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City water profile

Knoxville water quality

Compare local ZIP estimates, evidence quality, associated public systems, and compliance history for Knoxville, Tennessee.

Median indexed hardness

5PPM

15 indexed ZIPs

Range 4.5–4.5 PPM

State comparison
45 PPM below
State hardness rank
#222 of 222
Matched utilities
6
Active health records
0

City summary

What the indexed records say

Knoxville has 15 published ZIP profiles across Knox County. The indexed median is 5 PPM, compared with 50 PPM across Tennessee.

Among the 222 Tennesseecities with an indexed median, Knoxville ranks #222from highest to lowest. Across all 323 state ZIP profiles, available estimates run from 4.5to 247 PPM.

The 4.5–4.5 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

Soft15 ZIPs
Moderately hard0 ZIPs
Hard0 ZIPs
Very hard0 ZIPs

15 of 15 ZIP profiles have a hardness estimate. Bars count ZIP profiles, not households or laboratory samples.

Evidence quality

Distance, dates, and confidence

Median nearest distance
25.6 miles
Profiles with evidence
15/15

Confidence labels

High: 0Moderate: 0Low: 15

Observation window: Jan 11, 2016 to Mar 9, 2026.

ZIP directory

Water reports in Knoxville

Open a ZIP for site-level provenance and measurements.

ZIP code

37902

Soft

4.5 PPM

Nearest site
23.6 mi
Confidence
Low

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ZIP code

37909

Soft

4.5 PPM

Nearest site
26.2 mi
Confidence
Low

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ZIP code

37912

Soft

4.5 PPM

Nearest site
28.3 mi
Confidence
Low

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ZIP code

37914

Soft

4.5 PPM

Nearest site
22.5 mi
Confidence
Low

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ZIP code

37915

Soft

4.5 PPM

Nearest site
23.7 mi
Confidence
Low

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ZIP code

37916

Soft

4.5 PPM

Nearest site
23.5 mi
Confidence
Low

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ZIP code

37917

Soft

4.5 PPM

Nearest site
25.9 mi
Confidence
Low

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ZIP code

37918

Soft

4.5 PPM

Nearest site
29.5 mi
Confidence
Low

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ZIP code

37919

Soft

4.5 PPM

Nearest site
23.7 mi
Confidence
Low

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ZIP code

37920

Soft

4.5 PPM

Nearest site
18.9 mi
Confidence
Low

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ZIP code

37921

Soft

4.5 PPM

Nearest site
27.1 mi
Confidence
Low

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ZIP code

37922

Soft

4.5 PPM

Nearest site
25.7 mi
Confidence
Low

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ZIP code

37923

Soft

4.5 PPM

Nearest site
27.5 mi
Confidence
Low

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ZIP code

37924

Soft

4.5 PPM

Nearest site
25.6 mi
Confidence
Low

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ZIP code

37929

Soft

4.5 PPM

Nearest site
23.6 mi
Confidence
Low

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Public water systems

Utilities associated with this city

Knoxville Utilities Board - Kub

PWSID TN0000366

Surface water
System population served
254,671
Last reported
May 14, 2026

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

First U.d. Of Knox County

PWSID TN0000369

Surface water
System population served
115,531
Last reported
May 14, 2026

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

Hallsdale-Powell U.d.

PWSID TN0000280

Surface water
System population served
84,315
Last reported
May 14, 2026

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

West Knox Utility District

PWSID TN0000371

Surface water
System population served
77,825
Last reported
May 14, 2026

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

Knox-Chapman Utility District

PWSID TN0000367

Surface water
System population served
41,311
Last reported
May 14, 2026

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

Northeast Knox U.d.

PWSID TN0000515

Surface water
System population served
27,941
Last reported
May 14, 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
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)TN0000367Apr 1, 2024Resolved
TTHMTN0000367Apr 1, 2024Resolved
TTHMTN0000515Oct 1, 2023Resolved
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)TN0000515Oct 1, 2023Resolved
CARBON, TOTALTN0000515Oct 1, 2021Resolved
Consumer Confidence RuleTN0000371Jul 1, 2021Resolved
Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment RuleTN0000369Sep 1, 2018Unaddressed

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 Knoxville

Is the water hard?

The indexed city median is 5 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.