City of Pell City water quality
Pell City, AL · serves 17,586 people (5,862 connections) · Purchased surface water · Local government · EPA ID AL0001204
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Buys water from Coosa Valley Water Supply District. Treated water bought from another system can carry that system's contaminants.
Summary
PFAS above the 2024 federal limits. Systems have until 2029 to meet the PFAS limits.
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 ever issues a boil-water or do-not-drink notice, follow it.
- PFAS
- Above limitPFOA above the federal limit in EPA's 2023–2025 testing (PFOA 6.75 ppt vs a limit of 4 ppt, where ppt = parts per trillion).
- Lead
- Below action level1 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.
- Pregnant, or mixing baby formula with tap water? Babies drink more water for their size, so PFAS exposure matters more for them. Consider bottled water or a filter certified for PFAS for formula, and ask your doctor. Health effects.
- To lower your PFAS exposure now, a home filter certified for PFAS reduction works (reverse osmosis, or activated carbon certified to NSF/ANSI 53 or 58). Filters for these results.
- 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 City of Pell City'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 (205) 338-2244. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 4 entry points tested Aug 2024 to May 2025. "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 Above limit Limit 4 ppt | 6.75 ppt 1.69× the limit |
| PFOS One sample above limit Limit 4 ppt | 2.52 ppt 63% of the limit |
| 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 | 0.021 |
| PFBS Detected, below limit Guideline 2,000 ppt | 41.5 ppt |
| PFBA Detected, below limit Guideline 6,000 ppt | 10.2 ppt |
| PFHxA Detected, below limit Guideline 3,000 ppt | 10.6 ppt |
| PFPeA Detected, no limit | 21.3 ppt |
| PFHpA Detected, no limit | 2.6 ppt |
For context: the PFOA average is higher than at 90% of the Alabama systems EPA tested.
29 PFAS tested, 7 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 10 samples (reporting limit 9 ppb). About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 1 ppb lead (Jan 2022 – Dec 2024). Below action level
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2022 – Dec 2024 | 1 ppb |
| Jan 2019 – Dec 2021 | 1 ppb |
| Jan 2016 – Dec 2018 | 0 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2013 – Dec 2015 | 1 ppb |
| Jan 2012 – Dec 2012 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2009 – Dec 2011 | 1 ppb |
| Jan 2006 – Dec 2008 | 3 ppb |
| Jul 2002 – Dec 2002 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 2000 – Dec 2002 | 3 ppb |
| Jul 1999 – Dec 1999 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 1999 – Dec 1999 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 1998 – Dec 1998 | 2 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 | 22.1 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Vanadium | 0.42 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Chlorate | 248 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.059 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Molybdenum | 1.9 ppb | 40 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.22 ppb | – |
| 1,4-Dioxane | 0.11 ppb | 0.35 ppb |
Where it serves
Pell City
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 35120, 35125, 35128
Nearby utilities
- City of Talladega Water & Sewer Dept Talladega · 13 mi · PFAS above limit
- Sterrett-Vandiver Water System, Inc. Sterrett · 14 mi · PFAS above limit
- Childersburg Water & Sewer Board Childersburg · 19 mi · PFAS above limit
- Irondale Water System Irondale · 23 mi · PFAS above limit
- Oxford Water Works & Sewer Board Oxford · 23 mi · PFAS above limit
- Southside Water Works and Sewer Board Southside · 27 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is City of Pell City water safe to drink?
City of Pell City has no health-based violations since 2016. EPA testing found PFAS above the 2024 federal limits, which systems must meet by 2029. 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 City of Pell City water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of City of Pell City found 7 PFAS at least once. The highest entry-point averages were above the federal limit for PFOA: PFOA 6.75 ppt (limit 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS, 10 ppt for the others).
What is the lead level in City of Pell City water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for City of Pell City is 1 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 AL0001204: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID AL0001204).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask City of Pell City at (205) 338-2244, 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.