Lewiston
Lewiston, ME water profile — supply sources, drought status, wastewater reuse, and the key water issues facing the city.
lewiston water & sewer division
surface water (rivers/reservoirs) · local government · PWSID ME0090830
Below EPA's 15 ppb lead action level at last testing.
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) · 2026 Q1
Lewiston is a small but growing city and the 2nd-largest in Maine, home to roughly 36,202 residents. Lewiston's drinking water comes largely from the same regional sources that serve Maine: rivers, lakes, and groundwater.
As elsewhere in Maine, the central challenge is pfas contamination. Maine has been a national focal point for PFAS contamination, particularly on farmland spread with biosolids.
Maine reuses an estimated 3% of its treated wastewater and maintains minimal reuse programs; Lewiston tracks abnormally dry to moderate drought conditions on the U.S. Drought Monitor scale.
Explore the Maine profile for statewide context, or dig into the water issues shaping Lewiston below.
Androscoggin County water quality
Source: EPA SDWIS · 2026 Q1
At a glance
- Population ~36,202 (2nd-largest in Maine)
- Primary sources: rivers, lakes, and groundwater
- Drought: abnormally dry to moderate conditions
- State reuse rate: ~3% of wastewater
Statewide drought history
% of Maine in severe+ drought (Moderate (D1) now).
Source: U.S. Drought Monitor
Common questions
Is tap water safe in Lewiston?
Lewiston's largest water system, LEWISTON WATER & SEWER DIVISION, serves about 23,720 people. EPA records show 0 health-based violation(s) since 2016 and a most-recent 90th-percentile lead level of 2.3 ppb (EPA action level is 15 ppb). Always check your own provider's annual Consumer Confidence Report.
Where does Lewiston get its water?
LEWISTON WATER & SEWER DIVISION draws primarily from surface water (rivers/reservoirs), part of Maine's supply from rivers, lakes, groundwater.
Related water issues
PFAS Contamination
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances persist in water supplies for decades. New federal limits are forcing utilities nationwide to invest in advanced treatment.
ExploreAging Infrastructure
Much of America's water infrastructure is decades past its design life, leaking trillions of gallons a year and demanding hundreds of billions in reinvestment.
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