Strontium Contamination

Strontium in Ohio Drinking Water

Ranked by max strontium detected (µg/L) · UCMR 3 data (2013–2015) · Data from EPA SDWIS & UCMR

153

Cities Tested

Over HRL

10%

% Over HRL

721.2 µg/L

State Avg

▲ 4% vs national

vs National

398

Health Violations

Analysis

Strontium in Ohio: what the data shows

Ohio has 153 cities with strontium data from the EPA's UCMR 3 program (2013–2015). Strontium was detected above the 1,500 µg/L EPA health reference level in 15 of those cities. The state average max detected level is 721.2 µg/L. Strontium occurs naturally in groundwater, particularly in areas with limestone and dolomite geology. It can also enter water from industrial waste and mining operations. There is no federal MCL for strontium, but the EPA established a health reference level (HRL) of 1,500 µg/L. Long-term exposure to strontium above the HRL may affect bone health, particularly in children, by substituting for calcium in developing bones. Reverse osmosis and ion exchange systems are effective at removing strontium from drinking water.

Comparison

Cities exceeding 1,500 µg/L EPA HRL (no MCL)

Ohio

10%

15 of 153 cities

→ ▲ 4% above national rate (worse)

National avg

250 of 4371 cities

City Map

Strontium data across Ohio

Each dot is a city with UCMR 3 strontium testing data. Cities where strontium exceeds the 1,500 µg/L EPA health reference level are highlighted. Size reflects population served.

Worst Offenders

Top 10 cities by strontium level in Ohio

Highest Strontium levels (µg/L)

