Hattiesburg
Hattiesburg, MS water profile — supply sources, drought status, wastewater reuse, and the key water issues facing the city.
city of hattiesburg
groundwater (wells) · local government · PWSID MS0180008
Below EPA's 15 ppb lead action level at last testing.
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) · 2026 Q1
Hattiesburg, MS is a small but growing city, with a population near 46,805 and the 5th-largest community in Mississippi. Like much of Mississippi, Hattiesburg draws its water primarily from Mississippi alluvial aquifer and rivers.
Hattiesburg's water outlook is shaped most by aging infrastructure — the issue that dominates planning across Mississippi. Jackson's drinking-water collapse spotlighted deep infrastructure underinvestment.
Hattiesburg sits in a state that reuses roughly 3% of treated wastewater (minimal programs) and currently experiences severe to extreme drought.
For the bigger picture, see the Mississippi state water profile and the related issues below.
Forrest County water quality
Source: EPA SDWIS · 2026 Q1
At a glance
- Population ~46,805 (5th-largest in Mississippi)
- Primary sources: Mississippi alluvial aquifer and rivers
- Drought: severe to extreme conditions
- State reuse rate: ~3% of wastewater
Statewide drought history
% of Mississippi in severe+ drought (Extreme (D3) now).
Source: U.S. Drought Monitor
Common questions
Is tap water safe in Hattiesburg?
Hattiesburg's largest water system, CITY OF HATTIESBURG, serves about 43,449 people. EPA records show 0 health-based violation(s) since 2016 and a most-recent 90th-percentile lead level of 10.4 ppb (EPA action level is 15 ppb). Always check your own provider's annual Consumer Confidence Report.
Where does Hattiesburg get its water?
CITY OF HATTIESBURG draws primarily from groundwater (wells), part of Mississippi's supply from Mississippi alluvial aquifer, rivers.
Related water issues
Aging 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.
ExploreAgricultural Demand
Agriculture accounts for the majority of consumptive water use in the West, making farm efficiency and water markets central to any supply solution.
ExploreWater Affordability
As utilities raise rates to fund overdue upgrades, water bills are outpacing incomes — and shutoffs are hitting the most vulnerable households hardest.
ExploreLead Contamination
Millions of lead service lines still connect homes to water mains. After Flint, a national push — backed by new EPA rules — aims to rip them all out.
Explore