PFAS in tap water, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
11 of 19 water systems had PFAS-4 above our 0.5 ng/L benchmark at the latest sample. Highest: City of Lancaster, 23.8 ng/L. 12 had PFOA or PFOS above the 4 ng/L federal MCL in at least one sample.
19 community water systems · 306,875 people served · newest sample March 18, 2026
Water systems in Lancaster County
| Water system | People served | PFAS-4 at the latest sample | Entry points | Latest sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Lancaster | 120,000 | 23.8 ng/L above the 2029 federal MCL | 2 | September 5, 2024 |
| Columbia Water CO | 25,200 | below the 3 to 4 ng/L reporting limit | 3 | November 1, 2023 |
| Ephrata Area Joint Authority | 24,500 | 4.3 ng/L above the 2029 federal MCL | 3 | March 24, 2025 |
| East Hempfield Water Auth | 20,988 | 13.9 ng/L above the 2029 federal MCL | 7 | March 18, 2026 |
| Elizabethtown Area Water | 19,000 | 4.2 ng/L above the 2029 federal MCL | 6 | October 7, 2024 |
| Mt Joy Boro Auth | 15,261 | below the 3 to 4 ng/L reporting limit | 2 | May 13, 2025 |
| Lititz Boro | 9,397 | below the 3 to 4 ng/L reporting limit | 1 | October 10, 2023 |
| Warwick TWP Lititz Sys | 8,561 | below the 3 to 4 ng/L reporting limit | 1 | October 22, 2025 |
| New Holland Borough | 8,490 | 12.1 ng/L above the 2029 federal MCL | 4 | September 20, 2023 |
| Millersville Univ | 7,950 | 10.7 ng/L above the 2029 federal MCL | 1 | September 22, 2025 |
| Upper Leacock Township | 7,734 | 19.1 ng/L above the 2029 federal MCL | 3 | December 15, 2025 |
| East Cocalico Township Auth | 6,735 | 4.5 ng/L above the 2029 federal MCL | 10 | July 15, 2024 |
| Manheim Area Water & Sewer Aut | 6,701 | 19.2 ng/L above the 2029 federal MCL | 1 | October 20, 2025 |
| East Petersburg Borough | 6,215 | 21 ng/L above the 2029 federal MCL | 2 | December 18, 2024 |
| West Earl Water Authority | 4,327 | below the 3 to 4 ng/L reporting limit | 2 | December 16, 2025 |
| Akron Borough | 4,200 | below the 3 to 4 ng/L reporting limit above the 2029 federal MCL in an earlier sample | 2 | October 10, 2023 |
| East Donegal | 4,048 | below the 3 to 4 ng/L reporting limit | 1 | August 21, 2023 |
| Denver Boro | 3,861 | below the 3 to 4 ng/L reporting limit | 2 | November 19, 2025 |
| Masonic Homes | 3,707 | 4.8 ng/L above the 2029 federal MCL | 1 | September 22, 2025 |
| Mt Hope Est & Winery non-transient non-community water system | 2,500 | monitored under UCMR 5, no page | ||
| Manheim Auto Auction non-transient non-community water system | 1,426 | monitored under UCMR 5, no page | ||
2 systems without a page are not a community water system (schools, workplaces, campgrounds). Nobody's home tap water.
Not sure which one is yours? The systems report their own service areas to EPA. Check your water bill or your utility's Consumer Confidence Report.
ZIP codes in Lancaster County
Census ZIP code tabulation areas that overlap the county. A ZIP served by one system opens that system's page; a ZIP shared by several systems lists them.
How to read these numbers
We compare PFAS-4 (PFOA + PFOS + PFNA + PFHxS) with this site's 0.5 ng/L benchmark, the same line as on the European pages. UCMR 5 reporting limits are 3 to 4 ng/L. So any quantified PFAS-4 compound is above the benchmark, and a clean result reads "below the 3 to 4 ng/L reporting limit", never zero. The US legal limit is the 4 ng/L federal MCL for PFOA and PFOS, which systems must meet from April 26, 2029 ("above the 2029 federal MCL").
EPA: "UCMR 5 results do not indicate compliance or noncompliance with the PFAS drinking water standards". Samples are taken where water enters the distribution system, not at your tap. A system may have changed sources or added treatment since. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Water, PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR). Regulation details retrieved September 19, 2026. Every system page tracks the 2029 compliance date and the proposed rescission of the PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA and Hazard Index limits.
This site is a data project, not an official source. If in doubt, check with your water supplier or local authority.