Is Lower Macungie, PA tap water safe?
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Summary
Lehigh County Authority – Wlsa Central Division had PFAS above the 2024 federal limits (PFOA) 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.
Lehigh County Authority – Wlsa Central Division supplies Lower Macungie (47,693 people).
Water system
Lehigh County Authority – Wlsa Central Division
47,693 people · Purchased surface water · EPA ID PA3390073
Buys treated water from Lehigh County Authority – Allentown Division, Swt Main System, Salisbury Township Water System.
| PFAS | Highest average | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| PFOA Above limit | 4.35 ppt | 4 ppt |
| PFOS Not detected | – | 4 ppt |
| PFHxS Detected, below limit | 1.55 ppt | 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 81% of the Pennsylvania systems EPA tested.
Lead: 2 ppb at the 90th percentile (Sep 2025, and 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below it) Below action level
Health-based violations since 2016: 2
Full Lehigh County Authority – Wlsa Central Division results
Across Pennsylvania, 85 of 360 water systems EPA tested had PFAS above a 2024 federal limit, and 76 systems were above the lead action level in results from the last five years. Pennsylvania results.
Lower Macungie homes and lead pipes
Lead service lines and lead solder were allowed until 1986, so homes from before then are the ones to check. How to check your own line.
Housing: Census American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for Lower Macungie township (tables B25034, B25003). Estimates for small places have a margin of error.
How nearby cities compare
| City | PFAS | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|---|
| Allentown 6 mi Lehigh County Authority – Allentown Division | None above limits | 7 ppb |
| Whitehall 9 mi Swt Main System | None above limits | 6 ppb |
| Bethlehem 12 mi City of Bethlehem | None above limits | 0 ppb |
| Exeter 21 mi Reading Area Water Authority | Above limit | 0 ppb |
| Reading 23 mi Reading Area Water Authority | Above limit | 0 ppb |
| Montgomery 27 mi North Penn Water Authority | Above limit | 0.5 ppb |
Lower Macungie ZIP codes (2)
- 18062
- 18106
Questions
Is Lower Macungie tap water safe to drink?
Lehigh County Authority – Wlsa Central Division had 2 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 Lower Macungie, PA?
Lehigh County Authority – Wlsa Central Division, which serves 47,693 people.
Does Lower Macungie tap water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing found entry-point averages above the 2024 federal limits for PFOA at Lehigh County Authority – Wlsa Central Division. Systems have until 2029 to meet them.
Do Lower Macungie homes have lead pipes?
Census estimates put 30% of Lower Macungie homes as built before 1980 (Pennsylvania: 67%). Lead service lines and lead solder were allowed until 1986, so older homes are more likely to have them. Lehigh County Authority – Wlsa Central Division'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.