PFAS Contamination

PFAS in Pennsylvania Drinking Water

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

267

Cities Tested

Exceeds Limit

30%

% Exceeds Limit

2.5 compounds

State Avg

▲ 9% vs national

vs National

487

Health Violations

Analysis

PFAS in Pennsylvania: what the data shows

Pennsylvania has 267 cities with PFAS monitoring data from the EPA's UCMR 5 program. PFAS ("forever chemicals") were detected in 155 of those cities (58%), with many cities exceeding the EPA's 2024 maximum contaminant levels of 4 ppt. The state average is worse than the national average. 81 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)

Pennsylvania

30%

81 of 267 cities

→ ▲ 9% above national rate (worse)

National avg

21%

1662 of 7853 cities

City Map

PFAS data across Pennsylvania

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 Pennsylvania

Highest PFAS levels (compounds)

All Cities

All Pennsylvania cities ranked by pfas level

#	City	Level	Exceeds?	Violations	Grade
1	Emmaus	13 compounds	Yes	16	C+
2	Ambler	11 compounds	Yes	4	F
3	Doylestown	11 compounds	Yes	4	D
4	Bryn Mawr	10 compounds	Yes	36	F
5	Harrisburg	10 compounds	Yes	26	F
6	Reading	10 compounds	Yes	91	F
7	Norristown	10 compounds	Yes	23	F
8	North Wales	10 compounds	Yes	22	F
9	Milton	10 compounds	Yes	15	F
10	Richboro	10 compounds	Yes	2	F
11	Telford	10 compounds	Yes	5	B
12	Spring City	9 compounds	Yes	2	B+
13	Horsham	9 compounds	Yes	1	F
14	Quakertown	9 compounds	Yes	12	F
15	Beaver	9 compounds	Yes	0	F
16	Middletown	9 compounds	Yes	4	C-
17	Trappe	9 compounds	Yes	7	B-
18	Leola	9 compounds	Yes	6	B-
19	Philadelphia	8 compounds	Yes	14	B
20	Mechanicsburg	8 compounds	Yes	13	F
21	Warrington	8 compounds	Yes	34	F
22	Southampton	8 compounds	Yes	9	D
23	Jamison	8 compounds	Yes	1	B+
24	Whitehall	8 compounds	Yes	32	B+
25	Palmerton	8 compounds	Yes	2	C-
26	Kennett Square	8 compounds	Yes	10	F
27	New Holland	8 compounds	Yes	11	C
28	Shrewsbury	8 compounds	Yes	4	C-
29	Akron	8 compounds	Yes	3	B+
30	Carlisle	7 compounds	Yes	13	F
31	Yardley	7 compounds	Yes	1	B+
32	Ephrata	7 compounds	Yes	21	C
33	Elizabethtown	7 compounds	Yes	87	F
34	Dover	7 compounds	Yes	16	F
35	Sellersville	7 compounds	Yes	9	F
36	Phoenixville	7 compounds	Yes	13	C
37	Buckingham	7 compounds	Yes	0	F
38	Millersville	7 compounds	Yes	2	C
39	Pipersville	7 compounds	Yes	13	F
40	East Petersburg	7 compounds	Yes	9	B
41	Coraopolis	7 compounds	Yes	3	B+
42	New Oxford	7 compounds	Yes	9	B-
43	Allentown	6 compounds	Yes	66	F
44	Wilkes Barre	6 compounds	Yes	2	B+
45	Lancaster	6 compounds	Yes	68	F
46	Hummelstown	6 compounds	Yes	35	C+
47	Beaver Falls	6 compounds	Yes	22	F
48	Williamsport	6 compounds	Yes	19	F
49	Newtown	6 compounds	Yes	25	F
50	Tobyhanna	6 compounds	Yes	10	F
51	Blairsville	6 compounds	Yes	22	F
52	Gettysburg	6 compounds	Yes	37	F
53	Morgantown	6 compounds	Yes	145	F
54	Denver	6 compounds	Yes	4	C-
55	Manheim	6 compounds	Yes	20	F
56	Littlestown	6 compounds	Yes	3	F
57	New Castle	5 compounds	No	12	F
58	Pottstown	5 compounds	No	29	F
59	Landisville	5 compounds	Yes	2	B-
60	East Greenville	5 compounds	Yes	9	F
61	Sewickley	5 compounds	No	2	C+
62	Wyomissing	5 compounds	Yes	0	A-
63	Montoursville	5 compounds	Yes	10	F
64	Tunkhannock	5 compounds	Yes	21	F
65	Oxford	5 compounds	Yes	33	F
66	Stewartstown	5 compounds	Yes	6	D
67	Freeland	5 compounds	Yes	5	D
68	Millersburg	5 compounds	Yes	2	B
69	New Freedom	5 compounds	No	5	C+
70	Zelienople	5 compounds	Yes	3	C-
71	Chester	4 compounds	Yes	0	B
72	Lansdale	4 compounds	Yes	22	F
73	Downingtown	4 compounds	Yes	18	C-
