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CONTAMINANT

Total PFOS and PFOA

FOUND

Exceeding guidelines

STATES DETECTED

6

serves

6.0 million

utilities detected

563

states detected

6

serves

5.8 million

utilities detected

544

Overview

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are a member of a group of perfluorinated chemicals used in many consumer products. PFOS, PFOA and other perfluorinated chemicals can cause serious health effects, including cancer, endocrine disruption, accelerated puberty, liver and immune system damage, and thyroid changes. These chemicals are persistent in the environment and they accumulate in people. Click here to read more about perfluorinated chemicals.

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 0.007 ppt

EWG applied the health guideline of 0.09 ppt, defined by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment as a public health goal for PFOA, to PFOS and PFOA combined. This health guideline protects against cancer.

ppt = parts per trillion

National Standard Exists

Health Concerns:

  • Cancer

  • Harm to the immune system

  • Hormone disruption

  • Harm to fetal growth and child development

  • Harm to the liver

Want to remove
Total PFOS and PFOA from your water?

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Activated Carbon, 

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Total PFOS and PFOA around the Country

UTILITIES REPORTING ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES UTILITIES WITH CONTAMINATION
State Utilities People Served Utilities People Served
Wisconsin2682,936,9082873,053,828
Washington1572,175,0031572,175,003
Iowa19515,66619515,666
Maine94152,74594152,745
Rhode Island553,860553,860
New York19,00519,005

Utilities with the highest amounts of total PFOS and PFOA, 2021-2023

ALL UTILITIES
LARGE UTILITIES
Utility Location Tests Average level People served
Sunrise Serenity TpSebattus, ME4 of 4204.4 ppt25
Houlton Mobile Home ParkHoulton, ME2 of 2176.2 ppt140
Sunny Gables- Glenburn HousingGlenburn, ME7 of 994.8 ppt60
Maine Water Company Union DivisionPoland, ME2 of 386.7 ppt238
ArtondaleGig Harbor, WA4 of 484.9 ppt5,647
Westwind Mobile HomeFriendship, WI2 of 261.7 ppt90
Inwood Beach ClubPort Orchard, WA2 of 256.0 ppt80
City of Moses LakeMoses Lake, WA1 of 152.2 ppt32,428
Clear Creek Mobile Home ParkPort Orchard, WA6 of 645.0 ppt63
Narraguagus EstatesCherryfield, ME4 of 543.8 ppt97
Cheney, City of*Cheney, WA1 of 142.6 ppt14,621
Laurel Lane Mhc LlcPort Orchard, WA1 of 142.2 ppt75
Western State HospitalTacoma, WA2 of 235.3 ppt2,857
Parker Ridge Retirement CommunityBlue Hill, ME8 of 834.7 ppt155
Crawford CommonsUnion, ME4 of 733.7 ppt50
Stevens Co. PUD - RiversideLoon Lake, WA1 of 131.1 ppt365
Town & Country Motel ApartmentsHolden, ME5 of 529.1 ppt44
Sawyerwood Water SystemBlack Diamond, WA1 of 128.7 ppt32
Kammerer Mobile Home ParkMuscatine, IA4 of 628.2 ppt100
Fairchild Community LlcPort Orchard, WA4 of 426.7 ppt98
Blue Hill TerracePrinceton, ME2 of 326.7 ppt60
Scroggins Mobile Home ParkCorinth, ME3 of 325.9 ppt73
The MeadowsGreene, ME4 of 623.8 ppt65
Scituate CommonsCanton, RI1 of 123.5 ppt28
Pinecroft Mobile Home ParkPort Orchard, WA3 of 322.9 ppt248
Rothschild WaterworksRothschild, WI3 of 322.4 ppt3,190
Badger Mountain Irrigation DistrictKennewick, WA4 of 421.4 ppt2,295
City of West RichlandWest Richland, WA4 of 421.4 ppt17,410
City of Richland*Richland, WA4 of 421.4 ppt94,463
City of VancouverVancouver, WA14 of 1420.9 ppt373,047
Mountain View Correctional FacilityCharleston, ME13 of 1320.0 ppt500
Plymouth Water DistrictPlymouth, ME3 of 319.9 ppt150
Eagle EstatesTacoma, WA5 of 518.9 ppt53
Tomahawk WaterworksTomahawk, WI6 of 618.8 ppt3,770
Wentworth Mobile Home ParkCorinth, ME2 of 218.3 ppt75
Brockway Sanitary District 1Black River Falls, WI8 of 818.2 ppt2,692
Rustic RidgeQuincy, WA1 of 118.1 ppt221
Millstone ApartmentsBrunswick, ME3 of 517.8 ppt97
Lazy Acres 351Lacey, WA16 of 1617.3 ppt267
Kopachuck Ridge Water DistrictGig Harbor, WA1 of 117.2 ppt185
Hallowell Water District*Hallowell, ME3 of 316.9 ppt2,138
YacoltVancouver, WA5 of 516.7 ppt2,630
Twin Firs Mobile EstatesBellevue, WA1 of 116.3 ppt175
Northland MissionDunbar, WI1 of 114.9 ppt25
Mansfield Water SystemMansfield, WA2 of 214.7 ppt380
Woodland ManorUnion, WA6 of 614.6 ppt192
Prairie Village Water TrustNorth Prairie, WI4 of 414.6 ppt2,100
Winterport Water DistrictWinterport, ME3 of 314.4 ppt805
Fairwind Mobile Home ParkPort Orchard, WA4 of 414.3 ppt78
Roy City OfRoy, WA4 of 414.2 ppt1,214

* This water utility supplies finished drinking water to at least one other water utility. The purchasing utility is not required to test for or report Total PFOS and PFOA, but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.

