City of Savannah Water Resources Department

Wilmington Island System

Water System Number GA0510229

The City of Savannah Water Supply and Treatment department is pleased to report that your drinking water, supplied by the Wilmington Island System, meets all state and federal requirements. To learn more about safety regulations and testing, see the table included in this report.

Source

Underground water source
Drinking water for the Wilmington Island System comes from the Floridan Aquifer. It is drawn from wells between 340 and 576 feet deep. In 2024, the Wilmington Island System supplied 446 million gallons of groundwater for a population of approximately 12,703.
The City of Savannah has been proactive in protecting this pristine drinking water source through responsible management with a state-approved Wellhead Protection Plan and Water Conservation Plan.

Treatment

Treated water
The Floridan Aquifer is a source of drinking water for many people in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. In our area, the only treatment required is the addition of a disinfectant prior to distribution. Fluoride is also added to promote dental health.

Testing

Tested drinking water
The Environmental Protection Agency regulates the amounts of certain substances allowed in public drinking water. The City of Savannah performed over 143,000 tests and procedures, on over 160 water quality parameters in 2024.

Distribution

Glass of clean drinking water

This drinking water is then distributed to your home. The City of Savannah provides some of the most affordable drinking water in the Southeast.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency revised the Lead and Copper Rules to require water utilities to complete an inventory of water service lines on the public and private side. In 2024, the inventory had to classify lines as either Not Lead, Lead, Galvanized Needing Replacement, or Unknown. Savannah’s inventory is available to the public in the form of an interactive map.

Drinking Water Analysis

The City has met all sampling and reporting requirements. This data was collected from January through December 2024.

Substance tested and detected
Chlorine
Fluoride
Total Triahlomethanes (TTHMs)
Total Haloacetic Acids (THAAs)
Lead
Copper
Probable Source
Water additive used to control microbes Erosion of natural deposits, water additive to promote strong teeth Byproduct of water chlorination Byproduct of water chlorination Corrosion of household plumbing Corrosion of household plumbing
Amount Detected
2.04 ppm 0.86 ppm 10.95 ppb 1.5 ppb 2.2 ppb
(90th Percentile)
0.098 ppm
(90th Percentile)
Meets Drinking Water Standards
Maximum Disinfectant Residual Level Goal
The level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or expected risk to health.
4 ppm
Maximum Disinfectant Residual Level Allowed
The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.
4 ppm
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal
The level of contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health, allowing for a margin of safety.
4 ppm 0 ppb 0 ppb 0 ppb 1.3 ppm
Maximum Contaminant Level Allowed
The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. This level is set as close to the goal as feasible using the best available treatment technology.
4 ppm 80 ppb 60 ppb
Action Level
The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow.
15 ppb 1.3 ppm
Range Detected During Reporting Year
2.04-0.22 ppm 0.54-0.86 ppm Not detected - 18.1 ppb Not detected - 1.5 ppb No sample greater than action level No sample greater than action level
Units: ppm = part per million or 1 in 1,000,000. ppb = parts per billion or 1 in 1,000,000,000.
Copper and lead are the only two substances monitored at the customer's tap. They were last sampled in 2022.
Fluoride was sampled in 2023.

Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring

Molybdenum
Strontium
Chromium
Amount Detected
0.56 ppb 373 ppb 0.013 ppb
Range Detected During Reporting Year
0.39-0.77 ppb 338-388 ppb Not detected - 0.076 ppb

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) selected the City of Savannah to participate in the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation 3 (UCMR 3) program. Unregulated contaminants are those for which EPA has not established drinking water standards. The purpose of unregulated contaminant monitoring is to assist EPA in determining the occurrence of unregulated contaminants in drinking water and whether future regulation is warranted.

Unregulated contaminants were last sampled in 2020.

All sources of drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some substances. All water sources are fed by water that passes over the land or through the ground, dissolving naturally occurring minerals and materials, or picking up substances along the way. These substances may include:

  1. Biological substances from humans, agriculture, or wildlife sources
  2. Inorganic substances from stormwater runoff, industrial sources, or wastewater discharges
  3. Insecticides and herbicides from agriculture, stormwater runoff or residential use
  4. Organic chemicals from industrial or domestic processes, stormwater runoff, or septic systems
  5. Radioactive materials that can be naturally occurring or the result of mining or other human activities

If you have any questions regarding safe drinking water regulations or these test results, you may contact the City of Savannah Water Supply and Treatment Department at (912) 964-0698.

Health Information

Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immune-compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their healthcare providers.

EPA/Center for Disease control guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risks of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791

Lead can cause serious health effects in people of all ages, especially pregnant people, infants (both formula-fed and breastfed), and young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and parts used in service lines and in home plumbing. Wilmington Island is responsible for providing high quality drinking water and removing lead pipes but cannot control the variety of materials used in the plumbing in your home. Because lead levels may vary over time, lead exposure is possible even when your tap sampling results do not detect lead at one point in time. You can help protect yourself and your family by identifying and removing lead materials within your home plumbing and taking steps to reduce your family's risk. Using a filter, certified by an American National Standards Institute accredited certifier to reduce lead, is effective in reducing lead exposures. Follow the instructions provided with the filter to ensure the filter is used properly. Use only cold water for drinking, cooking, and making baby formula. Boiling water does not remove lead from water. Before using tap water for drinking, cooking, or making baby formula, flush your pipes for several minutes. You can do this by running your tap, taking a shower, doing laundry or a load of dishes. If you have a lead service line or galvanized requiring replacement service line, you may need to flush your pipes for a longer period. If you are concerned about lead in your water and wish to have your water tested, contact 311 or (912) 651-6565. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available at www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

To access all individual Lead Tap Sample results for Wilmington Island, contact us via email or at (912) 651-2221.

The Service Line Inventory (SLI) is a requirement under the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) to help water systems identify and replace lead service lines. It mandates that all public water systems develop and maintain an inventory of service line materials to assess the presence of lead and protect public health. The inventory will support proactive lead reduction efforts and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements to minimize lead exposure in drinking water. To access the SLI for Savannah Principal, visit the Lead Free Savannah page.