Bartow County Water System water quality
Cartersville, GA · serves 70,243 people (26,016 connections) · Purchased surface water · Local government · EPA ID GA0150001
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Buys water from Cobb County Water System, Cherokee County Water System, Cartersville Water System, Polk County Water Authority, Adairsville Water System. Treated water bought from another system can carry that system's contaminants.
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Detected, below limit4 of 29 PFAS found at least once. All averages below the federal limits.
- Lead
- Below action level1.4 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 2025. 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 Bartow County Water System'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 (770) 387-5170. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 5 entry points tested Apr 2023 to Jun 2026. "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 | 0.00044 |
| PFBS Detected, below limit Guideline 2,000 ppt | 0.88 ppt |
| PFBA Detected, below limit Guideline 6,000 ppt | 3.5 ppt |
| PFHxA Detected, below limit Guideline 3,000 ppt | 2.43 ppt |
| PFPeA Detected, no limit | 2.3 ppt |
29 PFAS tested, 4 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 20 samples (reporting limit 9 ppb). About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 1.4 ppb lead (Jan 2023 – Dec 2025). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 3.6 ppb (Dec 2022).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2023 – Dec 2025 | 1.4 ppb |
| Jan 2020 – Dec 2022 | 3.6 ppb |
| Jan 2017 – Dec 2019 | 3.6 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2014 – Dec 2016 | 1.2 ppb |
| Jan 2013 – Dec 2015 | 2.5 ppb |
| Jan 2011 – Dec 2013 | 2.5 ppb |
| Jan 2010 – Dec 2012 | 2.5 ppb |
| Jan 2007 – Dec 2009 | 2.6 ppb |
| Jan 2006 – Dec 2006 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 2005 – Dec 2005 | 3.9 ppb |
| Jan 2004 – Dec 2004 | 2.7 ppb |
| Jan 2003 – Dec 2003 | 3.2 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 | 6.59 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Vanadium | 0.6 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Chlorate | 450 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.33 ppb | – |
| Strontium | 0.11 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
Where it serves
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 30101, 30102, 30103, 30104, 30120, 30121, 30137, 30139, 30145, 30161, 30171, 30178, 30184
Nearby utilities
- Woodstock Water System Woodstock · 17 mi · PFAS above limit
- Paulding County Water System Dallas · 17 mi
- Cobb County Water System Marietta · 21 mi
- Marietta Board of Lights and Water Marietta · 21 mi
- Floyd County Water System Rome · 23 mi · PFAS above limit
- Rome Water System Rome · 23 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is Bartow County Water System water safe to drink?
Bartow County Water System 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 Bartow County Water System water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of Bartow County Water System found 4 PFAS at least once. None of the averages were above the federal limits.
What is the lead level in Bartow County Water System water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Bartow County Water System is 1.4 ppb, for the period ending Dec 2025. 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 GA0150001: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID GA0150001).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Bartow County Water System at (770) 387-5170, 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.