UtilityLocationTestsAverage levelPeople served
City of Moses LakeMoses Lake, WA1 of 152.2 ppt32,428
Cheney, City of*Cheney, WA1 of 142.6 ppt14,621
City of Richland*Richland, WA4 of 421.4 ppt94,463
City of West RichlandWest Richland, WA4 of 421.4 ppt17,410
City of VancouverVancouver, WA14 of 1420.9 ppt373,047
Marshfield UtilitiesMarshfield, WI16 of 1713.3 ppt18,708
Sammamish Plateau Water and Sewer*Sammamish, WA12 of 1212.4 ppt65,598
Sanford Water DistrictSanford, ME7 of 1012.3 ppt14,025
Clark Public Utilities*Vancouver, WA2 of 312.0 ppt116,876
Dupont Water System City OfDupont, WA14 of 1411.8 ppt12,860
JBLM LewisJoint Base Lewis-mcchord, WA15 of 1511.0 ppt58,497
Parkland Light & Water Company*Tacoma, WA7 of 710.4 ppt29,595
City of Kennewick*Kennewick, WA7 of 79.64 ppt89,224
Camas Municipal Water Sewer SystemCamas, WA18 of 189.36 ppt31,794
Kennebec Water District*Waterville, ME4 of 48.17 ppt21,808
Centralia UtilitiesCentralia, WA1 of 18.10 ppt28,164
Whitworth Water District 2*Mead, WA1 of 17.99 ppt26,883
Weston Municipal UtilitiesWeston, WI15 of 197.58 ppt15,045
Covington Water District*Kent, WA2 of 27.50 ppt52,143
Eau Claire WaterworksEau Claire, WI4 of 47.30 ppt66,060
Greater Augusta Utility DistrictAugusta, ME3 of 57.29 ppt15,040
Highline Water District*Kent, WA2 of 27.13 ppt115,057
Southwood Water SystemTacoma, WA14 of 146.85 ppt64,276
Wausau WaterworksWausau, WI7 of 76.81 ppt39,106
Dubuque Water Works*Dubuque, IA4 of 46.63 ppt59,667
Lakehaven Utility DistrictFederal Way, WA6 of 65.81 ppt116,906
Lakewood Water District*Lakewood, WA2 of 25.35 ppt62,089
Firgrove Mutual IncPuyallup, WA11 of 115.34 ppt36,055
City of Spokane*Spokane, WA6 of 65.05 ppt343,167
Jblm Mcchord FieldJoint Base Lewis-mcchord, WA4 of 44.50 ppt13,115
City of South Sioux CitySouth Sioux City, NE3 of 74.37 ppt14,043
Sioux City Water Supply*Sioux City, IA3 of 74.37 ppt85,791
Two Rivers WaterworksTwo Rivers, WI3 of 34.37 ppt11,232
Oak Creek Waterworks*Oak Creek, WI2 of 24.35 ppt32,104
South Milwaukee WaterworksSouth Milwaukee, WI2 of 24.25 ppt21,340
PUD #1 of Asotin CountyClarkston, WA2 of 24.15 ppt22,583
Muscatine Power & Water*Muscatine, IA15 of 274.15 ppt23,797
Whitefish Bay WaterworksWhitefish Bay, WI2 of 24.05 ppt14,272
Glendale WaterworksGlendale, WI2 of 24.05 ppt12,883
Kenosha Water Utility*Kenosha, WI2 of 23.65 ppt99,218
Pleasant Prairie Water UtilityPleasant Prairie, WI2 of 23.65 ppt10,754
QuimperPort Townsend, WA3 of 33.49 ppt14,500
Greendale WaterworksGreendale, WI6 of 63.40 ppt14,046
Menomonee Falls WW - Surface WaterMenomonee Falls, WI6 of 63.40 ppt23,867
Milwaukee Waterworks*Milwaukee, WI6 of 63.40 ppt647,290
Shorewood WaterworksShorewood, WI6 of 63.40 ppt13,189
Wauwatosa WaterworksWauwatosa, WI6 of 63.40 ppt49,064
New Berlin Water UtilityNew Berlin, WI6 of 63.40 ppt27,899
West Allis WaterworksWest Allis, WI6 of 63.40 ppt63,240
Waukesha Water UtilityWaukesha, WI6 of 63.40 ppt70,718

* This water utility supplies finished drinking water to at least one other water utility. The purchasing utility is not required to test for or report Total PFOS and PFOA, but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.

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