PFAS Contamination

PFAS in Ohio Drinking Water

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

258

Cities Tested

Exceeds Limit

17%

% Exceeds Limit

1.3 compounds

State Avg

▼ 4% vs national

vs National

398

Health Violations

Analysis

PFAS in Ohio: what the data shows

Ohio has 258 cities with PFAS monitoring data from the EPA's UCMR 5 program. PFAS ("forever chemicals") were detected in 152 of those cities (59%), 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. 44 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)

Ohio

17%

44 of 258 cities

← ▼ 4% below national rate (better)

National avg

21%

1662 of 7853 cities

City Map

PFAS data across Ohio

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 Ohio

Highest PFAS levels (compounds)

All Cities

All Ohio cities ranked by pfas level

#	City	Level	Exceeds?	Violations	Grade
1	Vandalia	8 compounds	Yes	10	B+
2	Columbus	7 compounds	Yes	56	F
3	Fairfield	7 compounds	Yes	9	B
4	Milford	7 compounds	Yes	1	D
5	Newton Falls	7 compounds	Yes	6	C
6	Cincinnati	6 compounds	Yes	10	F
7	Delaware	6 compounds	Yes	5	B
8	Barnesville	6 compounds	Yes	14	C
9	Vienna	6 compounds	Yes	9	B
10	Wooster	6 compounds	Yes	14	F
11	Wilmington	6 compounds	Yes	26	B
12	Kettering	5 compounds	Yes	14	C
13	Dayton	5 compounds	Yes	43	F
14	Lagrange	5 compounds	No	10	C
15	Ironton	5 compounds	Yes	12	C-
16	Bexley	5 compounds	Yes	16	C
17	Girard	5 compounds	Yes	0	B+
18	Wauseon	5 compounds	No	22	C+
19	Union	5 compounds	Yes	2	B+
20	Ottawa	5 compounds	No	14	C+
21	Bluffton	5 compounds	No	19	B+
22	Bowling Green	4 compounds	No	85	F
23	Marietta	4 compounds	Yes	11	F
24	Springboro	4 compounds	Yes	4	B+
25	Oakwood	4 compounds	No	10	C
26	Canfield	4 compounds	Yes	0	B
27	Wellston	4 compounds	No	18	B
28	Lordstown	4 compounds	Yes	2	B+
29	Mcdonald	4 compounds	Yes	1	B+
30	Youngstown	3 compounds	Yes	3	C
31	Batavia	3 compounds	Yes	2	B+
32	Massillon	3 compounds	No	13	D+
33	Lima	3 compounds	No	16	F
34	Trenton	3 compounds	Yes	10	B-
35	Port Clinton	3 compounds	No	46	D+
36	Miamisburg	3 compounds	No	2	C
37	Cambridge	3 compounds	Yes	86	C-
38	Niles	3 compounds	Yes	1	B
39	Defiance	3 compounds	No	171	F
40	Bellbrook	3 compounds	Yes	2	B-
41	Napoleon	3 compounds	No	20	A-
42	Waterville	3 compounds	No	0	B
43	Elida	3 compounds	No	20	A-
44	Kent	2 compounds	Yes	36	F
45	Hamilton	2 compounds	No	5	B-
46	Chillicothe	2 compounds	No	0	B+
47	Zanesville	2 compounds	No	7	D+
48	Pataskala	2 compounds	No	4	B+
49	Portsmouth	2 compounds	Yes	1	B
50	Westerville	2 compounds	Yes	18	C+
51	Gallipolis	2 compounds	Yes	3	B
52	Ravenna	2 compounds	No	3	C
53	Waverly	2 compounds	No	4	C+
54	Greenville	2 compounds	Yes	4	A-
55	Loveland	2 compounds	Yes	0	B+
56	Louisville	2 compounds	No	9	C
57	Martins Ferry	2 compounds	Yes	0	B
58	Belpre	2 compounds	No	4	B
59	Toronto	2 compounds	No	3	B
60	South Point	2 compounds	No	0	B+
61	Yellow Springs	2 compounds	Yes	1	B+
62	Commercial Point	2 compounds	No	0	A
63	Toledo	1 compounds	No	13	B
64	Lebanon	1 compounds	No	28	D
65	Canton	1 compounds	No	2	B-
66	Medina	1 compounds	No	15	C+
67	Marion	1 compounds	No	9	B-
68	Struthers	1 compounds	No	1	B+
69	Lancaster	1 compounds	No	6	B+
70	Warren	1 compounds	No	62	F
71	Athens	1 compounds	No	4	B+
72	Cuyahoga Falls	1 compounds	No	3	B-
73	Newark	1 compounds	No	6	B-
74	Norwalk	1 compounds	No	12	B+
75	Morrow	1 compounds	Yes	7	B-
