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City water profile

Birmingham water quality

Compare local ZIP estimates, evidence quality, associated public systems, and compliance history for Birmingham, Alabama.

Median indexed hardness

12PPM

21 indexed ZIPs

Range 8.2–48.2 PPM

State comparison
26 PPM below
State hardness rank
#255 of 281
Matched utilities
1
Active health records
0

City summary

What the indexed records say

Birmingham has 21 published ZIP profiles across Jefferson County and Walker County. The indexed median is 12 PPM, compared with 38 PPM across Alabama.

Among the 281 Alabamacities with an indexed median, Birmingham ranks #255from highest to lowest. Across all 406 state ZIP profiles, available estimates run from 7.4to 2810 PPM.

The 8.2–48.2 PPM range shows how much the available ZIP estimates vary within the city label. At least one estimate is marked low confidence, so observation distance and date deserve extra attention.

Hardness distribution

How local ZIP estimates compare

Soft21 ZIPs
Moderately hard0 ZIPs
Hard0 ZIPs
Very hard0 ZIPs

21 of 21 ZIP profiles have a hardness estimate. Bars count ZIP profiles, not households or laboratory samples.

Evidence quality

Distance, dates, and confidence

Median nearest distance
16.8 miles
Profiles with evidence
21/21

Confidence labels

High: 0Moderate: 20Low: 1

Observation window: Jul 10, 2019 to Aug 10, 2022.

ZIP directory

Water reports in Birmingham

Open a ZIP for site-level provenance and measurements.

ZIP code

35061

Soft

11.8 PPM

Nearest site
24 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

35130

Soft

22.9 PPM

Nearest site
31.4 mi
Confidence
Low

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ZIP code

35203

Soft

11.8 PPM

Nearest site
15.8 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

35204

Soft

10.4 PPM

Nearest site
17.1 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

35205

Soft

11.8 PPM

Nearest site
16.8 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

35206

Soft

8.2 PPM

Nearest site
9.2 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

35207

Soft

13.2 PPM

Nearest site
14.8 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

35208

Soft

11.8 PPM

Nearest site
19.9 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

35211

Soft

11.8 PPM

Nearest site
21.1 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

35212

Soft

8.2 PPM

Nearest site
12 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

35214

Soft

10.4 PPM

Nearest site
18.3 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

35215

Soft

34.5 PPM

Nearest site
6.5 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

35218

Soft

11.8 PPM

Nearest site
20.2 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

35221

Soft

11.8 PPM

Nearest site
22.8 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

35222

Soft

10.4 PPM

Nearest site
13.8 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

35224

Soft

10.4 PPM

Nearest site
22.2 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

35233

Soft

11.8 PPM

Nearest site
15.8 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

35234

Soft

11.8 PPM

Nearest site
14.6 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

35235

Soft

48.2 PPM

Nearest site
4.2 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

35249

Soft

11.8 PPM

Nearest site
16 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

35254

Soft

10.4 PPM

Nearest site
18 mi
Confidence
Moderate

View full ZIP evidence →

Public water systems

Utilities associated with this city

Central Alabama Water System

PWSID AL0000738

Surface water
System population served
585,000
Last reported
May 18, 2026

The system names this served city; Census place overlap links the city to this ZCTA.

Compliance history

What EPA records show

No active health-based violation appears among the associated systems in the represented EPA reporting quarter. This does not mean every contaminant was tested at every tap.

RecordSystemPeriodStatus
TTHMAL0000738Jan 1, 2026Archived
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)AL0000738Jan 1, 2026Archived
Lead and Copper RuleAL0000738Oct 11, 2023Unaddressed

Practical next steps

Move from index to evidence

  1. 1. Open your ZIP. Check distance, dates, confidence, and the associated utility.
  2. 2. Read the current CCR. Confirm source water, detections, limits, ranges, and notices.
  3. 3. Test the tap when needed. Confirm health concerns or treatment sizing with the right method.

Questions people ask

About water in Birmingham

Is the water hard?

The indexed city median is 12 PPM. Open the ZIP report to verify the distance and confidence behind that estimate.

Is the tap water safe?

Compliance history is utility-wide and cannot guarantee conditions at every tap. Check current notices and test when address-specific evidence is needed.

Do I need treatment?

Choose treatment only after confirming the problem at the property. A softener targets hardness; contaminant treatment requires a matching, verified performance claim.