Maryland Tap Water Quality Report

170 cities analyzed • 4,984,209 people served

Updated March 2026 • Data from EWG & EPA SDWIS

170

Cities Analyzed

4.9

Avg Above Guidelines

4,984,209

Total Population Served

Best Water Quality

Stevensville (0 above guidelines)

Most Concerns

Westminster (17 above guidelines)

Most Common Contaminants in Maryland

Contaminant	Found In	% of Cities
Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) carcinogen	124 of 170	73%
Haloacetic acids (HAA5) carcinogen	106 of 170	62%
Barium	104 of 170	61%
Radium, combined (-226 and -228)	97 of 170	57%
Fluoride	97 of 170	57%
Nitrate carcinogen	72 of 170	42%
Chloroform carcinogen	65 of 170	38%
Nitrate and nitrite carcinogen	59 of 170	35%
Chromium (total)	57 of 170	34%
Bromodichloromethane carcinogen	53 of 170	31%

City-by-City Water Quality Rankings

Ranked by number of contaminants above EWG health guidelines (most to fewest).

#	City	Detected	Above Guidelines	Above Legal	People Served
1	Westminster	25	17	0	35,256
2	Aberdeen	29	14	0	16,200
3	Hopewell	27	14	0	13,200
4	Silver Spring	20	12	0	1,900,000
5	La Plata	24	12	0	91,260
6	Sharptown	16	12	0	625
7	Bel Air	23	11	0	104,567
8	Elkton	20	11	1	15,625
9	Taneytown	19	11	0	6,750
10	Hampstead	23	11	0	0
11	Baltimore	21	10	0	1,600,000
12	Frederick	19	10	0	54,000
13	Salisbury	21	10	1	30,343
14	Tysons	21	10	0	378
15	Hagerstown	19	9	0	92,200
16	Rockville	22	9	0	52,000
17	California	16	9	0	43,030
18	Havre De Grace	16	9	0	14,000
19	Brunswick	10	9	0	7,312
20	Lavale	17	9	0	5,500
21	Manchester	17	9	0	4,954
22	Delmar	11	9	0	4,500
23	Smithsburg	19	9	0	2,500
24	Williamsport	19	9	0	2,400
25	Oakland	13	9	0	1,850
26	Funkstown	19	9	0	1,300
27	Woodsboro	14	9	0	846
28	Perry Point	11	9	0	0
29	410-723-1832	14	8	0	30,000
30	Patuxent River	14	8	0	22,000
31	North East	13	8	0	8,600
32	Thurmont	10	8	0	6,200
33	Severn	10	8	0	2,400
34	Westernport	10	8	0	2,200
35	Hancock	9	8	0	1,921
36	Hebron	10	8	0	1,022
37	Grantsville	11	8	0	885
38	Boonsboro	10	8	0	250
39	Luke	10	8	0	68
40	Accident	11	8	0	0
41	Fort George Meade	12	8	0	0
42	Berlin	20	7	0	11,890
43	Mount Airy	16	7	1	9,890
44	Emmitsburg	10	7	0	2,400
45	New Windsor	9	7	0	1,100
46	Willards	7	7	0	940
47	St. Michaels	9	7	0	675
48	Earleville	9	7	0	40
49	Snow Hill	13	7	0	0
50	St Michaels	11	7	0	0
51	Annapolis	10	6	0	35,000
52	Cambridge	12	6	0	15,000
53	Cumberland	14	6	0	5,703
54	Pocomoke City	9	6	0	4,100
55	St Leonard	11	6	0	2,000
56	Rock Hall	9	6	0	1,750
57	Myersville	7	6	0	1,516
58	Sherwood Forest	9	6	0	1,200
59	Queenstown	8	6	0	705
60	Farmington Hills	11	6	0	540
61	Sykesville	9	6	0	450
62	Sunderland	7	6	0	85
63	Bowie	11	5	0	25,000
64	Easton	14	5	0	17,357
65	Lusby	8	5	0	9,500
66	Cockeysville	6	5	0	5,447
67	Middletown	7	5	0	4,288
68	Indian Head	8	5	0	4,100
69	Newark	7	5	0	3,500
70	Trappe	7	5	0	1,200
71	Colora	8	5	0	250
72	Leesport	7	5	0	35
73	Sudlersville	6	5	0	0
74	Centreville	6	5	0	0
75	Bishopville	8	5	0	0
76	Columbia	10	4	0	286,158
77	Walkersville	6	4	0	8,440
78	Fruitland	8	4	0	5,907
79	Chesapeake Beach	8	4	0	5,000
80	Prince Frederick	6	4	0	4,371
81	Dunkirk	5	4	0	3,991
82	Princess Anne	7	4	0	3,300
83	North Beach	7	4	0	3,000
84	Union Bridge	5	4	0	997
85	Preston	5	4	0	700
86	Vienna	8	4	0	460
87	Lewis	4	4	0	384
88	Ellicott City	10	4	0	315
89	Rising Sun	6	4	0	290
90	Belle Mead	5	4	0	220
91	Sharpsburg	7	4	0	220
92	Sparks Glencoe	4	4	0	200
93	Reistertown	5	4	0	170
94	Chesapeake City	5	4	0	159
95	Woodbine	6	4	0	76
96	Martinsburg	9	4	0	65
97	Clarksburg	7	4	0	38
98	Swanton	6	4	0	32
99	Perryville	8	4	0	30
100	Church Hill	5	4	0	0
101	Betterton	7	4	0	0
102	Cecilton	6	4	0	0
103	Millersville	12	3	0	290,606
104	Leonardtown	5	3	0	2,930
105	Hurlock	5	3	0	2,150
106	Ridgely	5	3	0	1,600
107	Chestertown	6	3	0	955
108	Lexington Park	4	3	0	892
109	Lothian	4	3	0	810
110	Brandywine	6	3	0	780
111	Oxford	5	3	0	726
112	Waldorf	6	3	0	551
113	Secretary	4	3	0	535
114	Timonium	5	3	0	500
115	Street	4	3	0	460
116	Port Republic	7	3	0	425
117	Port Deposit	4	3	0	400
118	Reading	5	3	0	395
119	Crofton	6	3	0	320
120	Durham	4	3	0	300
121	Finksburg	3	3	0	180
122	Mt. Savage	6	3	0	130
123	Randalstown	3	3	0	125
124	Bethesda	5	3	0	96
125	Parsonsburg	6	3	0	91
126	Lapeer	5	3	0	86
127	Gambrills	5	3	0	85
128	Childs	6	3	0	64
129	Conowingo	3	2	0	2,772
130	Pittsville	3	2	0	1,500
131	East New Market	3	2	0	400
132	Lancaster	5	2	0	315
133	Midlothian	5	2	0	300
134	Accokeek	4	2	0	300
135	Springfield	5	2	0	285
136	Freeland	2	2	0	250
137	Bryans Road	3	2	0	150
138	Potomac	4	2	0	150
139	East Greenville	3	2	0	78
140	Ocean Pines	4	2	0	68
141	Huntingtown	2	2	0	65
142	Federalsburg	4	2	0	45
143	Lonaconing	5	2	0	45
144	Kennedyville	4	2	0	38
145	Millington	2	2	0	0
146	Claiborne	5	2	0	0
147	Jessup	1	1	0	900
148	Media	4	1	0	490
149	Grasonville	4	1	0	481
150	Glen Arm	1	1	0	350
151	Mountain Lake Park	3	1	0	272
152	Great Mills	1	1	0	175
153	Charlotte	5	1	0	150
154	Herndon	3	1	0	86
155	Darlington	3	1	0	85
156	Queen Anne	3	1	0	70
157	Private	2	1	0	65
158	Bridgeville	4	1	0	50
159	Chester	2	1	0	44
160	Stevenson	2	1	0	40
161	Severna Park	5	1	0	35
162	Rawlings	4	1	0	30
163	Greensboro	4	1	0	27
164	Stevensville	0	0	0	1,030
165	Denton	0	0	0	200
166	Hollywood	0	0	0	120
167	Tylerton	0	0	0	100
168	Newburg	0	0	0	90
169	Ocean City	0	0	0	40
170	Cordova	2	0	0	0

