PFAS Contamination

PFAS in Georgia Drinking Water

Ranked by number of PFAS compounds detected · Data from EPA SDWIS & UCMR

196

Cities Tested

Exceeds Limit

19%

% Exceeds Limit

1.5 compounds

State Avg

▼ 2% vs national

vs National

303

Health Violations

Analysis

PFAS in Georgia: what the data shows

Georgia has 196 cities with PFAS monitoring data from the EPA's UCMR 5 program. PFAS ("forever chemicals") were detected in 92 of those cities (47%), with a significant share of cities exceeding the EPA's 2024 maximum contaminant levels of 4 ppt. The state average is better than the national average. 37 cities exceed the EPA MCL for at least one PFAS compound. PFAS are linked to cancer, immune system disruption, and developmental issues. The 2024 EPA rule requires water systems exceeding the MCL to notify customers and reduce levels by 2029. PFAS data comes from the EPA's Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule 5 (UCMR 5), which required large water systems to test for 29 PFAS compounds between 2023–2025. Not all systems have completed testing — cities without data may still have PFAS present.

Comparison

Cities exceeding EPA MCL (4 ppt each)

Georgia

19%

37 of 196 cities

← ▼ 2% below national rate (better)

National avg

21%

1662 of 7853 cities

City Map

PFAS data across Georgia

Each dot is a city, colored by overall water quality grade. PFAS-tested cities are shown; those exceeding the 4 ppt EPA MCL appear in red. Size reflects population served.

Worst Offenders

Top 10 cities by pfas level in Georgia

Highest PFAS levels (compounds)

