Maryland American Water water quality
Bel Air South, MD · serves 13,200 people (4,745 connections) · Surface water · Private · EPA ID MD0120003
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Buys water from Harford County Dept. of Public Works. 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, PFOS above the federal limit in EPA's 2023–2025 testing (PFOA 7.6 ppt vs a limit of 4 ppt, PFOS 7.25 ppt vs a limit of 4 ppt, where ppt = parts per trillion).
- Lead
- Below action level2 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 2023. 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 Maryland American Water'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 (410) 838-8404. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 2 entry points 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 Above limit Limit 4 ppt | 7.6 ppt 1.9× the limit |
| PFOS Above limit Limit 4 ppt | 7.25 ppt 1.81× the limit |
| PFHxS Detected, below limit Limit 10 ppt | 0.85 ppt 9% 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 | 0.086 |
| PFBS Detected, below limit Guideline 2,000 ppt | 5.7 ppt |
| PFBA Detected, below limit Guideline 6,000 ppt | 7.45 ppt |
| PFHxA Detected, below limit Guideline 3,000 ppt | 8.05 ppt |
| PFPeA Detected, no limit | 8.9 ppt |
| PFHpA Detected, no limit | 2.05 ppt |
| 6:2 FTS Detected, no limit | 1.8 ppt |
For context: the PFOA average is higher than at 92% of the Maryland systems EPA tested and the PFOS average is higher than at 93% of the Maryland systems EPA tested.
29 PFAS tested, 9 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 6 samples (reporting limit 9 ppb). About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 2 ppb lead (Jan 2021 – Dec 2023). Below action level
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2021 – Dec 2023 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2018 – Dec 2020 | 1 ppb |
| Jan 2015 – Dec 2017 | 1 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2012 – Dec 2014 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2009 – Dec 2011 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2006 – Dec 2008 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 2003 – Dec 2005 | 4 ppb |
| Jan 2000 – Dec 2002 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 1997 – Dec 1999 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 1996 – Dec 1996 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 1995 – Dec 1995 | 4 ppb |
| Jan 1994 – Dec 1994 | 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 | 9.4 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Chlorate | 890 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.13 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| 1,4-Dioxane | 0.11 ppb | 0.35 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.13 ppb | – |
| Vanadium | 8.9 ppb | 21 ppb |
Where it serves
Bel Air South, Bel Air North, Fallston
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 21014, 21015, 21047, 21050
Nearby utilities
- Harford County Dept. of Public Works Bel Air South · same area
- City of Aberdeen Aberdeen · 7 mi · PFAS above limit
- City of Baltimore Baltimore · 22 mi
- Town of Elkton Elkton · 27 mi · PFAS above limit
- Glen Burnie-Broadneck Water System Glen Burnie · 29 mi
- Town of Hampstead Hampstead · 30 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is Maryland American Water water safe to drink?
Maryland American Water 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 Maryland American Water water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of Maryland American Water found 9 PFAS at least once. The highest entry-point averages were above the federal limit for PFOA and PFOS: PFOA 7.6 ppt, PFOS 7.25 ppt (limit 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS, 10 ppt for the others).
What is the lead level in Maryland American Water water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Maryland American Water is 2 ppb, for the period ending Dec 2023. 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 MD0120003: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID MD0120003).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Maryland American Water at (410) 838-8404, 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.