Is Athens, GA tap water safe?
Supplied by Athens-Clarke County Water System · serves 125,000 people (40,300 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID GA0590000
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Most of Athens gets its water from Athens-Clarke County Water System. Parts of the city are served by 2 smaller systems: Pinewood Estates North Water System (581 people), Madison Acres Subdivision (221 people). Your water bill names your system.
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Not detectedNone of 29 PFAS found above EPA's reporting limits in 4 samples (2023–2025).
- Lead
- Below action level3.5 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
- Resolved3 health-based violations since 2016, most recently Jul 2022.
- 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.
- Want to reduce what was found? Filters for these results.
- Tested your own tap? Compare your result with these numbers. Moving? Compare this system with another.
- Read Athens-Clarke 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 (706) 613-3289. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 1 entry point tested Nov 2024 to Aug 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 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) Not detected Limit 1 | – |
| PFBS Not detected Guideline 2,000 ppt | – |
| PFBA Not detected Guideline 6,000 ppt | – |
| PFHxA Not detected Guideline 3,000 ppt | – |
29 PFAS tested, 0 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: 3.5 ppb lead (Jan 2022 – Dec 2024). Below action level
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2022 – Dec 2024 | 3.5 ppb |
| Jan 2019 – Dec 2021 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 2016 – Dec 2018 | 1.7 ppb |
Earlier results (8)
| Jan 2013 – Dec 2015 | 3.2 ppb |
| Jan 2012 – Dec 2014 | 2.5 ppb |
| Jan 2009 – Dec 2011 | 2.5 ppb |
| Jan 2006 – Dec 2008 | 2.5 ppb |
| Jan 2003 – Dec 2005 | 2.5 ppb |
| Jan 2002 – Dec 2002 | 4.6 ppb |
| Jan 2001 – Dec 2001 | 3.2 ppb |
| Jan 2000 – Dec 2000 | 9.4 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
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| Jul 2021 – Jul 2022 3 times | The running annual average for TTHM was above the legal limit. EPA record: TTHM · Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · measured 0.083 mg/l (limit 0.080 mg/L) Resolved |
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 | 4.89 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Vanadium | 0.53 ppb | 21 ppb |
| 1,4-Dioxane | 0.23 ppb | 0.35 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.28 ppb | – |
| Strontium | 0.046 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Chlorate | 98 ppb | 210 ppb |
Where it serves
Athens
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 30601, 30602, 30603, 30604, 30605, 30606, 30607, 30608, 30609, 30612, 30622, 30646, 30683
Nearby utilities
- Winder Water System Winder · 20 mi
- Gainesville Water System Gainesville · 35 mi
- Newton County Water-Sewerage Authority Covington · 36 mi
- Gwinnett County Dept. of Water Resources Buford · 37 mi
- Rockdale County Water System Conyers · 41 mi
- Cumming Water System Cumming · 47 mi
Questions
Is Athens tap water safe to drink?
Most of Athens gets its water from Athens-Clarke County Water System. Athens-Clarke County Water System had 3 health-based violations since 2016, all since resolved. 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 Athens water have PFAS?
EPA tested Athens-Clarke County Water System for 29 PFAS between Nov 2024 and Aug 2025 and none were detected above the reporting limits (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical).
What is the lead level in Athens water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Athens-Clarke County Water System is 3.5 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 GA0590000: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID GA0590000).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Athens-Clarke County Water System at (706) 613-3289, 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.