All Cities

All Georgia cities ranked by pfas level

#	City	Level	Exceeds?	Violations	Grade
1	Griffin	10 compounds	Yes	9	F
2	Morrow	9 compounds	Yes	1	B+
3	Senoia	9 compounds	Yes	5	C+
4	Columbus	8 compounds	Yes	0	B+
5	Jackson	8 compounds	Yes	18	D
6	Calhoun	8 compounds	Yes	1	B+
7	Chatsworth	8 compounds	Yes	3	C-
8	La Fayette	8 compounds	Yes	1	B
9	Augusta	7 compounds	Yes	31	F
10	Rome	7 compounds	Yes	3	B
11	Flintstone	7 compounds	Yes	0	B
12	East Point	7 compounds	Yes	5	B
13	Gray	7 compounds	Yes	1	D+
14	Trion	7 compounds	Yes	2	B-
15	Fayetteville	6 compounds	Yes	19	C
16	Dalton	6 compounds	Yes	0	B
17	Valdosta	6 compounds	Yes	78	F
18	Cataula	6 compounds	Yes	2	B
19	Woodstock	6 compounds	Yes	1	B+
20	Chickamauga	6 compounds	Yes	3	B
21	Talbotton	6 compounds	Yes	24	D
22	Winder	5 compounds	Yes	5	B+
23	La Grange	5 compounds	Yes	1	B+
24	Forsyth	5 compounds	Yes	16	C
25	Springfield	5 compounds	Yes	3	F
26	Fort Oglethorpe	5 compounds	Yes	4	B
27	Atlanta	4 compounds	No	21	F
28	Marietta	4 compounds	No	5	B+
29	Dallas	4 compounds	Yes	5	B
30	Cartersville	4 compounds	No	6	B
31	Port Wentworth	4 compounds	Yes	6	D+
32	Pooler	4 compounds	Yes	9	D+
33	Braselton	4 compounds	Yes	1	B
34	Mcdonough	4 compounds	Yes	1	B+
35	Barnesville	4 compounds	Yes	10	C
36	West Point	4 compounds	No	1	B+
37	Hapeville	4 compounds	Yes	3	B
38	Statham	4 compounds	No	3	B-
39	Covington	3 compounds	No	20	F
40	Roswell	3 compounds	No	10	F
41	Cochran	3 compounds	Yes	1	B-
42	Hampton	3 compounds	Yes	2	B-
43	Stockbridge	3 compounds	No	1	B+
44	Bremen	3 compounds	No	2	B+
45	Hogansville	3 compounds	No	6	B-
46	Albany	2 compounds	No	11	F
47	Conyers	2 compounds	No	14	D+
48	Ringgold	2 compounds	No	11	B-
49	Eatonton	2 compounds	No	121	F
50	Smyrna	2 compounds	No	0	B+
51	Watkinsville	2 compounds	No	66	F
52	Blairsville	2 compounds	Yes	11	F
53	Hartwell	2 compounds	No	53	F
54	Centerville	2 compounds	Yes	3	A
55	Palmetto	2 compounds	No	0	B
56	Savannah	1 compounds	No	111	F
57	Cumming	1 compounds	No	30	F
58	Martinez	1 compounds	No	3	B-
59	Kathleen	1 compounds	No	0	A-
60	Loganville	1 compounds	No	3	A
61	Brunswick	1 compounds	No	23	F
62	Saint Simons Island	1 compounds	No	7	B-
63	Waycross	1 compounds	No	7	C+
64	Tifton	1 compounds	No	6	C-
65	Perry	1 compounds	No	1	A
66	Jasper	1 compounds	No	5	B-
67	Monroe	1 compounds	No	4	B
68	Kingsland	1 compounds	No	12	B
69	Thomson	1 compounds	No	28	D
70	Thomaston	1 compounds	No	15	C+
71	St. Marys	1 compounds	No	8	B-
72	Moultrie	1 compounds	No	5	C-
73	Richmond Hill	1 compounds	No	4	B-
74	Americus	1 compounds	No	35	F
75	Fitzgerald	1 compounds	No	27	A-
76	Cleveland	1 compounds	No	15	F
77	Cairo	1 compounds	No	23	D
78	Sandersville	1 compounds	No	2	B
79	Tybee Island	1 compounds	No	1	B+
80	Austell	1 compounds	No	1	B+
81	Lincolnton	1 compounds	No	13	B-
82	Fort Stewart	1 compounds	No	0	A-
83	Waynesboro	1 compounds	No	1	B-
84	Folkston	1 compounds	No	4	A
85	Glennville	1 compounds	No	6	B+
86	Social Circle	1 compounds	No	3	B
87	Sylvania	1 compounds	No	6	B+
88	Blackshear	1 compounds	No	4	B-
89	Oglethorpe	1 compounds	No	0	A-
90	Claxton	1 compounds	No	6	D
91	Montezuma	1 compounds	No	1	A-
92	Patterson	1 compounds	No	1	A-
93	Buford	0 compounds	No	0	B+
94	Decatur	0 compounds	No	0	B+
95	Alpharetta	0 compounds	No	4	F
96	Canton	0 compounds	No	5	B
97	Gainesville	0 compounds	No	3	C+
98	Newnan	0 compounds	No	4	B
99	Athens	0 compounds	No	52	F
100	Douglasville	0 compounds	No	0	A
101	Warner Robins	0 compounds	No	7	B-
102	Carrollton	0 compounds	No	14	C
103	Statesboro	0 compounds	No	50	F
104	Jefferson	0 compounds	No	8	C+
105	Milledgeville	0 compounds	No	33	D
106	Cedartown	0 compounds	No	4	B+
107	Thomasville	0 compounds	No	39	D
108	Hinesville	0 compounds	No	24	D
