Is Reading, PA tap water safe?
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Summary
Reading Area 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.
4 public water systems serve parts of Reading. The largest, Reading Area Water Authority, serves 95,100 people, and 3 systems here had PFAS above a federal limit. Your water bill names your system.
Largest system
Reading Area Water Authority
95,100 people · Surface water · EPA ID PA3060059
| PFAS | Highest average | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| PFOA Above limit | 6.13 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 87% of the Pennsylvania systems EPA tested.
Lead: 0 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: 4
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.
Reading 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 Reading city (tables B25034, B25003). Estimates for small places have a margin of error.
Other water systems serving Reading
- Pennsylvania American Water – Penn District28,508 people · Groundwater · Pennsylvania · reported ZIPs herePFOA above limitAlso: PFOS above limit · PFHxS detected · Lithium above screening level
- Muhlenberg Township Municipal Authority22,400 people · Groundwater · Pennsylvania · reported ZIPs herePFOA above limitAlso: PFOS above limit · Coliform bacteria violation · PFHxS detected
- Western Berks Water Authority75 people · Surface water · Pennsylvania · reported ZIPs hereNot in EPA's PFAS sample
How nearby cities compare
| City | PFAS | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|---|
| Exeter 5 mi Reading Area Water Authority | Above limit | 0 ppb |
| Spring 6 mi Pennsylvania American Water – Penn District | Above limit | 3 ppb |
| Lower Macungie 23 mi Lehigh County Authority – Wlsa Central Division | Above limit | 2 ppb |
| Manheim 26 mi East Hempfield Water Authority | Above limit | 8 ppb |
| Allentown 29 mi Lehigh County Authority – Allentown Division | None above limits | 7 ppb |
| Lower Providence 30 mi Aqua Pennsylvania Main System | Above limit | 0 ppb |
Reading ZIP codes (4)
- 19601
- 19602
- 19604
- 19611
Questions
Is Reading tap water safe to drink?
Reading Area Water Authority had 4 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 Reading, PA?
4 public water systems serve parts of Reading. The largest is Reading Area Water Authority (95,100 people). Your water bill names your system. The EPA ID is also on your utility's Consumer Confidence Report.
Does Reading tap water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing found entry-point averages above the 2024 federal limits for PFOA at Reading Area Water Authority. Systems have until 2029 to meet them.
Do Reading homes have lead pipes?
Census estimates put 90% of Reading 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. Reading Area 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.