76	Reynoldsburg	1 compounds	No	0	B+
77	Steubenville	1 compounds	No	30	F
78	Whitehouse	1 compounds	No	8	B
79	New Richmond	1 compounds	Yes	0	B-
80	Jackson	1 compounds	No	11	B-
81	Marysville	1 compounds	No	16	B+
82	N Canton	1 compounds	No	0	A-
83	Circleville	1 compounds	No	5	B
84	Somerville	1 compounds	No	2	A
85	Piqua	1 compounds	No	12	B
86	Alliance	1 compounds	No	17	B+
87	Ashland	1 compounds	No	2	B+
88	Oregon	1 compounds	No	1	B+
89	Berea	1 compounds	No	1	B+
90	Fremont	1 compounds	No	44	B-
91	Franklin Furnace	1 compounds	No	8	D
92	Franklin	1 compounds	Yes	2	B+
93	Lucasville	1 compounds	No	3	A-
94	Bellefontaine	1 compounds	No	5	B
95	East Liverpool	1 compounds	No	14	B
96	Celina	1 compounds	No	45	B-
97	Chardon	1 compounds	No	25	F
98	Urbana	1 compounds	No	24	C+
99	Blacklick	1 compounds	No	1	A-
100	Navarre	1 compounds	No	8	C+
101	Mcdermott	1 compounds	No	2	A
102	Wapakoneta	1 compounds	No	7	B
103	Galion	1 compounds	No	18	B-
104	Little Hocking	1 compounds	No	0	B+
105	Shelby	1 compounds	No	19	B+
106	Reading	1 compounds	No	3	B
107	St Marys	1 compounds	No	1	B
108	Trotwood	1 compounds	No	1	B
109	Bryan	1 compounds	No	1	B+
110	Hudson	1 compounds	No	1	B-
111	Kenton	1 compounds	No	2	B
112	Hubbard	1 compounds	No	1	B
113	Bellevue	1 compounds	No	5	B
114	Chagrin Falls	1 compounds	No	1	C
115	Cortland	1 compounds	No	1	B+
116	Andover	1 compounds	No	0	B-
117	Columbiana	1 compounds	No	2	B
118	Rutland	1 compounds	Yes	11	B-
119	Nelsonville	1 compounds	No	23	D
120	Ontario	1 compounds	No	0	A-
121	Mount Orab	1 compounds	No	2	A-
122	White Cottage	1 compounds	No	47	F
123	Rittman	1 compounds	No	12	B
124	Clyde	1 compounds	No	0	B+
125	Brookville	1 compounds	No	2	B-
126	New Carlisle	1 compounds	No	5	B+
127	Waterford	1 compounds	No	5	C+
128	Canal Fulton	1 compounds	No	4	B
129	Caldwell	1 compounds	Yes	33	D
130	Ada	1 compounds	No	2	B-
131	Johnstown	1 compounds	No	2	B+
132	Byesville	1 compounds	No	79	D
133	St. Clairsville	1 compounds	Yes	31	C
134	Delta	1 compounds	No	36	B-
135	Coldwater	1 compounds	No	1	A-
136	Columbia Station	1 compounds	No	0	A-
137	Crestline	1 compounds	No	0	B+
138	Fayetteville	1 compounds	No	19	C+
139	Ashville	1 compounds	No	2	B
140	Montpelier	1 compounds	No	1	B+
141	Bellaire	1 compounds	No	16	A-
142	Georgetown	1 compounds	Yes	0	A-
143	Bethel	1 compounds	Yes	3	B
144	Swanton	1 compounds	No	20	A-
145	Paulding	1 compounds	No	41	C+
146	Hicksville	1 compounds	No	2	B
147	Mt Gilead	1 compounds	No	2	B
148	North Baltimore	1 compounds	No	7	A-
149	Fredricktown	1 compounds	No	2	C+
150	Groveport	1 compounds	No	1	A-
151	New Bremen	1 compounds	No	0	B+
152	Columbus Grove	1 compounds	No	5	B
153	Cleveland	0 compounds	No	2	A-
154	Lorain	0 compounds	No	15	B+
155	Painesville	0 compounds	No	0	B+
156	Mentor	0 compounds	No	6	B-
157	Springfield	0 compounds	No	42	F
158	Mansfield	0 compounds	No	37	F
159	Findlay	0 compounds	No	6	A-
160	Lakewood	0 compounds	No	0	B+
161	Beavercreek	0 compounds	No	9	B+
162	Huber Heights	0 compounds	No	4	A-
163	Jamestown	0 compounds	No	4	B
164	Ashtabula	0 compounds	No	3	B+
165	Stow	0 compounds	No	4	C+
166	Hillsboro	0 compounds	No	8	B+
167	Glenford	0 compounds	No	3	B+
168	Huron	0 compounds	No	13	C+
169	Ripley	0 compounds	No	1	A-
170	Norton	0 compounds	No	17	A-
171	North Ridgeville	0 compounds	No	1	B
172	Xenia	0 compounds	No	1	A-
173	Rossburg	0 compounds	No	0	B+