109	Dawsonville	0 compounds	No	11	B-
110	Toccoa	0 compounds	No	6	B+
111	Fort Stewart (U.S. Army)	0 compounds	No	6	A
112	Lake Park	0 compounds	No	176	F
113	Leesburg	0 compounds	No	7	C-
114	Dublin	0 compounds	No	3	F
115	Union City	0 compounds	No	12	B-
116	Demorest	0 compounds	No	1	B+
117	Rincon	0 compounds	No	14	F
118	Bainbridge	0 compounds	No	17	D+
119	Cordele	0 compounds	No	13	D
120	Trenton	0 compounds	No	1	B+
121	Ellijay	0 compounds	No	9	C+
122	Villa Rica	0 compounds	No	1	B-
123	Vidalia	0 compounds	No	48	D
124	Douglas	0 compounds	No	14	F
125	Buchanan	0 compounds	No	12	C+
126	Young Harris	0 compounds	No	0	A
127	Dahlonega	0 compounds	No	10	F
128	Fort Valley	0 compounds	No	0	A
129	Locust Grove	0 compounds	No	1	B+
130	Commerce	0 compounds	No	9	A-
131	Clayton	0 compounds	No	1	A-
132	Jesup	0 compounds	No	23	F
133	Auburn	0 compounds	No	11	F
134	Kings Bay (U.S. Navy)	0 compounds	No	7	B+
135	Swainsboro	0 compounds	No	4	C-
136	Byron	0 compounds	No	0	B+
137	Garden City	0 compounds	No	4	B+
138	Franklin	0 compounds	No	11	B-
139	Eastman	0 compounds	No	2	A
140	Camilla	0 compounds	No	3	B-
141	Monticello	0 compounds	No	25	D+
142	Homer	0 compounds	No	10	C+
143	Blue Ridge	0 compounds	No	15	D
144	Lavonia	0 compounds	No	1	A-
145	Elberton	0 compounds	No	1	D+
146	Hawkinsville	0 compounds	No	8	A-
147	Mcrae	0 compounds	No	2	A+
148	Hephzibah	0 compounds	No	11	F
149	Adairsville	0 compounds	No	2	A
150	Buena Vista	0 compounds	No	17	F
151	Sylvester	0 compounds	No	5	A-
152	Mccaysville	0 compounds	No	1	A+
153	Carnesville	0 compounds	No	47	D
154	Madison	0 compounds	No	5	B
155	Millen	0 compounds	No	2	A-
156	Washington	0 compounds	No	11	B+
157	Bowdon	0 compounds	No	11	B
158	Cornelia	0 compounds	No	2	B
159	Blakely	0 compounds	No	7	C-
160	Adel	0 compounds	No	0	A
161	Quitman	0 compounds	No	15	B-
162	Clarkesville	0 compounds	No	0	A
163	Baxley	0 compounds	No	0	A-
164	Hazlehurst	0 compounds	No	7	C+
165	Temple	0 compounds	No	3	B
166	Hiawassee	0 compounds	No	0	A
167	Manchester	0 compounds	No	11	B+
168	Moody Afb	0 compounds	No	2	A-
169	Louisville	0 compounds	No	2	B+
170	Ashburn	0 compounds	No	0	A-
171	Lyons	0 compounds	No	32	D
172	Dawson	0 compounds	No	3	A-
173	Metter	0 compounds	No	5	B
174	Tallapoosa	0 compounds	No	0	A-
175	Nashville	0 compounds	No	3	A
176	East Dublin	0 compounds	No	4	A
177	Sparta	0 compounds	No	4	D
178	Cave Spring	0 compounds	No	2	A
179	Baldwin	0 compounds	No	3	A-
180	Rockmart	0 compounds	No	0	A
181	Lumpkin	0 compounds	No	6	F
182	Reidsville	0 compounds	No	4	C-
183	Alma	0 compounds	No	1	B+
184	Pelham	0 compounds	No	10	C-
185	Walthourville	0 compounds	No	1	D
186	Unadilla	0 compounds	No	4	A-
187	Hahira	0 compounds	No	36	D
188	Wrightsville	0 compounds	No	5	A-
189	Alamo	0 compounds	No	8	A
190	Cuthbert	0 compounds	No	5	B
191	Vienna	0 compounds	No	0	A-
192	Ball Ground	0 compounds	No	1	A-
193	Townsend	0 compounds	No	12	F
194	Newington	0 compounds	No	2	F
195	Ty Ty	0 compounds	No	0	A
196	Franklin Springs	0 compounds	No	0	B

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about pfas in Georgia

Does Georgia tap water contain PFAS?

PFAS were detected in 92 of 196 Georgia cities tested under EPA's UCMR 5 program. 37 cities exceed the 2024 EPA MCL of 4 ppt for individual PFAS compounds.

How can I remove PFAS from my drinking water in Georgia?

Reverse osmosis (RO) systems are the most effective at removing PFAS, typically removing 90%+ of compounds. High-quality activated carbon block filters (NSF 58-certified for RO, or NSF 53 for solid carbon) also provide significant reduction. Standard pitcher filters vary widely in PFAS removal.

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