Know what’s in your water before anyone recommends equipment.
Both Bristols drink South Holston water: Bristol, Tennessee from the South Holston River[1] and BVU in Bristol, Virginia from South Holston Lake[2]. Both reported no violations for 2025, and Abingdon’s Washington County Service Authority found zero PFAS in its testing[3]. Our Tri-Cities office is on Shelby Street in Bristol, so a free in-home test is close by.
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The state line runs down State Street, but the water supply crosses it. Bristol, Tennessee runs one treatment plant on the South Holston River, producing about 6 million gallons a day for roughly 40,000 people, including about 12,000 Bristol, Tennessee customers and four nearby utility districts[1]. BVU Authority treats South Holston Lake water for Bristol, Virginia[2]. Almost nobody in the city of Bristol, Virginia is on a well, while about 10% of Washington County, Virginia residents are (5,587 of 54,591)[4].
| Bristol TN source | South Holston River; one plant, about 6 million gallons a day[1]. |
|---|---|
| Bristol TN chlorine | Average 1.68 ppm, range 1.0–2.4 ppm (2025)[1]. |
| Bristol TN byproducts | Trihalomethanes average 62.25 ppb, samples 27.5–81.50 ppb; haloacetic acids 49.08 ppb (federal limits 80 and 60)[1]. |
| Bristol TN lead | 90th percentile below detection; 0 of 30 homes above the action level (2023)[1]. |
| BVU (Bristol VA) | South Holston Lake; chlorine 1.31 ppm (0.21–2.0); trihalomethanes 22 ppb; lead 90th percentile 0.0 ppb (2023)[2]. |
| BVU service lines | 12 galvanized lines needing replacement and 8,195 of unknown material in BVU’s inventory[2]. |
| Abingdon (WCSA) | Middle and South Fork Holston River plus springs; zero detections of 29 PFAS and lithium; no lead service lines[3]. |
| PFAS (EPA UCMR 5) | No PFAS at or above EPA reporting levels for Bristol TN, BVU or WCSA[5]. |
| Homes on private wells | Washington Co., VA 10%; Bristol, VA city 0% (USGS, 2015)[4]. |
Numbers come from each utility’s own report and EPA/USGS data, checked November 2026. Water changes from street to street, so book a free test for your home.
By the legal test, yes. Bristol, Tennessee’s 2026 report covers 2025 and states that the city met all requirements, with no violations[1]. Lead was below detection at the 90th percentile in 2023 sampling, and no unregulated contaminants were above EPA’s reporting levels[1].
One number stands out: disinfection byproducts. Trihalomethanes averaged 62.25 ppb and the highest single sample was 81.5 ppb[1]. Compliance is judged on the running average, so that sample isn’t a violation. It’s still the reason many Bristol families filter chlorine and its byproducts out at the main line with whole-house filtration.
BVU’s 2025 results look clean: chlorine 1.31 ppm, trihalomethanes 22 ppb and a lead 90th percentile of 0.0 ppb in 2023[2]. Its service line inventory is worth a look, though. BVU lists 12 galvanized lines needing replacement and 8,195 lines of unknown material[2]. Unknown doesn’t mean lead. It means nobody has confirmed it yet. If you’re in an older Bristol, Virginia home, a certified lab lead test and reverse osmosis at the kitchen tap are sensible steps while you wait.
The Washington County Service Authority draws from the Middle and South Fork of the Holston River and from springs, including the Jones, Cole and Widener springs at Mill Creek, where water is membrane-filtered, and Reservation Spring[3]. WCSA reports zero detections of the 29 PFAS and lithium in its UCMR 5 testing, no lead service lines and no violations in 2025[3]. Its main system’s trihalomethanes ran 42 ppb and haloacetic acids 43 ppb[3].
None of the three utilities publishes a hardness number. You’ll find figures online, but none of them comes from these reports. Lake water and spring water can differ a lot, so we measure hardness at your sink before anyone talks about a water softener.
Bristol TN, BVU and WCSA water is treated and tested. The usual requests are chlorine and byproduct filtration, reverse osmosis for drinking water, and a softener when the test shows enough hardness to matter.
About one in ten Washington County, Virginia residents is on a well[4], and Sullivan County’s rural edges have some too. EPA advises yearly tests for coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids and pH[6]. See well water treatment.
Bristol, Tennessee’s 2026 report covers 2025 and states the city met all requirements with no violations. Lead was below detection at the 90th percentile, and no unregulated contaminants, including PFAS, were above EPA reporting levels. Trihalomethanes averaged 62.25 ppb, under the 80 ppb limit. A free home test shows your own tap’s water.
BVU Authority treats surface water from South Holston Lake for Bristol, Virginia. Its 2025 report lists chlorine at 1.31 ppm, trihalomethanes at 22 ppb and a lead 90th percentile of 0.0 ppb from 2023 sampling. Its service line inventory lists 12 galvanized lines needing replacement and 8,195 of unknown material.
The Washington County Service Authority reports zero detections of the 29 PFAS and lithium in its EPA UCMR 5 testing of every WCSA-owned source. It also reports no lead service lines and no violations in 2025. Homes on private wells in Washington County, Virginia aren’t covered by that testing.
Bristol, Tennessee, BVU and the Washington County Service Authority don’t publish hardness numbers, so any figure you see online isn’t from the utilities. Lake water and spring water can differ. A free in-home test from TWA’s Bristol office measures the hardness at your tap, which is the number a softener should be sized to.
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