Dover
Dover, DE water profile — supply sources, drought status, wastewater reuse, and the key water issues facing the city.
rehoboth pump district (tui)
groundwater (wells) · private · PWSID DE0000991
Below EPA's 15 ppb lead action level at last testing.
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) · 2026 Q1
Dover is a small but growing city and the 2nd-largest in Delaware, home to roughly 37,522 residents. Dover's drinking water comes largely from the same regional sources that serve Delaware: Delaware River and coastal aquifers.
As elsewhere in Delaware, the central challenge is saltwater intrusion. Low-lying coastal aquifers are vulnerable to saltwater intrusion and contamination.
Delaware reuses an estimated 5% of its treated wastewater and maintains minimal reuse programs; Dover tracks severe to extreme drought conditions on the U.S. Drought Monitor scale.
Explore the Delaware profile for statewide context, or dig into the water issues shaping Dover below.
Sussex County water quality
Source: EPA SDWIS · 2026 Q1
At a glance
- Population ~37,522 (2nd-largest in Delaware)
- Primary sources: Delaware River and coastal aquifers
- Drought: severe to extreme conditions
- State reuse rate: ~5% of wastewater
Statewide drought history
% of Delaware in severe+ drought (Extreme (D3) now).
Source: U.S. Drought Monitor
Common questions
Is tap water safe in Dover?
Dover's largest water system, REHOBOTH PUMP DISTRICT (TUI), serves about 81,417 people. EPA records show 0 health-based violation(s) since 2016 and a most-recent 90th-percentile lead level of 0.6 ppb (EPA action level is 15 ppb). Always check your own provider's annual Consumer Confidence Report.
Where does Dover get its water?
REHOBOTH PUMP DISTRICT (TUI) draws primarily from groundwater (wells), part of Delaware's supply from Delaware River, coastal aquifers.
Related water issues
Saltwater Intrusion
As coastal aquifers are over-pumped and seas rise, saltwater pushes inland and contaminates freshwater supplies for cities from Florida to California.
ExplorePFAS Contamination
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances persist in water supplies for decades. New federal limits are forcing utilities nationwide to invest in advanced treatment.
Explore