Indianapolis, Indiana

Environmental Quality Report Card

Indianapolis reports good air quality, with AQI levels better than the national average. Water tests indicate moderate conditions across key measures. Facility compliance with environmental standards is below the national average.

Air Quality (Annual Overview)

Grade B
35.7 AQI

Yearly average AQI (2024): 35.7. National average: 41.4. 77 moderate days, 0 unhealthy days recorded.

Water Quality (Key Indicators)

Grade C
8.15 pH

Latest pH level (2024): 8.15. Ideal range: 6.5–8.5.

Facility Violations

Grade C
8 significant violations

Facilities like factories and treatment plants had 8 significant and 2002 total violations reported in 2024.

Water Quality (with EPA Standards)

Water quality measurements are provided by the Water Quality Portal , a collaboration between the USGS, EPA, and other agencies.

Characteristic Local Value Safe Range Grade Last Measured
Ammonia 1.00 mg/L <0.5 F 1/15/2025
Copper 2.10 mg/L <1.3 F 2/9/2025
pH 8.15 6.5 - 8.5 A 1/15/2025
Turbidity 5.09 NTU <5 C 1/15/2025
Arsenic 0.85 mg/L <0.01 F 2/9/2025
Lead 0.00 mg/L <0.015 A 11/18/2024
Zinc 6.39 mg/L <5 C 7/31/2024

Water Quality (No EPA Standard)

These measurements do not have formal EPA standards but are still important indicators of local water quality.

Characteristic Local Value Unit Last Measured
Strontium 337.00 ug/L 2/9/2025
Magnesium 25.60 mg/L 2/9/2025
Hardness, carbonate 288.00 mg/L 2/9/2025
Total solids 537.00 mg/L 2/9/2025
Total Phosphorus, mixed forms 0.07 mg/L 2/9/2025
Manganese 24.60 ug/L 2/9/2025
Total dissolved solids 406.00 mg/L 2/9/2025
Calcium 76.50 mg/L 2/9/2025
Nickel 1.60 ug/L 2/9/2025
Organic carbon 3.90 mg/L 2/9/2025
Chloride 141.00 mg/L 2/9/2025
Potassium 3.16 mg/L 2/9/2025
Specific conductance 761.00 uS/cm 1/15/2025
Sodium 51.40 mg/L 2/9/2025
Sulfate 88.00 mg/L 2/9/2025
Aluminum 55.80 ug/L 2/9/2025
Iron 158.00 ug/L 2/9/2025
Fluoride 0.17 mg/L 2/9/2025
Barium 81.20 ug/L 2/9/2025
Nitrate + Nitrite 1.20 mg/L 2/9/2025
Alkalinity, total 229.00 mg/L 2/9/2025
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 11.70 mg/L 1/15/2025
Cylindrospermopsin 2.73 ug/L 10/6/2024
Kjeldahl nitrogen 0.70 mg/L 2/9/2025
Boron 35.70 ug/L 2/9/2025
Chemical oxygen demand 14.60 mg/L 2/9/2025
Temperature, water 0.20 deg C 1/15/2025
Dissolved oxygen saturation 94.60 % 1/15/2025
Microcystin 0.04 ug/L 10/6/2024
2-Chloro-4-isopropylamino-6-amino-s-triazine 52.00 ng/L 2/9/2025
Thiamethoxam 150.00 ng/L 2/9/2025
Atrazine 96.00 ng/L 2/9/2025
Metolachlor 0.50 ug/L 2/9/2025
Simazine 79.00 ng/L 2/9/2025
Total suspended solids 10.00 mg/L 9/4/2024
2-Hydroxyatrazine 120.00 ng/L 2/9/2025
Clothianidin 88.00 ng/L 2/9/2025
2-Choro-6-ethylamino-4-amino-s-triazine 41.00 ng/L 2/9/2025
Biochemical oxygen demand, standard conditions 3.30 mg/L 1/15/2025
Imidacloprid 17.00 ng/L 2/9/2025
Selenium 1.20 ug/L 2/9/2025

Air Quality Details (2024–2025)

The Air Quality Index (AQI) measures how clean or polluted the air is. A lower AQI means cleaner air. Main pollutants include particulate matter like PM2.5, ozone, and others regulated by EPA standards.
Air quality data sourced from OpenAQ, aggregating official monitoring stations.

Yearly Average AQI National Average AQI Good Days Moderate Days Unhealthy Days Worst Day AQI Top Pollutant
35.7 41.4 288 77 0 83 (on 10/19/2024) PM2.5

Monthly AQI Trend

Monthly average AQI values over the past year. Lower values are better. Peaks may indicate pollution events.

Facility Compliance

Facility compliance and violation data come from the EPA's ECHO database.

5,000+ monitored facilities

Total Violations: 2002

Significant Violations: 8

Total Penalties: $6,995,994

Despite 8 significant violations, Indianapolis reported 2,002 total violations across monitored facilities in 2024. This results in a compliance grade of C, reflecting average adherence to environmental standards compared to national benchmarks.

About the Data

This report uses the latest publicly available environmental data:

  • Air Quality: Data sourced from the OpenAQ Platform, aggregating official air quality monitoring stations near Indianapolis.
  • Water Quality: Measurements from the Water Quality Portal, a collaboration between the USGS, EPA, and other agencies.
  • Facility Compliance: Sourced from the EPA's ECHO Database, detailing facility violations, penalties, and compliance rates.

All data is refreshed regularly and reflects the latest available figures for 2024.