Bristol County Water Authority, RI
Lead detected, under the action levels
Latest 90th-percentile lead: 1.6 ppb (monitoring period 2026-2026). The federal action level is 15 ppb today and drops to 10 ppb in Nov 2027; EPA's health goal is 0. Lead was measured in sampled homes but the 90th percentile is under both action levels. EPA's health goal for lead is zero, so test your own tap if your home was built before 1986 or anyone in it is pregnant or a young child.
About Bristol County Water Authority
Bristol County Water Authority serves about 49,000 people through 15,744 service connections, which makes it a large system under EPA's size classes. It is owned by a local government (city, town, county or district) and draws surface water, in Bristol County, Rhode Island. EPA system ID: RI1647515; phone on file: 401-245-2022. Call that number and ask whether your address has a lead, galvanized or unknown service line.
Every lead result on file
Against the period ending 2025 (1.9 ppb) the latest result is about the same. The highest 90th-percentile result EPA holds for Bristol County Water Authority is 5.6 ppb across 10 monitoring periods, none of them over 15 ppb.
| Period ending | 90th-percentile lead |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 1.6 ppb |
| 2025 | 1.9 ppb |
| 2024 | 2.4 ppb |
| 2023 | 0.9 ppb |
| 2022 | 1 ppb |
| 2021 | 2.7 ppb |
| 2020 | 2 ppb |
| 2019 | 4.2 ppb |
| 2018 | 5.6 ppb |
| 2017 | 2.6 ppb |
Where this result ranks
Of the 78 Rhode Island systems with a lead result, the median latest reading is 1.1 ppb; 6 are over 15 ppb right now and 17 have gone over at some point. Bristol County Water Authority's 1.6 ppb sits at the 61st percentile in Rhode Island and the 65th nationally (higher means more lead).
Nearby utilities
2 other systems share Bristol County; 0 of them have a higher latest lead result than Bristol County Water Authority. If you are unsure which one supplies your house, the name on your water bill decides it.
| System | People | Latest lead |
|---|---|---|
| Touisset Point Water Trust | 225 | - |
| Dawn Hill Home Rehab And Healthcare, The | 220 | 0 (not detected) |
Next steps for Warren, RI
Test your own tap with a certified lab first-draw sample; Warren, RI may offer free or low-cost kits through the utility. If your own line is lead, replacing the private side runs about $1,200-$12,300 (EPA average about $4,700). Ask Bristol County Water Authority whether it covers that cost before hiring anyone - many utilities now do.
These figures describe homes the utility sampled, not your tap. Only your service line record or a test of your own water answers the question for your house. The lead result guide covers how utilities pick the homes they sample. Size matters more than most people expect: small vs large water systems.