Lewes Board of Public Works water quality
Lewes, DE · serves 9,627 people (3,800 connections) · Groundwater · Local government · EPA ID DE0000602
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Buys water from Rehoboth Pump District (TUI). Treated water bought from another system can carry that system's contaminants.
Summary
PFAS above the 2024 federal limits, plus lead above the action level. Systems have until 2029 to meet the PFAS limits.
Is it an emergency? No: these findings are about longer-term exposure, 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 limitPFOS above the federal limit in EPA's 2023–2025 testing (PFOS 7.15 ppt vs a limit of 4 ppt, where ppt = parts per trillion).
- Lead
- Above action level21.6 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 Jun 2026. 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.
- Lead was above the action level in some homes sampled. 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 Lewes Board of Public Works'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 (302) 644-5312. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 1 entry point tested Feb 2024 to Aug 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 One sample above limit Limit 4 ppt | 3.05 ppt 76% of the limit |
| PFOS Above limit Limit 4 ppt | 7.15 ppt 1.79× the limit |
| PFHxS Detected, below limit Limit 10 ppt | 1.75 ppt 18% of the limit |
| 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 | 0.17 |
| PFBS Not detected Guideline 2,000 ppt | – |
| PFBA Not detected Guideline 6,000 ppt | – |
| PFHxA Not detected Guideline 3,000 ppt | – |
For context: the PFOS average is higher than at 91% of the Delaware systems EPA tested.
29 PFAS tested, 3 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 2 samples (reporting limit 9 ppb). About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 21.6 ppb lead (Jan 2026 – Jun 2026). Above action level
Highest since 2016: 26.5 ppb (Dec 2018).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2026 – Jun 2026 | 21.6 ppb |
| Jan 2023 – Dec 2025 | 23 ppb |
| Jan 2020 – Dec 2022 | 0 ppb |
Earlier results (8)
| Jul 2019 – Dec 2019 | 1.3 ppb |
| Jan 2019 – Jun 2019 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 2016 – Dec 2018 | 26.5 ppb |
| Jan 2013 – Dec 2015 | 15 ppb |
| Jan 2010 – Dec 2012 | 12.8 ppb |
| Jan 2008 – Dec 2010 | 0 ppb |
| Jul 1994 – Dec 1994 | 41 ppb |
| May 1994 – Nov 1994 | 41 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.
Where it serves
Lewes
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 19958
Nearby utilities
- Rehoboth Beach Water Department Rehoboth Beach · 5 mi · PFAS above limit
- Rehoboth Pump District (TUI) Rehoboth Beach · 5 mi
- Dewey Beach Water Department Dewey Beach · 7 mi · PFAS above limit
- Georgetown Water Department Georgetown · 14 mi · PFAS above limit
- Bethany Bay Pump District Millville · 17 mi · PFAS above limit
- Artesian Southern Sussex Regional Water System Bethany Beach · 17 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is Lewes Board of Public Works water safe to drink?
Lewes Board of Public Works 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 Lewes Board of Public Works water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of Lewes Board of Public Works found 3 PFAS at least once. The highest entry-point averages were above the federal limit for PFOS: PFOS 7.15 ppt (limit 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS, 10 ppt for the others).
What is the lead level in Lewes Board of Public Works water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Lewes Board of Public Works is 21.6 ppb, for the period ending Jun 2026. 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 DE0000602: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID DE0000602).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Lewes Board of Public Works at (302) 644-5312, 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.