Is Whitehall, PA tap water safe?

Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it

No federal limits exceeded in EPA data for Swt Main System. 3 PFAS were detected below the limits.

2 public water systems serve parts of Whitehall. The largest, Swt Main System, serves 14,500 people, and one system here had PFAS above a federal limit. Your water bill names your system.

Largest system

Swt Main System

14,500 people · Purchased surface water · EPA ID PA3390065

Buys treated water from Lehigh County Authority – Allentown Division, Swt Allentown Cons System.

PFAS	Highest average	Limit	Status
PFOA Detected, below limit	2 ppt	4 ppt	Detected, below limit
PFOS Not detected	–	4 ppt	Not detected
PFHxS Not detected	–	10 ppt	Not detected
PFNA Not detected	–	10 ppt	Not detected
HFPO-DA (GenX) Not detected	–	10 ppt	Not detected

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.

Lead: 6 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: 1

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.

Whitehall homes and lead pipes

70%

of homes built before 1980 (Pennsylvania 67%, US 50%)

21%

built before 1950 (Pennsylvania 32%)

38%

of households rent (Pennsylvania 31%)

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 Whitehall township (tables B25034, B25003). Estimates for small places have a margin of error.

Other water systems serving Whitehall

Whitehall Township Authority
13,063 people · Groundwater · Pennsylvania · lists this city
PFOA above limitAlso: PFOS above limit · PFHxS detected · PFNA detected

How nearby cities compare

City	Main water system	PFAS	Lead (90th pct.)
Allentown 5 mi Lehigh County Authority – Allentown Division	Lehigh County Authority – Allentown Division	None above limits	7 ppb
Bethlehem 7 mi City of Bethlehem	City of Bethlehem	None above limits	0 ppb
Lower Macungie 9 mi Lehigh County Authority – Wlsa Central Division	Lehigh County Authority – Wlsa Central Division	Above limit	2 ppb
Exeter 29 mi Reading Area Water Authority	Reading Area Water Authority	Above limit	0 ppb
Reading 31 mi Reading Area Water Authority	Reading Area Water Authority	Above limit	0 ppb
Montgomery 32 mi North Penn Water Authority	North Penn Water Authority	Above limit	0.5 ppb

Whitehall ZIP codes (1)

18052

Questions

Is Whitehall tap water safe to drink?

Swt Main System had 1 health-based violation since 2016. 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 Whitehall, PA?

2 public water systems serve parts of Whitehall. The largest is Swt Main System (14,500 people). Your water bill names your system. The EPA ID is also on your utility's Consumer Confidence Report.

Does Whitehall tap water have PFAS?

Swt Main System had 3 PFAS detected at least once in EPA's 2023–2025 testing, all with averages below the federal limits.

Do Whitehall homes have lead pipes?

Census estimates put 70% of Whitehall 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. Swt Main 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.