All Cities

All Ohio cities ranked by strontium level

#	City	Level	Over HRL?	Violations	Grade
1	Marion	11000.0 µg/L	Over HRL	9	B-
2	St Marys	6580.0 µg/L	Over HRL	1	B
3	Marysville	6054.5 µg/L	Over HRL	16	B+
4	Wapakoneta	5700.0 µg/L	Over HRL	7	B
5	Bryan	5313.6 µg/L	Over HRL	1	B+
6	Nevada	5277.4 µg/L	Over HRL	0	B+
7	Delaware	3700.0 µg/L	Over HRL	5	B
8	Fremont	3500.0 µg/L	Over HRL	44	B-
9	Baltimore	2800.0 µg/L	Over HRL	1	B
10	Cambridge	1900.0 µg/L	Over HRL	86	C-
11	West Unity	1896.4 µg/L	Over HRL	0	B
12	Beavercreek	1800.0 µg/L	Over HRL	9	B+
13	Bellefontaine	1721.9 µg/L	Over HRL	5	B
14	Findlay	1600.0 µg/L	Over HRL	6	A-
15	Heath	1540.0 µg/L	Over HRL	2	A-
16	Sidney	1463.9 µg/L	No	5	B+
17	Rossburg	1458.6 µg/L	No	0	B+
18	Huber Heights	1400.0 µg/L	No	4	A-
19	Williamsport	1400.0 µg/L	No	31	C-
20	Columbus	1300.0 µg/L	No	56	F
21	Circleville	1300.0 µg/L	No	5	B
22	Quincy	1290.0 µg/L	No	0	A-
23	Bexley	1200.0 µg/L	No	16	C
24	Waverly	1026.6 µg/L	No	4	C+
25	Lima	890.0 µg/L	No	16	F
26	Miamisburg	884.0 µg/L	No	2	C
27	Dayton	882.9 µg/L	No	43	F
28	Kettering	874.0 µg/L	No	14	C
29	Cedarville	790.0 µg/L	No	1	B+
30	Oak Hill	766.5 µg/L	No	9	B-
31	Greenfield	730.0 µg/L	No	3	A-
32	Piqua	709.7 µg/L	No	12	B
33	Franklin	686.0 µg/L	No	2	B+
34	Springboro	685.0 µg/L	No	4	B+
35	Napoleon	652.9 µg/L	No	20	A-
36	Defiance	640.0 µg/L	No	171	F
37	Pataskala	630.6 µg/L	No	4	B+
38	Mount Vernon	630.0 µg/L	No	3	B+
39	Bowling Green	620.0 µg/L	No	85	F
40	Jamestown	619.0 µg/L	No	4	B
41	Chagrin Falls	610.0 µg/L	No	1	C
42	Hillsboro	582.9 µg/L	No	8	B+
43	Port Clinton	580.0 µg/L	No	46	D+
44	Tipp City	561.5 µg/L	No	0	C+
45	Somerville	524.2 µg/L	No	2	A
46	Vandalia	506.0 µg/L	No	10	B+
47	Struthers	480.0 µg/L	No	1	B+
48	Bucyrus	480.0 µg/L	No	3	B
49	Troy	467.2 µg/L	No	3	C
50	Trenton	460.0 µg/L	No	10	B-
51	Xenia	420.0 µg/L	No	1	A-
52	Urbana	420.0 µg/L	No	24	C+
53	Archbold	403.0 µg/L	No	16	B
54	Waterford	402.5 µg/L	No	5	C+
55	Loveland	390.0 µg/L	No	0	B+
56	Lebanon	361.3 µg/L	No	28	D
57	Norwood	360.0 µg/L	No	3	B+
58	Chillicothe	344.8 µg/L	No	0	B+
59	Greenville	343.6 µg/L	No	4	A-
60	Camden	339.9 µg/L	No	1	B+
61	Reading	334.5 µg/L	No	3	B
62	Englewood	323.0 µg/L	No	1	A-
63	Ashland	322.7 µg/L	No	2	B+
64	Attica	296.0 µg/L	No	32	C-
65	Mansfield	280.0 µg/L	No	37	F
66	Fostoria	280.0 µg/L	No	32	F
67	Celina	280.0 µg/L	No	45	B-
68	Lancaster	278.2 µg/L	No	6	B+
69	Batavia	276.7 µg/L	No	2	B+
70	Fairfield	271.8 µg/L	No	9	B
71	Canton	270.0 µg/L	No	2	B-
72	Hamilton	260.0 µg/L	No	5	B-
73	Sandusky	260.0 µg/L	No	6	A-
74	Avon Lake	260.0 µg/L	No	2	A-
75	Vermilion	260.0 µg/L	No	7	B+
76	Berea	251.5 µg/L	No	1	B+
77	Huron	250.0 µg/L	No	13	C+
78	Morrow	249.7 µg/L	No	7	B-
79	Ironton	246.3 µg/L	No	12	C-
80	Cincinnati	240.0 µg/L	No	10	F
81	Medina	240.0 µg/L	No	15	C+
82	Portsmouth	237.0 µg/L	No	1	B
83	Zanesville	236.2 µg/L	No	7	D+
84	Norwalk	230.0 µg/L	No	12	B+
85	Oregon	230.0 µg/L	No	1	B+
86	Wellsville	230.0 µg/L	No	3	C+
87	Cleves	226.2 µg/L	No	1	A-
88	Steubenville	223.8 µg/L	No	30	F
89	Newark	220.0 µg/L	No	6	B-
90	Reynoldsburg	220.0 µg/L	No	0	B+
91	Pickerington	212.9 µg/L	No	1	A-
92	Cleveland	210.0 µg/L	No	2	A-
93	Mentor	210.0 µg/L	No	6	B-
94	Sylvania	210.0 µg/L	No	0	A-
95	Maumee	210.0 µg/L	No	6	B-
96	West Union	209.0 µg/L	No	3	B
97	Springfield	204.8 µg/L	No	42	F
98	Barnesville	203.6 µg/L	No	14	C
99	Toledo	200.0 µg/L	No	13	B
100	Amherst	198.0 µg/L	No	0	B+
101	Monroe	196.0 µg/L	No	2	B
102	Lucasville	192.9 µg/L	No	3	A-
103	Lorain	190.0 µg/L	No	15	B+
104	Painesville	190.0 µg/L	No	0	B+
105	North Ridgeville	190.0 µg/L	No	1	B
106	Mcdermott	190.0 µg/L	No	2	A
107	Mount Orab	186.1 µg/L	No	2	A-
108	Whitehouse	185.0 µg/L	No	8	B
109	Franklin Furnace	183.8 µg/L	No	8	D
110	East Liverpool	183.0 µg/L	No	14	B
111	Gallipolis	181.6 µg/L	No	3	B
112	Little Hocking	181.5 µg/L	No	0	B+
113	Lagrange	180.0 µg/L	No	10	C
114	Glenford	180.0 µg/L	No	3	B+
115	New Richmond	180.0 µg/L	No	0	B-
116	Jefferson	180.0 µg/L	No	1	B
117	Bedford	180.0 µg/L	No	0	A
118	Conneaut	178.0 µg/L	No	6	B+
119	Avon	174.0 µg/L	No	1	A-
120	Athens	170.0 µg/L	No	4	B+
121	Ashtabula	170.0 µg/L	No	3	B+
122	Salem	170.0 µg/L	No	11	C+
123	Aurora	169.0 µg/L	No	0	A-
124	Ripley	167.3 µg/L	No	1	A-
125	Lakewood	166.0 µg/L	No	0	B+
126	Wilmington	160.3 µg/L	No	26	B
127	Norton	160.0 µg/L	No	17	A-
128	N Canton	152.2 µg/L	No	0	A-
129	Wadsworth	150.0 µg/L	No	0	B+
130	Van Wert	150.0 µg/L	No	47	C
131	Dover	147.0 µg/L	No	11	B
132	Youngstown	144.0 µg/L	No	3	C
133	Cuyahoga Falls	140.0 µg/L	No	3	B-
134	Niles	130.0 µg/L	No	1	B
135	Alliance	120.0 µg/L	No	17	B+
136	Ravenna	117.0 µg/L	No	3	C
137	Girard	117.0 µg/L	No	0	B+
138	Massillon	110.0 µg/L	No	13	D+
139	Marietta	110.0 µg/L	No	11	F
140	Galion	110.0 µg/L	No	18	B-
141	Tallmadge	103.0 µg/L	No	1	B
142	Kent	99.4 µg/L	No	36	F
143	Stow	88.5 µg/L	No	4	C+
144	Coshocton	88.0 µg/L	No	13	B+
145	Long Bottom	87.8 µg/L	No	1	A
146	Bellville	84.3 µg/L	No	9	C-
147	Streetsboro	76.6 µg/L	No	1	A+
148	Clyde	76.3 µg/L	No	0	B+
149	Wooster	74.0 µg/L	No	14	F
150	Vienna	72.8 µg/L	No	9	B
151	Warren	69.0 µg/L	No	62	F
152	New Philadelphia	61.0 µg/L	No	4	B
153	Jackson	22.7 µg/L	No	11	B-

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about strontium in Ohio

Is strontium in Ohio tap water harmful?

Strontium at low levels is not considered harmful, but the EPA set a health reference level (HRL) of 1,500 µg/L based on potential bone effects. 15 cities in Ohio exceed this HRL. There is currently no federal MCL for strontium. Children may be more susceptible because strontium can substitute for calcium in developing bones.

How can I remove strontium from my drinking water?

Reverse osmosis and ion exchange (water softener) systems are effective at removing strontium from drinking water. Standard carbon filters are NOT effective. If your water comes from a well in an area with limestone or dolomite geology, consider testing for strontium.

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