Silver Spring
Silver Spring, MD water profile — supply sources, drought status, wastewater reuse, and the key water issues facing the city.
fairland crossing apartments
surface water (rivers/reservoirs) · private · PWSID MD0150102
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) · 2026 Q1
Silver Spring is a small but growing city and the 4th-largest in Maryland, home to roughly 71,452 residents. Silver Spring'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; Silver Spring 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 Silver Spring below.
Montgomery County water quality
Source: EPA SDWIS · 2026 Q1
At a glance
- Population ~71,452 (4th-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 Silver Spring?
Silver Spring's largest water system, FAIRLAND CROSSING APARTMENTS, serves about 1,248 people. EPA records show 0 health-based violation(s) since 2016. Always check your own provider's annual Consumer Confidence Report.
Where does Silver Spring get its water?
FAIRLAND CROSSING APARTMENTS draws primarily from surface water (rivers/reservoirs), 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