WSSC Water
Laurel, Maryland
WSSC reads like a corporate magazine — polished spreads, water-drop stat callouts, and a custom map of its two river sources and where they blend. It has tested for PFAS voluntarily since 2020, monthly since 2022, and lets you compare its two plants side by side. Design flourishes occasionally fight readability, and there is no web-native version, which keeps it in the silver tier.
Scored edition: 2024 Water Quality Report: Ensuring Safe Water for Thriving Communities (2024 data). WSSC Water has since published its 2025 Water Quality Report: Excellence Expanded, Safeguarding Every Sip (2025 data), which was not scored.
- Corrected September 13, 2026: Each scorecard now names and links the exact report edition we scored, and notes any newer edition the utility has published. Some report links had pointed to pages that have since moved on to a newer edition.
- Corrected September 13, 2026: The scorecard described a map of three water sources and voluntary monthly PFAS monitoring since 2020. The map shows two river sources and the area where they blend, and the report describes quarterly PFAS testing from 2020, monthly from September 2022.
What their report looks like
How it scored, pillar by pillar
Weighted across five pillars for a 72/100 overall. Each note explains why this report earned that score.
Plain-language clarity25% of score
Generally readable with clear stat callouts, though some body text is wrapped along diagonal shapes, which works against it.
A 5/5 looks like: Every term is translated, units are made tangible (e.g. an Olympic-pool analogy), and each section opens with what it means for you.
Contaminant transparency25% of score
Voluntary PFAS testing since 2020, monthly since September 2022, with detected values shown against the limits, plus dual-plant (Patuxent vs Potomac) comparison tables.
A 5/5 looks like: PFAS, lead and any exceedances are shown with real values against the limits, and problems are disclosed plainly rather than buried.
Information design20% of score
Corporate-magazine spreads with water-drop stat callouts and a custom service map of Potomac, Patuxent and blended water; strong, if occasionally style over substance.
A 5/5 looks like: Contaminant data is visually encoded — charts against limits, multi-year trends, comparisons a layperson reads at a glance.
Digital accessibility & delivery20% of score
A PDF with no responsive web-native report.
A 5/5 looks like: A responsive web-native report with navigation, charts, and an address lookup — not just a PDF.
Timeliness & completeness10% of score
A complete contaminant panel.
A 5/5 looks like: The most recent data year, with a complete contaminant panel including unregulated/emerging compounds.
marks the cohort average across all 25 reviewed reports.
What it does best
- Corporate-magazine spreads with water-drop stat callouts and a custom service map of Potomac, Patuxent and blended water.
- Voluntary PFAS testing since 2020, monthly since September 2022, with detected values shown against the limits.
- Dual-plant comparison tables that let you see Patuxent vs Potomac side by side.
Where it falls short
Some body text is wrapped along diagonal shapes, which hurts readability, and there is no web-native version.
How it compares
WSSC Water's report ranks #9 of 25 reviewed utilities, with a report-clarity score of 72/100 against a cohort median of 69. That places it in the top 36%.
See the full leaderboard
WSSC Water, display your badge
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