Vanadium Contamination

Vanadium in Washington Drinking Water

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

Cities Tested

Over HA

% Over HA

5.28 µg/L

State Avg

▼ 1% vs national

vs National

261

Health Violations

Analysis

Vanadium in Washington: what the data shows

Washington has 90 cities with vanadium data from the EPA's UCMR 3 program (2013–2015). Vanadium was detected above the 21 µg/L EPA short-term health advisory in 4 of those cities. The state average max detected level is 5.28 µg/L. Vanadium occurs naturally in groundwater, particularly in the western United States where it leaches from volcanic rock and oil shale formations. Industrial sources include steel manufacturing, oil refining, and fossil fuel combustion. There is no federal MCL for vanadium — the EPA established a short-term health advisory of 21 µg/L for a 10 kg child consuming 1 L/day for 10 days. Long-term exposure to elevated vanadium has been associated with kidney effects in animal studies and possible developmental impacts. Reverse osmosis and ion exchange systems are effective at removing vanadium from drinking water.

Comparison

Cities exceeding 21 µg/L EPA short-term HA (no MCL)

Washington

4 of 90 cities

← ▼ 1% below national rate (better)

National avg

179 of 3322 cities

City Map

Vanadium data across Washington

Each dot is a city with UCMR 3 vanadium testing data. Cities where vanadium exceeds the 21 µg/L EPA short-term health advisory are highlighted. Size reflects population served.

Worst Offenders

Top 10 cities by vanadium level in Washington

Highest Vanadium levels (µg/L)

All Cities

All Washington cities ranked by vanadium level

#	City	Level	Over HA?	Violations	Grade
1	Moses Lake	50.00 µg/L	Over HA	132	F
2	Yakima	40.80 µg/L	Over HA	162	F
3	Othello	37.90 µg/L	Over HA	102	D
4	Cle Elum	23.14 µg/L	Over HA	105	D
5	Vancouver	18.00 µg/L	No	36	F
6	Camas	16.30 µg/L	No	2	C
7	Royal City	15.30 µg/L	No	1	A-
8	Port Orchard	13.00 µg/L	No	753	F
9	Ellensburg	12.00 µg/L	No	19	D
10	Shelton	11.40 µg/L	No	158	F
11	Silverdale	10.00 µg/L	No	17	F
12	Battle Ground	9.70 µg/L	No	12	B-
13	Kennewick	9.35 µg/L	No	78	F
14	Kent	9.00 µg/L	No	31	F
15	Snohomish	8.70 µg/L	No	11	D
16	Puyallup	8.20 µg/L	No	124	F
17	Selah	8.10 µg/L	No	4	B
18	Walla Walla	7.72 µg/L	No	84	D
19	Dupont	7.30 µg/L	No	0	A
20	Richland	7.08 µg/L	No	7	C+
21	Sequim	6.90 µg/L	No	64	F
22	Poulsbo	6.83 µg/L	No	95	F
23	Tacoma	6.60 µg/L	No	232	F
24	Lacey	6.40 µg/L	No	125	F
25	Cashmere	6.20 µg/L	No	21	F
26	Yacolt	6.13 µg/L	No	0	A
27	Manchester	5.80 µg/L	No	7	A
28	Lakewood	5.40 µg/L	No	5	B+
29	West Richland	5.00 µg/L	No	99	F
30	Joint Base Lewis-Mcchord	4.77 µg/L	No	3	B+
31	Bremerton	4.60 µg/L	No	13	C
32	Clarkston	4.28 µg/L	No	16	B+
33	Marysville	4.20 µg/L	No	12	D
34	Auburn	4.00 µg/L	No	18	D+
35	Edmonds	3.80 µg/L	No	0	A-
36	Spanaway	3.80 µg/L	No	9	C+
37	Federal Way	3.40 µg/L	No	2	B
38	Washougal	3.30 µg/L	No	2	B+
39	Buckley	3.20 µg/L	No	5	D+
40	Hoquiam	3.10 µg/L	No	6	B-
41	Tumwater	2.90 µg/L	No	24	D+
42	Castle Rock	2.84 µg/L	No	2	A-
43	Spokane	2.80 µg/L	No	56	F
44	Sammamish	2.40 µg/L	No	6	C-
45	Port Angeles	2.30 µg/L	No	19	F
46	Sunnyside	2.30 µg/L	No	2	A-
47	Chehalis	2.30 µg/L	No	12	F
48	Olympia	2.05 µg/L	No	66	F
49	South Bend	2.04 µg/L	No	83	D+
50	Enumclaw	1.90 µg/L	No	1	B+
51	Redmond	1.76 µg/L	No	4	B-
52	Renton	1.70 µg/L	No	11	D+
53	Bucoda	1.70 µg/L	No	5	B+
54	Wenatchee	1.60 µg/L	No	41	D
55	Centralia	1.60 µg/L	No	5	B-
56	Arlington	1.50 µg/L	No	83	F
57	Birch Bay	1.34 µg/L	No	14	A
58	Ferndale	1.20 µg/L	No	110	F
59	Aberdeen	1.20 µg/L	No	10	D
60	Carbonado	1.20 µg/L	No	41	B
61	East Wenatchee	1.06 µg/L	No	19	B
62	Seattle	0.97 µg/L	No	138	F
63	Kirkland	0.96 µg/L	No	4	D+
64	Yelm	0.93 µg/L	No	12	D+
65	Maple Valley	0.90 µg/L	No	7	C+
66	Mead	0.80 µg/L	No	3	B-
67	Burien	0.80 µg/L	No	1	B+
68	Kenmore	0.73 µg/L	No	0	B-
69	Pasco	0.71 µg/L	No	137	D
70	Mercer Island	0.65 µg/L	No	1	A-
71	Issaquah	0.62 µg/L	No	10	C-
72	Bellevue	0.61 µg/L	No	2	A
73	Lynden	0.57 µg/L	No	235	F
74	Bainbridge Island	0.47 µg/L	No	3	A
75	Bothell	0.46 µg/L	No	7	F
76	Bellingham	0.45 µg/L	No	54	F
77	Kelso	0.42 µg/L	No	15	F
78	Woodinville	0.40 µg/L	No	1	A-
79	Shoreline	0.38 µg/L	No	0	A-
80	Monroe	0.35 µg/L	No	4	C
81	Pullman	0.32 µg/L	No	0	B+
82	Spokane Valley	0.32 µg/L	No	10	C-
83	Nas Whidbey Island	0.30 µg/L	No	0	A+
84	Everett	0.28 µg/L	No	16	D
85	Mukilteo	0.28 µg/L	No	0	A-
86	Mountlake Terrace	0.24 µg/L	No	0	B+
87	Snoqualime	0.24 µg/L	No	4	A-
88	Greenacres	0.24 µg/L	No	12	B+
89	Oak Harbor	0.23 µg/L	No	105	F
90	Lynnwood	0.20 µg/L	No	0	B-

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about vanadium in Washington

Is vanadium in Washington tap water harmful?

Vanadium has no federal MCL. The EPA short-term health advisory is 21 µg/L. 4 cities in Washington exceed this level. Long-term exposure has been linked to kidney effects in animal studies. Vanadium is most common in groundwater in the western US.

How can I remove vanadium from my drinking water?

Reverse osmosis (RO) systems are highly effective at removing vanadium, typically reducing it by 90% or more. Ion exchange systems also work. Standard activated carbon filters are not effective against vanadium. If your water comes from a private well in the western US, consider testing for vanadium.

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