Bowie
Bowie, MD water profile — supply sources, drought status, wastewater reuse, and the key water issues facing the city.
city of bowie
groundwater (wells) · local government · PWSID MD0160002
Below EPA's 15 ppb lead action level at last testing.
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) · 2026 Q1
Bowie is a small but growing city and the 13th-largest in Maryland, home to roughly 58,025 residents. Bowie's drinking water comes largely from the same regional sources that serve Maryland: Potomac River, Chesapeake tributaries, and coastal aquifers.
As elsewhere in Maryland, the central challenge is saltwater intrusion. Chesapeake Bay restoration drives heavy investment in stormwater and nutrient management.
Maryland reuses an estimated 7% of its treated wastewater and maintains developing reuse programs; Bowie tracks severe to extreme drought conditions on the U.S. Drought Monitor scale.
Explore the Maryland profile for statewide context, or dig into the water issues shaping Bowie below.
Prince George's County water quality
Source: EPA SDWIS · 2026 Q1
At a glance
- Population ~58,025 (13th-largest in Maryland)
- Primary sources: Potomac River, Chesapeake tributaries, and coastal aquifers
- Drought: severe to extreme conditions
- State reuse rate: ~7% of wastewater
Statewide drought history
% of Maryland in severe+ drought (Extreme (D3) now).
Source: U.S. Drought Monitor
Common questions
Is tap water safe in Bowie?
Bowie's largest water system, CITY OF BOWIE, serves about 25,000 people. EPA records show 1 health-based violation(s) since 2016 and a most-recent 90th-percentile lead level of 0 ppb (EPA action level is 15 ppb). Always check your own provider's annual Consumer Confidence Report.
Where does Bowie get its water?
CITY OF BOWIE draws primarily from groundwater (wells), part of Maryland's supply from Potomac River, Chesapeake tributaries, 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.
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.
ExploreStormwater Capture
Cities are reengineering streets and parks to capture rain that once ran to the sea, recharging aquifers and reducing flooding at the same time.
Explore