Benton Harbor
Benton Harbor (EPA ID MI0000600) in Benton Harbor, MI supplies surface water (rivers, lakes) to about 9,103 people: 20 violations since 2016, latest lead result 0.8 ppb, PFAS not detected.
Health-based violations since 2016: Carbon, Total, Lead and Copper Rule, Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule. All are listed as resolved.
90th-percentile lead in the latest round (Jan 2025). Lead comes mostly from household plumbing and service lines, so individual homes can be higher.
None of the tested PFAS were found above EPA’s reporting limits in 2023–2025.
Service area
EPA service-area boundary (state-supplied or EPA-modeled)System facts
Health-based violations
| Contaminant or rule | Health-based violations since 2016 |
|---|---|
| Carbon, Total | 12 |
| Lead and Copper Rule | 4 |
| Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule | 2 |
| Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule | 1 |
| Surface Water Treatment Rule | 1 |
A health-based violation means a contaminant exceeded its legal limit (MCL) or a required treatment technique was not met, as reported by the state to EPA’s SDWIS. All are listed as resolved or archived; the latest began Apr 2026.
Lead
90th-percentile lead per sampling round (90% of the homes sampled were at or below this level). Black line: EPA’s 15 ppb action level; under the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements the action level becomes 10 ppb from 2027.
PFAS
| Compound | Highest result | Samples with detection | EPA limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| HFPO-DA (GenX) | not detected | 0 of 4 | — |
| PFBA | not detected | 0 of 4 | — |
| PFPeA | not detected | 0 of 4 | — |
| PFBS | not detected | 0 of 4 | — |
| PFNA | not detected | 0 of 4 | — |
| PFHpA | not detected | 0 of 4 | — |
| PFHxS | not detected | 0 of 4 | — |
| PFOS | not detected | 0 of 4 | 4 ppt MCL |
| PFOA | not detected | 0 of 4 | 4 ppt MCL |
| PFDA | not detected | 0 of 4 | — |
| PFHxA | not detected | 0 of 4 | — |
EPA Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 5), samples 2023–2025; ppt = parts per trillion (ng/L). The 4.0 ppt maximum contaminant levels for PFOA and PFOS were set by EPA in 2024; water systems have until the end of the decade to comply.
ZIP codes served
ZIP codes whose center lies in this system’s service area or that the state lists for it.
What this is — and isn’t. These are records your water utility and state reported to the EPA, and the EPA’s radon map for your county. They describe the system and the area, not the water from your own tap or the air in your home. For that, read your utility’s annual Consumer Confidence Report and test: lead and radon tests are inexpensive.
Questions
Has Benton Harbor had drinking water violations?
Health-based violations since 2016: Carbon, Total, Lead and Copper Rule, Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule. All are listed as resolved.
What is the lead level in Benton Harbor water?
The latest 90th-percentile lead result (Jan 2025) was 0.8 ppb. EPA’s action level is 15 ppb (10 ppb from 2027).
Does Benton Harbor have PFAS in its water?
None of the tested PFAS were found above EPA’s reporting limits in 2023–2025.