COLONIAL HEIGHTS, CITY OF vs FAIRFAX COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY
Water quality comparison — risk levels, violations, PFAS records, and contaminants
Quick Answer
Both utilities share the same risk level (safe). COLONIAL HEIGHTS, CITY OF has 0 open health-based violations and 116 PFAS records. FAIRFAX COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY has 0 open health-based violations and 696 PFAS records.
Virginia · VA3570150
No Concerns Detected
Water meets all safety standards with no detected exceedances.
0
Open violations
116
PFAS records
Virginia · VA6059501
No Concerns Detected
Water meets all safety standards with no detected exceedances.
0
Open violations
696
PFAS records
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Metric | COLONIAL HEIGHTS, CITY OF | FAIRFAX COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY |
|---|---|---|
| State | Virginia | Virginia |
| Risk Level | No Concerns Detected | No Concerns Detected |
| Population Served | 18,273 | 1,121,613 |
| Open Health Violations | 0 | 0 |
| Total Violations | 0 | 0 |
| PFAS Records | 116 | 696 |
| Ownership | Local | Local |
| Service Type | Surface water | Surface water |
| City Served | Colonial Heights City | Fairfax |
Key Differences
COLONIAL HEIGHTS, CITY OF has 116 PFAS records vs. 696 for FAIRFAX COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY.
What Should I Do?
If either utility shows open violations or elevated PFAS records, consider:
- Installing a reverse osmosis filter — removes PFAS, lead, arsenic, nitrates, and most heavy metals.
- Requesting your utility’s annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) for the most current test results.
- Ordering a certified lab water test if you want contaminant-specific data for your address.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is safer — COLONIAL HEIGHTS, CITY OF or FAIRFAX COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY?
Both utilities share the same risk level (safe). Both utilities have similar violation profiles — review the full data above to decide based on specific contaminants that concern you.
What does "open health-based violation" mean?
An open health-based violation means a water system has exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) or failed to meet a treatment technique — and the violation has not yet been resolved. These are the most serious type of water quality violations.
How current is this data?
Violation data comes from EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), which is updated as utilities report. PFAS data comes from EPA's UCMR 5 monitoring (2023–2025). Risk levels are recalculated daily.
What does PWSID mean?
PWSID stands for Public Water System ID — a unique federal identifier assigned to each community water system. You can use it to look up a system in EPA's ECHO database.