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Pennsylvania Water Quality
812
Utilities in database
11.3M
Residents served
3
With open violations
354
PFAS monitored
Quick Answer
Pennsylvania public drinking water is served by 812 EPA-tracked water systems, providing service to approximately 11.3 million residents through public utilities. 3 of those systems currently have open health-based violations on record in the EPA federal database. 354 systems have official PFAS monitoring records from the EPA UCMR 5 program (2023–2025). About 30% of PA residents use private wells, which fall outside federal utility compliance monitoring.
3 Pennsylvania water systems have open health-based violations recorded in EPA SDWIS. An open violation means a contaminant exceeded a federal limit and the violation has not been formally resolved in the federal database. Check individual utility pages for current status.
Open Health-Based Violations in Pennsylvania
Records sourced from EPA SDWIS. A record may be under review or resolved at the utility level but not yet updated in federal records. Water Utility Report does not determine whether water is safe to drink.
Drinking Water in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has 812 community water systems serving approximately 11.3 million residents. Primary water sources include groundwater. The most commonly reported contaminants include disinfection byproducts, lead, nitrates. 30% of Pennsylvania residents rely on private wells. DEP holds primary enforcement authority under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Highest Risk Utilities
Pennsylvania systems with open health-based violations in EPA records.
Safest Large Utilities
Pennsylvania systems with no open health violations serving 10,000+ residents.
Utilities in Pennsylvania
1–25 of 812Philadelphia Water Department
PA1510001 · 1,600,000 served
Aqua Pa Main System
PA1460073 · 822,600 served
Pa Amer Water Co-pittsburgh
PA5020039 · 686,000 served
Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Auth
PA5020038 · 520,000 served
Erie City Water Authority
PA6250028 · 220,001 served
York Water Co
PA7670100 · 206,762 served
West View Water Authority
PA5020043 · 200,000 served
Mawc Sweeney Plant
PA5650032 · 143,000 served
Chester Water Authority
PA1230004 · 140,437 served
Pa Amer Water Co Lake Scranton
PA2359008 · 134,570 served
Mawc Yough Plant
PA5260036 · 133,000 served
Wilkinsburg-penn Jt Water Auth
PA5020056 · 125,000 served
City of Lancaster
PA7360058 · 120,000 served
Lca Allentown Division
PA3390024 · 118,000 served
City of Bethlehem
PA3480046 · 117,259 served
Veolia Water
PA7220015 · 110,000 served
Pa American Water Co West
PA7210029 · 105,127 served
Easton Area Water System
PA3480050 · 96,867 served
Reading Area Water Authority
PA3060059 · 95,100 served
North Penn Water Authority
PA1460034 · 91,941 served
Pa American Norristown
PA1460046 · 88,885 served
North Wales Water Authority
PA1460048 · 72,496 served
State College Boro Water Auth
PA4140096 · 72,000 served
Capital Region Water
PA7220049 · 66,540 served
Lower Bucks Co Joint Mun Auth
PA1090026 · 63,007 served
Key Contaminant Concerns in Pennsylvania
These contaminants appear most frequently in Pennsylvania utility records or pose elevated risk in this region based on EPA data.
Lead
Lead is a naturally occurring heavy metal that was widely used in plumbing infrastructure until it was banned for new installations in 1986. An estimated 9.2 million lead service lines still connect homes to public water mains across the United States, along with millions of homes with lead solder in their internal plumbing. Critically, a utility's water quality report can show zero detected lead at the treatment plant while your specific tap still delivers elevated lead — because the contamination happens inside the distribution system and your home's plumbing, not at the source.
EPA limit: 15 ppb (action level)
Nitrates
Nitrate (NO₃⁻) is a nitrogen-containing compound that forms naturally through the decomposition of organic matter. At elevated concentrations — almost always caused by human activity — nitrate is converted in the digestive system to nitrite, which then reacts with hemoglobin to form methemoglobin, a form of hemoglobin that cannot carry oxygen. In the body, nitrite also reacts with amines in food to form N-nitroso compounds (nitrosamines) — known carcinogens classified by the IARC as Group 2A (probable human carcinogens). The United States applies over 23 million tons of nitrogen fertilizer annually, making agricultural runoff the dominant source of nitrate contamination in U.S. groundwater.
EPA limit: 10 mg/L
DBPs
When utilities add chlorine to water to kill pathogens, it reacts with dissolved organic matter — leaves, algae, soil — to produce disinfection byproducts (DBPs). Over 600 DBPs have been identified. The EPA regulates two groups: total trihalomethanes (TTHMs, including chloroform) and haloacetic acids (HAA5). DBP levels tend to be highest in surface water systems and in warm months when organic matter is elevated.
EPA limit: 80 µg/L (TTHMs) / 60 µg/L (HAA5)
City Water Reports in Pennsylvania
Tap water quality pages for Pennsylvania cities — violations, PFAS records, utility profiles, and official source links.
Pennsylvania PFAS Watchlist — all utilities with official recordsIndependent Water Testing
Find a certified lab in Pennsylvania
Utility compliance records show what water systems report to the EPA. An independent test from a certified laboratory confirms what's actually in your tap water. Pennsylvania labs can test for PFAS, lead, nitrates, bacteria, and dozens of other contaminants.
Explore Water Quality in Pennsylvania
Philadelphia Water Department
Violation history, PFAS records, and official source links
Aqua Pa Main System
Violation history, PFAS records, and official source links
Pa Amer Water Co-pittsburgh
Violation history, PFAS records, and official source links
PFAS monitoring records — Pennsylvania
354 water systems in Pennsylvania with EPA UCMR 5 records
Active drinking water violations
3 open health-based violations on record — view official EPA SDWIS data
Lead in Pennsylvania drinking water
State-specific lead data, violation utilities, and testing guidance
PFAS in Pennsylvania drinking water
State-specific PFAS data, MCL context, and treatment options
Certified water testing labs in Pennsylvania
Labs certified for PFAS (EPA 533/537.1), lead, and bacteria testing
Water treatment options
Reverse osmosis, activated carbon, and filtration guides with cost ranges
Data sources and methodology
How WaterUtilityReport.com sources and validates official EPA data
Common Questions About Pennsylvania Drinking Water
Does Pennsylvania drinking water have PFAS?
354 Pennsylvania water systems have EPA UCMR 5 PFAS monitoring records (2023–2025)
Which Pennsylvania water utilities have open violations?
3 systems have open health-based violations in EPA SDWIS — search for your utility
How do I test my water in Pennsylvania?
State-certified labs for PFAS (EPA 533/537.1), lead, nitrate, and bacteria testing
What treatment removes PFAS from PA tap water?
Reverse osmosis removes PFAS, lead, arsenic, and nitrates — cost, maintenance, and NSF certification explained
What do Pennsylvania PFAS records tell me about my water?
EPA limits, health context, and what UCMR 5 detection above MRL means for your water
How is Pennsylvania water quality data sourced here?
EPA SDWIS violations, UCMR 5 PFAS records, and CCR data — sources, accuracy notes, and limitations
Pennsylvania Water FAQs
Data sources: Utility compliance and violation data from EPA SDWIS (Safe Drinking Water Information System). PFAS monitoring records from EPA UCMR 5 (Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule 5, 2023–2025). Contaminant data from EPA and ATSDR public references. This page summarizes public records — it is not a compliance determination. Methodology →
Last updated: 2026-04-18