Akron’s Home for Water Treatment

Yes — Akron’s municipal tap water consistently meets all federal and state drinking water standards and has no current violations requiring residents to use an alternate water source (e.g., bottled water or boil water notices). That said, independent analyses show that several contaminants are present at levels higher than some public health–based guidelines (such as those used by the Environmental Working Group) even though they are still within legal limits.

Yes — like much of Northeast Ohio, Akron’s water is considered hard to very hard due to elevated calcium and magnesium minerals. Hard water can contribute to scale buildup on plumbing and fixtures, reduce soap effectiveness, and shorten the lifespan of water-using appliances.

The Akron Water Supply Bureau has tested for PFAS compounds (including PFOA and PFOS). In at least some instances, PFAS have been detected at levels that exceeded upcoming EPA regulatory standards, prompting the utility to explore granular activated carbon filtration upgrades.
Because PFAS levels can vary by location and over time, many residents choose reverse osmosis or advanced carbon filtration as an extra precaution.

Yes — Akron’s drinking water contains fluoride, which is added at levels designed to support dental health and falls within EPA guidelines. According to independent data sources, fluoride in Akron water averages around ~1.0 ppm.

According to the 2024 water quality testing:

Inorganic contaminants (all within regulatory limits):

Disinfection byproducts:

These byproducts form when chlorine interacts with natural organic matter during treatment — they are within legal limits but sometimes highlighted by independent health guidelines as higher than ideal.

Akron draws water from a combination of reservoirs on the Upper Cuyahoga River and Lake Rockwell. This surface water is treated at municipal plants and distributed to homes and businesses citywide.

The pH of Akron’s water in 2024 averaged about 7.3, with a typical range of 7.0 – 7.7 — considered neutral to slightly alkaline, which is ideal for distribution systems and taste.

Yes, due to hard water and the presence of trace contaminants, many residents benefit from whole-house water filters, reverse osmosis systems, and water softeners to enhance water quality, taste, and appliance longevity.

Total dissolved solids (TDS) refers to all the minerals, salts, metals, and other dissolved substances in your drinking water. While Akron doesn’t routinely post a specific TDS number in the annual report, municipal drinking water is generally well below the EPA’s secondary (aesthetic) guideline of 500 ppm, which is typical for a freshwater city supply and considered safe to drink.

Even when TDS levels are within regulatory limits, higher dissolved solids can still affect taste, clarity, and household performance. Elevated minerals and dissolved solids contribute to mineral “heaviness” or off-taste and can accelerate scale buildup on faucets, fixtures, pipes, water heaters, and appliances over time — especially in areas like Akron where the water is known to be hard (higher in calcium and magnesium).

You can view the 2024 Consumer Confidence Report and detailed test results on the City of Akron Water Supply Bureau’s website under reports and water quality documents.