State Hub
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
76–100 of 812Auth of Boro of Charleroi
PA5630039 · 27,000 served
Horsham Water&sewer Authority
PA1460033 · 26,000 served
Carlisle Water Trmt Plt
PA7210002 · 26,000 served
Columbia Water Co
PA7360123 · 25,200 served
Paw Glen Alsace Div
PA3060088 · 24,951 served
Ephrata Area Joint Authority
PA7360045 · 24,500 served
Falls Twp Water & Sewer Dept
PA1090022 · 24,400 served
Paw Blue Mountain Division
PA3480055 · 23,763 served
Pa-american Water- Uniontown
PA5260020 · 23,125 served
Highland S & W Auth Beaverdam
PA4110017 · 22,617 served
Pa American Water Co-indiana D
PA5320025 · 22,360 served
Nwwa Warrington Township
PA1090070 · 21,588 served
Dover Twp Water Sys
PA7670073 · 21,097 served
Muhlenberg Twp Muni Auth
PA3060038 · 21,000 served
East Hempfield Water Auth
PA7360063 · 20,988 served
Paw Philipsburg
PA4140087 · 20,784 served
Ambler Boro Water Dept
PA1460020 · 20,000 served
St Marys Area Water Auth
PA6240016 · 19,588 served
Ambridge Water Auth
PA5040008 · 19,500 served
Western Allegheny County Mun a
PA5020034 · 19,031 served
Center Twp Water Auth
PA5040007 · 19,000 served
Elizabethtown Area Water
PA7360124 · 19,000 served
Fox Chapel Auth
PA5020040 · 18,500 served
Bradford City Water Authority
PA6420014 · 18,500 served
Pawc Pocono District
PA2450063 · 17,860 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
Auth of Boro of Charleroi
Violation history, PFAS records, and official source links
Horsham Water&sewer Authority
Violation history, PFAS records, and official source links
Carlisle Water Trmt Plt
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