What's in the water in Easton?
If your home in Easton is on public water, it most likely comes from Easton Utilities. Below is everything it reported in its latest published water quality report.
Is this your water? ZIP 21601 also includes rural areas outside the Easton Utilities service area that use private wells. Check your water bill to confirm your provider.
Talbot · Public water system
Easton Utilities
LeadMetals2.1 ppb15 ppbAction level2021–2023
Your body
EPA has set a health goal of zero for lead because no safe level of exposure is known. In children, low-level lead exposure has been linked to lower IQ, learning and attention problems; in adults, to raised blood pressure and kidney effects. Pregnant women and young children are most at risk.
Your home & appliances
Lead itself does not damage plumbing, but its presence is a sign of corrosion: water chemistry that dissolves metal from pipes, solder, and fixtures.
What it is
A metal that usually gets into tap water from lead service lines, lead solder, and older brass fixtures inside buildings, not from the water source itself. Homes built before 1986 are more likely to have lead plumbing.
Exactly as reported
- Lead: 2.1 ppb (90th percentile) · range ND(<1)–6.9 · Action level 15 · health goal 0 · violation: NO · sampled 2021–2023
Total TrihalomethanesDisinfection byproducts9 ppb80 ppbMCL2025
Your body
According to EPA, long-term exposure above the federal limit has been linked to liver, kidney, or central nervous system problems and an increased risk of cancer. Studies have associated long-term exposure to chlorination byproducts with bladder cancer.
Your home & appliances
Trihalomethanes do not affect plumbing. They can also be inhaled during hot showers.
What it is
A group of four chemicals (chloroform, bromodichloromethane, dibromochloromethane, bromoform) that form when chlorine reacts with natural organic matter in water. Levels are usually higher at the far ends of a distribution system and in warm months.
Exactly as reported
- Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM): 9 ppb (highest locational running annual average) · range 0–11.7 · MCL 80 · health goal 0 · violation: NO · sampled 2025
Haloacetic AcidsDisinfection byproducts2 ppb60 ppbMCL2025
Your body
According to EPA, long-term exposure above the federal limit has been linked to an increased risk of cancer.
Your home & appliances
Haloacetic acids do not affect plumbing.
What it is
Five related chemicals that form when chlorine reacts with natural organic matter in water. Like TTHM, they are tracked at points around the distribution system.
Exactly as reported
- Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5): 2 ppb (highest locational running annual average) · range 0–2.1 · MCL 60 · health goal 0 · violation: NO · sampled 2025
Beta/photon emittersRadiological6.1 pCi/L50 pCi/LMCL4/30/2025
Your body
According to EPA, long-term exposure above the federal limit has been linked to an increased risk of cancer.
Your home & appliances
Beta emitters do not affect plumbing.
What it is
A screening measurement of beta radiation in water, from natural minerals (like potassium-40) and some human-made sources. Water systems compare results to a 50 pCi/L screening level.
Exactly as reported
- Gross Beta Particle Activity: 6.1 pCi/L (highest value) · range 6.1 · MCL 50 · health goal 0 · violation: NO · sampled 4/30/2025
CopperMetals0.27 ppm1.3 ppmAction level2021–2023
Your body
According to EPA, short-term exposure above the action level has been linked to stomach and intestinal upset. Long-term exposure has been linked to liver or kidney damage, and people with Wilson’s disease are more sensitive.
Your home & appliances
Copper in water points to pipe corrosion, which can lead to pinhole leaks over time. It also leaves blue-green stains on sinks, tubs, and fixtures.
What it is
A metal that mostly enters tap water from corrosion of copper pipes and brass fixtures, especially when water is acidic (low pH) or sits in pipes for hours.
Exactly as reported
- Copper, Free: 0.27 ppm (90th percentile) · range ND(<0.05)–0.37 · Action level 1.3 · health goal 1.3 · violation: NO · sampled 2021–2023
FluorideMinerals2.3 ppm4 ppmMCL7/25/2024
Your body
EPA sets an enforceable limit of 4.0 mg/L and a secondary standard of 2.0 mg/L. According to EPA, long-term exposure above 4.0 mg/L has been linked to bone disease, and children exposed above 2.0 mg/L may develop dental fluorosis (tooth discoloration or pitting). A 2024 federal NTP review examined fluoride exposure above 1.5 mg/L and children’s IQ.
Your home & appliances
Fluoride does not affect plumbing.
What it is
A mineral that occurs naturally in some groundwater and that many public water systems add at low levels to help prevent tooth decay.
Exactly as reported
- Fluoride: 2.3 ppm (highest value) · range 0.4–2.3 · MCL 4 · health goal 4 · violation: NO · sampled 7/25/2024
- From the report: Easton Utilities does not add fluoride. Some wells have naturally occurring fluoride, and the report includes a required notice that the system's fluoride concentration is greater than 2.0 mg/L. It advises that children under nine be given alternative drinking water or water treated to remove fluoride, to avoid possible staining and pitting of permanent teeth.
ChlorineDisinfectants0.8 ppm4 ppmMax. disinfectant2025
Your body
According to EPA, people drinking water containing chlorine well in excess of the federal limit could experience eye or nose irritation or stomach discomfort. Disinfection itself is an important public health protection.
Your home & appliances
Chlorine causes the “pool” taste and smell many people notice. Over time it can dry out rubber seals and gaskets in fixtures and appliances.
What it is
Public water systems are required to disinfect water to control germs, and most use chlorine or chloramine. A small amount stays in the water all the way to your tap.
Exactly as reported
- Chlorine: 0.8 ppm (highest running annual average) · range 0.1–1 · Max. disinfectant 4 · health goal 4 · violation: NO · sampled 2025
BariumMetals0.0587 ppm2 ppmMCL7/10/2025
Your body
According to EPA, long-term exposure above the federal limit has been linked to increased blood pressure.
Your home & appliances
Barium can add to the mineral scale that builds up in water heaters and pipes.
What it is
A naturally occurring metal found in many rock formations, plus discharges from drilling and metal refining.
Exactly as reported
- Barium: 0.0587 ppm (highest value) · range 0.0126–0.0587 · MCL 2 · health goal 2 · violation: NO · sampled 7/10/2025
ChromiumMetals9.7 ppb100 ppbMCL7/10/2025
Your body
According to EPA, long-term exposure above the federal limit has been linked to allergic dermatitis. Chromium-6 is the more toxic form and is under ongoing EPA review.
Your home & appliances
At drinking-water levels, chromium does not usually affect plumbing or appliances.
What it is
A metal found naturally in rocks and soil and released by steel, pulp, and other industries. Water reports usually list “total chromium,” which includes chromium-3 and chromium-6.
Exactly as reported
- Chromium: 9.7 ppb (highest value) · range 2–9.7 · MCL 100 · health goal 100 · violation: NO · sampled 7/10/2025
- Iron: The report says Wells No. 11 and 12 have elevated naturally occurring iron, which is treated and filtered. It states the average iron level after treatment is less than 0.10 mg/L.
- Sodium: The report states that Easton's water has a sodium content exceeding 20 parts per million, and advises people on sodium-restricted diets to tell their physician.
- Hardness: The report states that Easton's water hardness is less than 50 ppm and is considered soft.
- PFAS: The report states that PFOA and PFOS were not detected in 2021 or 2023 sampling.
Source: Easton Utilities, 2026 Water Quality Report (published 2026, covering 2025), via the Maryland Department of the Environment. Values appear as printed. Detected doesn't mean unsafe; most results are below federal limits.
Outside Easton’s water system?
Private wells aren’t covered by public water rules, so no one tests them for you. These are what Maryland well owners most often test for:
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