Is Mississippi Tap Water Safe to Drink?
Water quality data for 11 cities across Mississippi. Find your city below.
Water quality in Mississippi varies significantly from city to city. Across 11 cities we track, hardness ranges from 15 PPM in Jackson Downtown to 107 PPM in Gulfport, with a statewide average of 54 PPM. Most cities in Mississippi have relatively soft water, so a softener is generally unnecessary.
1 Mississippi cities have forever chemicals (PFAS) above the EPA's 2024 limit of 4 parts per trillion: Oxford (119.7 ppt). A reverse osmosis system or NSF P473-certified filter can reduce PFAS to safe levels.
Complete Mississippi Guide
Statewide water quality overview, costs, and treatment recommendations.
Well Water in Mississippi
Testing, treatment, and common issues for private wells.
Hardest Water Rankings
Mississippi cities ranked by water hardness level.
City Comparisons
Gulfport vs Jackson Downtown
Side-by-side water quality comparison.
Gulfport vs Biloxi
Side-by-side water quality comparison.
Biloxi vs Jackson
Side-by-side water quality comparison.
Mississippi Cities by Water Hardness
| City | Hardness (PPM) | Level | PFAS (ppt) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gulfport | 107 | Moderately Hard | 0 | Deep wells |
| Biloxi | 100 | Moderately Hard | 0 | Biloxi River & wells |
| Jackson | 60 | Moderately Hard | 0 | Ross Barnett Reservoir |
| Southaven | 55 | Slightly Hard | 0 | Memphis Sand Aquifer wells |
| Pearl | 55 | Slightly Hard | 0 | Ross Barnett Reservoir |
| Hattiesburg | 53 | Slightly Hard | 0 | Groundwater wells |
| Olive Branch | 50 | Slightly Hard | 0 | Memphis Sand Aquifer |
| Tupelo | 45 | Slightly Hard | 0 | Tombigbee River & wells |
| Oxford | 30 | Slightly Hard | 119.7 | Sardis Lake + wells |
| Madison | 20 | Slightly Hard | 0 | Ross Barnett Reservoir |
| Jackson Downtown | 15 | Soft | 0 | Ross Barnett Reservoir |