Waterford Township water quality
Waterford charter, MI · serves 73,441 people (24,601 connections) · Groundwater · Local government · EPA ID MI0006910
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Detected, below limit1 of 29 PFAS found at least once. All averages below the federal limits.
- 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 Jan 2026 – now, still in progress (results reported so far). Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- Resolved1 health-based violation since 2016, most recently Jan 2023.
- 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 Waterford Township'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 (248) 618-7462. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 12 entry points tested Mar 2023 to Sep 2023. "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 Detected, below limit Limit 10 ppt | 3.25 ppt 32% 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 | 0.33 |
| PFBS Not detected Guideline 2,000 ppt | – |
| PFBA Not detected Guideline 6,000 ppt | – |
| PFHxA Not detected Guideline 3,000 ppt | – |
Michigan has its own PFAS limits. PFNA 6 ppt (this system's highest average: not detected), PFOA 8 ppt (this system's highest average: not detected), PFHxA 400000 ppt (this system's highest average: not detected), PFOS 16 ppt (this system's highest average: not detected), PFHxS 51 ppt (this system's highest average: 3.25 ppt), PFBS 420 ppt (this system's highest average: not detected), HFPO-DA 370 ppt (this system's highest average: not detected). State compliance is judged on the state's own sampling, so ask the utility or the state program whether it meets them.
29 PFAS tested, 1 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
Detected in 11 of 24 samples. Highest result 13.6 ppb. EPA's non-enforceable screening level is 10 ppb. Below screening level The screening level is how EPA decides what to study further, not a health limit. There is no federal limit for lithium and no filter is certified to remove it. About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 1 ppb lead (Jan 2026 – now (in progress)). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 3 ppb (Dec 2017).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2026 – now (in progress) | 1 ppb |
| Jan 2025 – Dec 2025 | 1 ppb |
| Jul 2024 – Dec 2024 | 2 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2024 – Jun 2024 | 1 ppb |
| Jul 2023 – Dec 2023 | 1 ppb |
| Jan 2023 – Dec 2023 | 1.5 ppb |
| Jan 2022 – Dec 2022 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2021 – Dec 2021 | 1 ppb |
| Jan 2020 – Dec 2020 | 1.2 ppb |
| Jan 2019 – Dec 2019 | 2.9 ppb |
| Jan 2015 – Dec 2017 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 2012 – Dec 2014 | 4.8 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 |
|---|---|
| Jan 2023 | The water chemistry that keeps lead from dissolving out of pipes was outside the range the state set. EPA record: Lead and Copper Rule · WQP Entry Point/Tap Treatment Technique Non-Compliance (limit TT ) 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 | 26 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Cobalt | 2.1 ppb | 70 ppb |
| Molybdenum | 13 ppb | 40 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.7 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Chromium-6 | 0.03 ppb | – |
| 1,4-Dioxane | 0.09 ppb | 0.35 ppb |
Where it serves
Waterford charter, Redford charter
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 48239, 48327, 48328, 48329
Nearby utilities
- Pontiac Water System Pontiac · 5 mi
- Independence Township Water System Independence charter · 6 mi · PFAS above limit
- Rochester Hills Water System Rochester Hills · 12 mi
- City of Farmington Hills Farmington Hills · 12 mi
- Troy Water System Troy · 13 mi
- City of Novi Novi · 14 mi
Questions
Is Waterford Township water safe to drink?
Waterford Township had 1 health-based violation 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 Waterford Township water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of Waterford Township found 1 PFAS at least once. None of the averages were above the federal limits.
What is the lead level in Waterford Township water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Waterford Township is 1 ppb, for the monitoring period that began Jan 2026 (still in progress). 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 MI0006910: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID MI0006910).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Waterford Township at (248) 618-7462, 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.