74	Dillsburg	4 compounds	Yes	1	B+
75	West Grove	4 compounds	No	6	F
76	Wernersville	4 compounds	Yes	1	B-
77	Schwenksville	4 compounds	Yes	3	B-
78	West Reading	4 compounds	Yes	1	B+
79	Rochester	4 compounds	No	7	A-
80	Camp Hill	4 compounds	Yes	18	F
81	York	3 compounds	Yes	34	F
82	Moon Township	3 compounds	Yes	1	B
83	Columbia	3 compounds	No	46	F
84	Lititz	3 compounds	No	73	F
85	Oakdale	3 compounds	Yes	12	C-
86	Blandon	3 compounds	No	0	B+
87	Spinnerstown	3 compounds	No	0	A-
88	Dallas	3 compounds	Yes	2	F
89	State College	2 compounds	No	3	D
90	Sharon	2 compounds	No	26	F
91	Coatesville	2 compounds	No	61	F
92	Warminster	2 compounds	No	1	D
93	Fairless Hills	2 compounds	No	15	D+
94	Bellefonte	2 compounds	Yes	11	F
95	Clearfield	2 compounds	No	3	A-
96	Honesdale	2 compounds	No	41	F
97	St Thomas	2 compounds	No	6	B
98	Catasauqua	2 compounds	No	2	B
99	Monaca	2 compounds	No	4	B-
100	Brookville	2 compounds	No	3	A-
101	Danville	2 compounds	No	3	D
102	Ashland	2 compounds	Yes	1	C
103	Mcmurray	1 compounds	No	2	A-
104	Scranton	1 compounds	No	15	F
105	Allison Park	1 compounds	No	0	A
106	Shamokin	1 compounds	No	18	F
107	East Stroudsburg	1 compounds	No	74	F
108	Monroeville	1 compounds	No	4	A
109	Cranberry Twp	1 compounds	No	2	B+
110	Hanover	1 compounds	No	6	B
111	Oakmont	1 compounds	No	0	A
112	White Haven	1 compounds	No	44	F
113	Aliquippa	1 compounds	No	9	F
114	Uniontown	1 compounds	No	0	A-
115	Bushkill	1 compounds	No	9	F
116	Natrona Heights	1 compounds	No	12	B-
117	Slippery Rock	1 compounds	No	8	F
118	Mount Joy	1 compounds	No	8	B+
119	Morrisville	1 compounds	No	39	D
120	Somerset	1 compounds	No	10	F
121	Grove City	1 compounds	No	4	C+
122	Franklin	1 compounds	No	12	F
123	Boiling Springs	1 compounds	No	5	C+
124	Windber	1 compounds	No	0	B-
125	Newmanstown	1 compounds	No	2	C+
126	Center Valley	1 compounds	No	6	D
127	Lords Valley	1 compounds	No	10	F
128	Wellsboro	1 compounds	No	12	D
129	Mcmurry	1 compounds	No	3	A
130	Davidsville	1 compounds	No	2	D
131	Selinsgrove	1 compounds	No	4	F
132	Indian Head	1 compounds	No	0	D
133	Lake Ariel	1 compounds	No	66	D
134	Mcadoo	1 compounds	No	4	B
135	Harmony	1 compounds	No	15	B
136	Derry	1 compounds	No	1	B
137	Portage	1 compounds	No	7	F
138	Titusville	1 compounds	Yes	3	B-
139	Sharpsville	1 compounds	No	62	B-
140	Seneca	1 compounds	No	0	A-
141	Northern Cambria	1 compounds	No	1	D
142	Slatington	1 compounds	No	2	B+
143	Brownstown	1 compounds	No	14	B+
144	Coudersport	1 compounds	No	3	F
145	Valley View	1 compounds	No	1	B+
146	Fairchance	1 compounds	No	3	C+
147	Bath	1 compounds	No	4	F
148	Springdale	1 compounds	No	35	A-
149	Nanty Glo	1 compounds	No	19	B-
150	Hastings	1 compounds	No	0	B
151	Rockwood	1 compounds	No	0	C
152	Conneaut Lake	1 compounds	No	20	F
153	Buck Hill Falls	1 compounds	No	2	B
154	Olyphant	1 compounds	No	71	F
155	Meshoppen	1 compounds	No	2	F
156	Pittsburgh	0 compounds	No	44	F
157	Greensburg	0 compounds	No	19	D
158	Erie	0 compounds	No	35	D
159	Wilkinsburg	0 compounds	No	6	B
160	Bethlehem	0 compounds	No	29	F
161	Easton	0 compounds	No	37	F
162	Johnstown	0 compounds	No	55	D
163	Levittown	0 compounds	No	4	B
164	Altoona	0 compounds	No	64	F
165	Lebanon	0 compounds	No	8	F
166	Chambersburg	0 compounds	No	49	F
167	New Kensington	0 compounds	No	0	A
168	Hazleton	0 compounds	No	6	D+
169	Northampton	0 compounds	No	45	F
170	Jefferson	0 compounds	No	2	A-
171	University Park	0 compounds	No	0	C
172	Pottsville	0 compounds	No	13	C-
173	Dunbar	0 compounds	No	12	B+
174	Clarks Summit	0 compounds	No	6	C-
175	Bloomsburg	0 compounds	No	6	F
176	Latrobe	0 compounds	No	4	B-
