Is Rome, GA tap water safe?
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Summary
Floyd County Water System, the largest system here, had PFAS above the 2024 federal limits (PFOA, PFOS) in EPA's 2023–2025 testing.
Is it an emergency? No: PFAS limits are about years of exposure, not a glass of water, and nothing in EPA's data calls for you to stop drinking the water today. If your utility issues a boil-water or do-not-drink notice, follow it.
2 public water systems serve parts of Rome. The largest, Floyd County Water System, serves 46,143 people, and 2 systems here had PFAS above a federal limit. Your water bill names your system.
Largest system
Floyd County Water System
46,143 people · Surface water · EPA ID GA1150001
Buys treated water from Adairsville Water System, Calhoun Water System, Rome Water System.
| PFAS | Highest average | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| PFOA Above limit | 9.6 ppt | 4 ppt |
| PFOS Above limit | 8.05 ppt | 4 ppt |
| PFHxS Not detected | – | 10 ppt |
| PFNA Not detected | – | 10 ppt |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) Not detected | – | 10 ppt |
ppt = parts per trillion. "Highest average" is the highest average at any of the system's entry points, the way EPA compares results with the limits.
For context: the PFOA average is higher than at 97% of the Georgia systems EPA tested and the PFOS average is higher than at 96% of the Georgia systems EPA tested.
Lead: 0 ppb at the 90th percentile (Nov 2026, and 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below it) Below action level
Health-based violations since 2016: 0
Across Georgia, 27 of 252 water systems EPA tested had PFAS above a 2024 federal limit, and 16 systems were above the lead action level in results from the last five years. Georgia results.
Rome homes and lead pipes
Lead service lines and lead solder were allowed until 1986, so homes from before then are the ones to check. Renting? Ask your landlord what the service line is made of, because it's their pipe to replace. How to check your own line.
Housing: Census American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for Rome city (tables B25034, B25003). Estimates for small places have a margin of error.
Other water systems serving Rome
How nearby cities compare
| City | PFAS | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|---|
| Cartersville 23 mi Bartow County Water System | None above limits | 1.4 ppb |
| Kennesaw 36 mi Cobb County Water System | None above limits | – |
| Dalton 37 mi Dalton Utilities | Above limit | 0 ppb |
| Canton 40 mi Canton Water System | None above limits | 0 ppb |
| Woodstock 40 mi Cobb County Water System | None above limits | – |
| Marietta 43 mi Cobb County Water System | None above limits | – |
Rome ZIP codes (1)
- 30165
Questions
Is Rome tap water safe to drink?
Floyd County Water System has had no health-based violations since 2016, and EPA testing found PFAS above the 2024 federal limits, which it must meet by 2029. Utility data can't show lead from your own pipes: if your home was built before 1986, test your tap. Your utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report is the official summary.
Who supplies water in Rome, GA?
2 public water systems serve parts of Rome. The largest is Floyd County Water System (46,143 people). Your water bill names your system. The EPA ID is also on your utility's Consumer Confidence Report.
Does Rome tap water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing found entry-point averages above the 2024 federal limits for PFOA and PFOS at Floyd County Water System. Systems have until 2029 to meet them.
Do Rome homes have lead pipes?
Census estimates put 59% of Rome homes as built before 1980 (Georgia: 32%). Lead service lines and lead solder were allowed until 1986, so older homes are more likely to have them. Floyd County Water System's service line inventory says what your line is made of. The only way to know for your home is to check the line where it enters the house and test your tap.
Source: U.S. EPA drinking water records and PFAS testing (UCMR 5). How we read the data.