Decatur Municipal Utilities Board water quality
Decatur, AL · serves 77,103 people (25,701 connections) · Surface water · Local government · EPA ID AL0001084
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Detected, below limit2 of 29 PFAS found at least once. All averages below the federal limits.
- Lead
- Below action level0 ppb (parts per billion) at the 90th percentile: 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below it. Action level 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb in Nov 2027. Monitoring period ending Dec 2024. Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- None health-basedNo health-based violations since 2016.
- Built before 1986, or not sure what your service line is made of? Check your service line and test your tap. Utility data can't show your pipes.
- Tested your own tap? Compare your result with these numbers. Moving? Compare this system with another.
- Read Decatur Municipal Utilities Board's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report). It lists every regulated contaminant tested and is usually on the utility's website or mailed with your bill, and you can also request it at (256) 552-1428. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 1 entry point tested Jun 2023 to Mar 2024. "Average" is the highest entry-point average (non-detects counted as zero), the way EPA compares UCMR 5 results to the limits. ppt = parts per trillion. These results do not determine compliance.
| Contaminant | Highest average |
|---|---|
| PFOA Not detected Limit 4 ppt | – |
| PFOS Not detected Limit 4 ppt | – |
| PFHxS Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| PFNA Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| Hazard Index (a combined score for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and PFBS, where above 1 is over the limit) Detected, below limit Limit 1 | 0.00081 |
| PFBS Detected, below limit Guideline 2,000 ppt | 1.63 ppt |
| PFBA Detected, below limit Guideline 6,000 ppt | 7.15 ppt |
| PFHxA Not detected Guideline 3,000 ppt | – |
29 PFAS tested, 2 detected at least once. "Not detected" means below EPA's reporting limit (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical), not proven zero. PFAS not listed were not detected. The limits for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and the Hazard Index were proposed for rescission in May 2026. That proposal is not final. Systems have until 2029 to meet the limits.
Lithium
Not detected in 4 samples (reporting limit 9 ppb). About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 0 ppb lead (Jan 2022 – Dec 2024). Below action level
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2022 – Dec 2024 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2019 – Dec 2021 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2016 – Dec 2018 | 0 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2013 – Dec 2015 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 2010 – Dec 2012 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 2009 – Dec 2009 | 1.15 ppb |
| Jan 2008 – Dec 2008 | 1.62 ppb |
| Jan 2007 – Dec 2007 | 1 ppb |
| Jan 2006 – Dec 2006 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 2004 – Dec 2006 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 2005 – Dec 2005 | 3 ppb |
| Jul 2003 – Dec 2003 | 3 ppb |
Lead comes from pipes and fixtures, not the source water, so it varies home to home. The 90th percentile means 9 in 10 sampled homes were at or below it. More on lead.
Violations
Health-based violations mean a contaminant exceeded a limit or a required treatment step was missed. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or reports were late or missing, so the water's quality during that time is unknown. The total includes every violation in EPA's records, most of them paperwork.
Earlier EPA testing (2013–2020)
| Contaminant | Highest | Guideline |
|---|---|---|
| Manganese | 1.8 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Chlorate | 130 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.12 ppb | – |
| Strontium | 0.074 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| 1,4-Dioxane | 0.2 ppb | 0.35 ppb |
| Vanadium | 0.8 ppb | 21 ppb |
Where it serves
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 35601, 35603, 35622, 35670, 35671, 35673
Nearby utilities
- Limestone County Water & Sewer Authority Athens · 14 mi
- Madison W & Water Works Board Madison · 16 mi
- Harvest-Monrovia Water, Sewer & Fire Protection, Inc. Harvest · 23 mi · PFAS above limit
- Rogersville Water Works & Sewer Board Rogersville · 24 mi · PFAS above limit
- Cullman County Water Department Cullman · 29 mi
- Huntsville Utilities Water Dept. Huntsville · 30 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is Decatur Municipal Utilities Board water safe to drink?
Decatur Municipal Utilities Board has no health-based violations since 2016. EPA testing found no PFAS above the federal limits. Federal data can't tell you about your own pipes: lead comes from service lines and plumbing, so test your tap if your home was built before 1986. For the official word, read the utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report.
Does Decatur Municipal Utilities Board water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of Decatur Municipal Utilities Board found 2 PFAS at least once. None of the averages were above the federal limits.
What is the lead level in Decatur Municipal Utilities Board water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Decatur Municipal Utilities Board is 0 ppb, for the period ending Dec 2024. The federal action level is 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb in November 2027. The 90th percentile means 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below this number. Individual homes can be higher.
Check these numbers yourself
Every figure on this page comes from public EPA records. You don't have to take our word for it:
- EPA's own report for AL0001084: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID AL0001084).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Decatur Municipal Utilities Board at (256) 552-1428, or see EPA's guide to finding it.
Found something that doesn't match? Tell us and we'll check it against EPA's records. How we check our data.
Source: U.S. EPA drinking water records and PFAS testing (UCMR 5). How we read the data.