177	Charleroi	0 compounds	No	25	C-
178	Milroy	0 compounds	No	2	B
179	Philipsburg	0 compounds	No	1	C
180	Waynesboro	0 compounds	No	7	D
181	Meadville	0 compounds	No	21	F
182	Ambridge	0 compounds	No	19	F
183	Saint Marys	0 compounds	No	10	B-
184	Bradford	0 compounds	No	6	C+
185	Shippensburg	0 compounds	No	11	D
186	Warren	0 compounds	No	7	D
187	Huntingdon	0 compounds	No	14	B-
188	Kutztown	0 compounds	No	21	F
189	Red Lion	0 compounds	No	0	C+
190	Sayre	0 compounds	No	6	C-
191	Belle Vernon	0 compounds	No	13	D
192	South Heights	0 compounds	No	1	A-
193	Indiana	0 compounds	No	140	F
194	Dallastown	0 compounds	No	3	B+
195	Greenville	0 compounds	No	22	D
196	Dubois	0 compounds	No	18	F
197	Clinton	0 compounds	No	5	B
198	Oil City	0 compounds	No	2	A
199	Fairview	0 compounds	No	27	F
200	Sunbury	0 compounds	No	6	C-
201	Mill Hall	0 compounds	No	29	F
202	Mars	0 compounds	No	3	C+
203	Lehighton	0 compounds	No	53	F
204	North East	0 compounds	No	11	D
205	Gibsonia	0 compounds	No	0	A+
206	Fredericktown	0 compounds	No	85	F
207	Lock Haven	0 compounds	No	8	C
208	Myerstown	0 compounds	No	6	C-
209	Ford City	0 compounds	No	4	C
210	Lansford	0 compounds	No	3	A-
211	Edinboro	0 compounds	No	10	D
212	Ebensburg	0 compounds	No	39	D
213	Hollidaysburg	0 compounds	No	16	D
214	Houtzdale	0 compounds	No	9	B+
215	Adrian	0 compounds	No	3	B+
216	Boyertown	0 compounds	No	6	B+
217	Tamaqua	0 compounds	No	9	C-
218	Tyrone	0 compounds	No	6	F
219	Corry	0 compounds	No	7	D
220	Leetsdale	0 compounds	No	2	B+
221	Minersville	0 compounds	No	2	D+
222	Jersey Shore	0 compounds	No	24	D
223	Bedford	0 compounds	No	50	F
224	Mansfield	0 compounds	No	43	D
225	New Philadelphia	0 compounds	No	1	A-
226	Towanda	0 compounds	No	7	F
227	Greencastle	0 compounds	No	39	F
228	Ridgway	0 compounds	No	30	C
229	Sarver	0 compounds	No	9	C+
230	Schuylkill Haven	0 compounds	No	4	B+
231	Hellertown	0 compounds	No	0	C
232	Albion	0 compounds	No	3	C+
233	Mount Union	0 compounds	No	52	F
234	Mahanoy City	0 compounds	No	1	A-
235	Duquesne	0 compounds	No	9	C+
236	Birdsboro	0 compounds	No	15	C
237	Hamburg	0 compounds	No	7	C
238	Tarentum	0 compounds	No	7	D
239	Homer City	0 compounds	No	0	A
240	Mifflintown	0 compounds	No	15	F
241	Mifflinburg	0 compounds	No	3	D
242	Fleetwood	0 compounds	No	12	D
243	Curwensville	0 compounds	No	20	D+
244	New Wilmington	0 compounds	No	0	A-
245	Brockway	0 compounds	No	3	D
246	Dilliner	0 compounds	No	12	D+
247	Wrightsville	0 compounds	No	19	B
248	Baden	0 compounds	No	10	A-
249	Masontown	0 compounds	No	10	B
250	Brackenridge	0 compounds	No	8	A-
251	Morrisdale	0 compounds	No	2	D+
252	Girard	0 compounds	No	5	D
253	Connellsville	0 compounds	No	11	B
254	Emporium	0 compounds	No	32	D+
255	Flinton	0 compounds	No	4	C+
256	Champion	0 compounds	No	2	B-
257	Union City	0 compounds	No	36	D+
258	Topton	0 compounds	No	4	C-
259	Newville	0 compounds	No	3	B
260	Centre Hall	0 compounds	No	1	C-
261	Elderton	0 compounds	No	1	C+
262	Waterford	0 compounds	No	7	D+
263	Ellsworth	0 compounds	No	15	D+
264	Summerhill	0 compounds	No	2	C+
265	Millville	0 compounds	No	4	F
266	Fishertown	0 compounds	No	2	B+
267	Penns Creek	0 compounds	No	1	F

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about pfas in Pennsylvania

Does Pennsylvania tap water contain PFAS?

PFAS were detected in 155 of 267 Pennsylvania cities tested under EPA's UCMR 5 program. 81 cities exceed the 2024 EPA MCL of 4 ppt for individual PFAS compounds.

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

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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