Is Montgomery, PA tap water safe?
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Summary
North Penn Water Authority, the largest system here, 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.
2 public water systems serve parts of Montgomery. The largest, North Penn Water Authority, serves 91,941 people, and 2 systems here had PFAS above a federal limit. Your water bill names your system.
Largest system
North Penn Water Authority
91,941 people · Purchased surface water · EPA ID PA1460034
Buys treated water from Dtma Main System, Telford Borough Authority, Hilltown Township Water&sewer Authority, North Wales Water Authority, Pennsylvania American Water – Norristown.
| PFAS | Highest average | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| PFOA Above limit | 4.65 ppt | 4 ppt |
| PFOS Not detected | – | 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 82% of the Pennsylvania systems EPA tested.
Lead: 0.5 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: 0
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.
Montgomery 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 Montgomery township (tables B25034, B25003). Estimates for small places have a margin of error.
Other water systems serving Montgomery
How nearby cities compare
| City | PFAS | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|---|
| Warrington 4 mi Aqua Pennsylvania Main System | Above limit | 0 ppb |
| Horsham 5 mi Aqua Pennsylvania Main System | Above limit | 0 ppb |
| Upper Dublin 7 mi Aqua Pennsylvania Main System | Above limit | 0 ppb |
| Warminster 8 mi Aqua Pennsylvania Main System | Above limit | 0 ppb |
| Upper Moreland 9 mi Aqua Pennsylvania Main System | Above limit | 0 ppb |
| Norristown 10 mi Aqua Pennsylvania Main System | Above limit | 0 ppb |
Montgomery ZIP codes (2)
- 18936
- 19454
Questions
Is Montgomery tap water safe to drink?
North Penn Water Authority 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 Montgomery, PA?
2 public water systems serve parts of Montgomery. The largest is North Penn Water Authority (91,941 people). Your water bill names your system. The EPA ID is also on your utility's Consumer Confidence Report.
Does Montgomery tap water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing found entry-point averages above the 2024 federal limits for PFOA at North Penn Water Authority. Systems have until 2029 to meet them.
Do Montgomery homes have lead pipes?
Census estimates put 21% of Montgomery 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. North Penn Water Authority'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.