D
101 Ranchos De Taos 1.0 ppb
No 98
F
102 Melrose 1.0 ppb
No 4
B
103 Canoncito 1.0 ppb
No 4
D+
104 Malaga 1.0 ppb
No 4
C
105 Cleveland 1.0 ppb
No 22
F
106 Holman 1.0 ppb
No 69
F
107 Mesilla Park 1.0 ppb
No 4
B+
108 Eunice 1.0 ppb
No 4
A-
109 Bernalillo 0.9 ppb
No 18
B+
110 Angel Fire 0.9 ppb
No 33
D
111 Bloomfield 0.8 ppb
No 85
D
112 Dixon 0.8 ppb
No 8
D+
113 Acoma 0.8 ppb
No 10
B+
114 Los Alamos 0.8 ppb
No 1
A
115 Jal 0.8 ppb
No 17
C+
116 Lordsburg 0.7 ppb
No 260
D
117 Blanco 0.7 ppb
No 9
C
118 Tyrone 0.7 ppb
No 17
D+
119 Belen 0.6 ppb
No 144
F
120 La Plata 0.6 ppb
No 0
A
121 Regina 0.6 ppb
No 38
F
122 Cannon Afb 0.6 ppb
No 4
C
123 Questa 0.6 ppb
No 38
F
124 Chama 0.6 ppb
No 11
D
125 Kirtland 0.5 ppb
No 8
A
126 Espanolal 0.5 ppb
No 15
A-
127 Cochiti 0.5 ppb
No 10
B+
128 Zia Pueblo 0.5 ppb
No 12
B+
129 Abiquiu 0.5 ppb
No 37
D
130 Raton 0.3 ppb
No 21
F
131 Santa Fe 0.0 ppb
No 200
F
132 Roswell 0.0 ppb
No 14
D
133 Farmington 0.0 ppb
No 55
F
134 Los Lunas 0.0 ppb
No 77
F
135 Portales 0.0 ppb
No 11
B-
136 Deming 0.0 ppb
No 50
F
137 Chaparral 0.0 ppb
No 18
C-
138 Lovington 0.0 ppb
No 178
D
139 Espanola 0.0 ppb
No 186
F
140 Socorro 0.0 ppb
No 36
A-
141 Vado 0.0 ppb
No 26
B-
142 Taos 0.0 ppb
No 58
F
143 Tucumcari 0.0 ppb
No 11
D+
144 Truth Or Consequences 0.0 ppb
No 61
D
145 Elephant Butte 0.0 ppb
No 4
B+
146 Cimarron 0.0 ppb
No 152
D
147 Cedar Crest 0.0 ppb
No 39
D
148 Hatch 0.0 ppb
No 0
A-
149 Loving 0.0 ppb
No 21
F
150 Mountainair 0.0 ppb
No 14
D
151 Hernandez 0.0 ppb
No 46
D+
152 Springer 0.0 ppb
No 160
F
153 El Prado 0.0 ppb
No 39
D
154 Fairacres 0.0 ppb
No 6
B+
155 Chamita 0.0 ppb
No 5
C+
156 Quemado 0.0 ppb
No 57
F
157 Pena Blanca 0.0 ppb
No 33
F
158 Reserve 0.0 ppb
No 10
C-
159 Chamberino 0.0 ppb
No 1
B+
160 San Miguel 0.0 ppb
No 33
B-
161 Ilfeld 0.0 ppb
No 14
D+
162 Mimbres 0.0 ppb
No 30
F
163 Ponderosa 0.0 ppb
No 10
B
FAQ

Frequently asked questions about lead in New Mexico

Is lead in New Mexico tap water a concern?

Yes — 3 of 163 cities with lead data exceed the EPA action level of 15 ppb. The state average is 2.5 ppb. Even below the action level, lead poses health risks especially for children and pregnant women. If your home was built before 1986, consider testing your tap water directly.

How can I reduce lead exposure from New Mexico tap water?

Use an NSF 53-certified water filter, which is specifically certified to reduce lead. Run your cold tap for 30 seconds before drinking or cooking, especially if water has been sitting in pipes for hours. Never use hot tap water for cooking or making baby formula, as heat increases lead leaching from pipes.

Which New Mexico cities have the highest lead levels?

The cities with the highest 90th percentile lead levels in New Mexico are: Ramah, Pinehill (58.0 ppb), Tijeras (21.0 ppb), Maxwell (17.0 ppb), Arroyo Hondo (14.0 ppb), Gallup (10.9 ppb). See the full ranked table above.

More contaminants

Other contaminants in New Mexico

PFAS in New Mexico
Ranked by compounds detected
→
Copper in New Mexico
Ranked by 90th percentile level (mg/L)
→
HAA5 in New Mexico
Ranked by average concentration (µg/L)
→
Chromium-6 in New Mexico
Ranked by max detected (µg/L)
→
Arsenic in New Mexico
Ranked by violation count
→
Nitrate in New Mexico
Ranked by violation count
→
Strontium in New Mexico
Ranked by max detected (µg/L)
→
1,4-Dioxane in New Mexico
Ranked by max detected (µg/L)
→
Manganese in New Mexico
Ranked by max detected (µg/L)
→
Vanadium in New Mexico
Ranked by max detected (µg/L)
→
Chlorate in New Mexico
Ranked by max detected (µg/L)
→
Molybdenum in New Mexico
Ranked by max detected (µg/L)
→
Cobalt in New Mexico
Ranked by max detected (µg/L)
→
Lithium in New Mexico
Ranked by max detected (µg/L)
→
NDMA in New Mexico
Ranked by max detected (ng/L)
→
Perchlorate in New Mexico
Ranked by max detected (µg/L)
→
All states

Lead in drinking water by state

AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaQCRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming
← Lead contamination overview Explore New Mexico water quality → National Lead map →