Lake Water Quality Report
15 cities ranked · Average grade: B · Indiana
Avg Score
78.3
Cities Ranked
15
Health Violations
12
PFAS Detected
4
78.3
County avg score
15
Cities ranked
87%
A or B grade
7%
D or F grade
12
Health violations
4
PFAS detected
Grade Distribution
How Lake cities scored
A
6
40%
Excellent
B
7
47%
Good
C
1
7%
Fair
D
0
0%
Poor
F
1
7%
Failing
Comparison
County vs Indiana average
▲ 0.2 pts above state average
City Map
Water quality across Lake
Each dot is a city, colored by grade. Click any city to view its full report.
Highlights
Top & bottom cities in Lake
County context
8
Superfund sites in Lake
98.4%
of residents on fluoridated water (CDC, 2020)
1,607,680
lbs/yr to surface water · top 10 TRI facilities
Industrial pollution
Top industrial polluters in Lake
Industrial polluters nearby
Facilities reporting the most surface-water releases in Lake, 2023.
Total reported releases to surface water: 1,607,680 lbs
| Facility | Top chemical | To surface water (lbs/yr) |
|---|---|---|
BP PRODUCTS NA WHITING BUSINESS UNIT WHITING, IN46394 | Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution) | 1,002,622 |
CLEVELAND-CLIFFS STEEL LLC EAST CHICAGO, IN46312 | Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution) | 250,142 |
CARGILL TEXTURIZING SOLUTIONS HAMMOND, IN46320 | Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution) | 187,428 |
USS GARY WORKS GARY, IN46402 | Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution) | 162,597 |
CLEVELAND-CLIFFS STEEL LLC EAST CHICAGO, IN46312 | Zinc compounds | 4,872 |
+ 5 more facilities
Source: EPA Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) 2023
Superfund sites
Superfund sites in Lake
Superfund sites nearby
Federally tracked hazardous-waste sites within Lake on the EPA National Priorities List.
- AMERICAN CHEMICAL SERVICE INC
- FEDERATED METALS CORP WHITING
- GARY DEVELOPMENT LANDFILL
- LAKE SANDY JO M M LANDFILL
- MIDCO I
+ 3 more sites
Source: EPA Superfund National Priorities List
Full Rankings
All 15 cities in Lake
| # | City | Grade | Score | Score | Population | Violations | Issues |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. John | A | 94.2 | 26K | 34 | Health Unresolved | |
| 2 | Merrillville | A | 93.4 | 211K | 11 | Health | |
| 3 | Highland (Highlands) | A | 90.9 | 24K | 7 | Health Unresolved | |
| 4 | Dyer | A- | 87.2 | 17K | 6 | Unresolved | |
| 5 | Hobart | A- | 86.1 | 6K | 17 | Health Unresolved | |
| 6 | Hammond | A- | 85.2 | 78K | 19 | Health Unresolved | |
| 7 | Whiting | B+ | 84.7 | 5K | 29 | Health Unresolved | |
| 8 | Munster | B+ | 81 | 24K | 12 | Unresolved | |
| 9 | Lowell | B+ | 80.2 | 12K | 127 | Health Unresolved | |
| 10 | Griffith | B | 77.7 | 17K | 31 | Health Unresolved | |
| 11 | Crown Point | B- | 72.7 | 38K | 39 | Unresolved | |
| 12 | East Chicago | B- | 72.5 | 26K | 59 | Health Unresolved | |
| 13 | Merrillville | B- | 72.1 | 215K | 114 | Health Unresolved | |
| 14 | Schererville | C- | 59.8 | 31K | 54 | Health Unresolved | |
| 15 | Cedar Lake | F | 36.8 | 6K | 880 | Health Unresolved |