Recommended Filtration for Maryland

Based on the most common contaminants found across Maryland (Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Haloacetic acids (HAA5), Barium), we recommend a reverse osmosis system or high-quality carbon block filter to remove disinfection byproducts and their precursors.

Echo RO System

Removes up to 99.9% of contaminants. The gold standard for drinking water in Maryland homes.

View RO Systems

Echo Whole-Home Filter

Protect every tap in your home from chlorine, VOCs, and disinfection byproducts.

View Whole-Home Filters

Echo Hydrogen Water Flask

Once your water is clean, supercharge it with molecular hydrogen for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.

Shop Hydrogen Flask

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Maryland tap water safe to drink?

Water quality varies significantly across Maryland. Of the 170 cities analyzed, the average city has 4.9 contaminants above EWG health guidelines. The best water quality was found in Stevensville. We recommend checking your specific city's report for detailed information.

What city has the best water in Maryland?

Based on our analysis, Stevensville has the fewest contaminants above EWG health guidelines in Maryland, with 0 above guideline levels.

What city has the worst water in Maryland?

Based on our analysis, Westminster has the most contaminants above EWG health guidelines in Maryland, with 17 above guideline levels.

What's the best water filter for Maryland residents?

For most Maryland households, we recommend a reverse osmosis (RO) system for drinking water and a whole-home filter for showers and baths. The specific recommendation depends on your city's contaminant profile — check your city's report for personalized guidance.

National Water Quality Reports

Data sources: Environmental Working Group (EWG) Tap Water Database, U.S. EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS)

Last updated: March 2026

Methodology: Contaminant levels are compared against both EPA legal limits (Maximum Contaminant Levels) and EWG health guidelines, which are often stricter and based on the latest scientific research.

Maryland Water Quality Report (2026)