174	Sandusky	0 compounds	No	6	A-
175	West Union	0 compounds	No	3	B
176	Tipp City	0 compounds	No	0	C+
177	Mount Vernon	0 compounds	No	3	B+
178	Wadsworth	0 compounds	No	0	B+
179	Avon	0 compounds	No	1	A-
180	Avon Lake	0 compounds	No	2	A-
181	Sylvania	0 compounds	No	0	A-
182	Sidney	0 compounds	No	5	B+
183	Baltimore	0 compounds	No	1	B
184	Norwood	0 compounds	No	3	B+
185	Pickerington	0 compounds	No	1	A-
186	Tallmadge	0 compounds	No	1	B
187	Salem	0 compounds	No	11	C+
188	New Philadelphia	0 compounds	No	4	B
189	Long Bottom	0 compounds	No	1	A
190	Aurora	0 compounds	No	0	A-
191	Monroe	0 compounds	No	2	B
192	Maumee	0 compounds	No	6	B-
193	Williamsport	0 compounds	No	31	C-
194	Streetsboro	0 compounds	No	1	A+
195	Camden	0 compounds	No	1	B+
196	Jefferson	0 compounds	No	1	B
197	Fostoria	0 compounds	No	32	F
198	Coshocton	0 compounds	No	13	B+
199	Englewood	0 compounds	No	1	A-
200	Dover	0 compounds	No	11	B
201	Bedford	0 compounds	No	0	A
202	Bucyrus	0 compounds	No	3	B
203	Conneaut	0 compounds	No	6	B+
204	Oak Hill	0 compounds	No	9	B-
205	Harrison	0 compounds	No	5	A-
206	Amherst	0 compounds	No	0	B+
207	Canal Winchester	0 compounds	No	0	A-
208	Van Wert	0 compounds	No	47	C
209	Millfield	0 compounds	No	32	B+
210	Vermilion	0 compounds	No	7	B+
211	Heath	0 compounds	No	2	A-
212	Wellsville	0 compounds	No	3	C+
213	Logan	0 compounds	No	30	F
214	Dennison	0 compounds	No	13	A-
215	Bolivar	0 compounds	No	11	C+
216	Sheffield Lake	0 compounds	No	0	B+
217	New Lexington	0 compounds	No	29	F
218	W. Alexandria	0 compounds	No	0	A+
219	Delphos	0 compounds	No	17	D+
220	Washington Court House	0 compounds	No	1	B+
221	Troy	0 compounds	No	3	C
222	Willard	0 compounds	No	1	B
223	Archbold	0 compounds	No	16	B
224	South Lebanon	0 compounds	No	0	B+
225	Upper Sandusky	0 compounds	No	3	A-
226	Sebring	0 compounds	No	51	B-
227	Cleves	0 compounds	No	1	A-
228	Granville	0 compounds	No	1	B
229	Geneva	0 compounds	No	0	B+
230	Germantown	0 compounds	No	21	B+
231	Corning	0 compounds	No	13	B
232	Munroe Falls	0 compounds	No	0	A-
233	Wintersville	0 compounds	No	0	B+
234	West Milton	0 compounds	No	54	B+
235	West Jefferson	0 compounds	No	1	B+
236	Wellington	0 compounds	No	5	A-
237	East Palestine	0 compounds	No	0	A-
238	Oak Harbor	0 compounds	No	0	B+
239	Greenfield	0 compounds	No	3	A-
240	Millersburg	0 compounds	No	4	B+
241	Laings	0 compounds	No	3	B+
242	Lexington	0 compounds	No	5	A-
243	Waynesville	0 compounds	No	25	D
244	Sheffield Village	0 compounds	No	0	A
245	Minerva	0 compounds	No	5	B+
246	Cedarville	0 compounds	No	1	B+
247	New Lebanon	0 compounds	No	2	B+
248	Newcomerstown	0 compounds	No	1	A-
249	Carey	0 compounds	No	2	B+
250	Cadiz	0 compounds	No	49	C-
251	Lockland	0 compounds	No	3	B+
252	Sardinia	0 compounds	No	19	B-
253	New Miami	0 compounds	No	1	A-
254	Bradford	0 compounds	No	28	C
255	Glouster	0 compounds	No	3	B
256	Felicity	0 compounds	No	5	A-
257	Gnadenhutten	0 compounds	No	5	C
258	Malvern	0 compounds	No	9	C-

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about pfas in Ohio

Does Ohio tap water contain PFAS?

PFAS were detected in 152 of 258 Ohio cities tested under EPA's UCMR 5 program. 44 cities exceed the 2024 EPA MCL of 4 ppt for individual PFAS compounds.

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

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.

More contaminants