Tap Water Results

Butler County Water District 2 Public Water System water quality

Hamilton, OH · serves 116,572 people (43,457 connections) · Purchased surface water · Local government · EPA ID OH0900303

Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it

Buys water from Hamilton Public Water System, Warren County Water System, Cincinnati Public 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 limit2 of 29 PFAS found at least once. All averages below the federal limits.
Lead
Below action level3 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
None health-basedNo health-based violations since 2016.
What you can do

PFAS (“forever chemicals”)

EPA UCMR 5: 2 entry points tested Mar 2023 to Jun 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.

ContaminantHighest averageHighest resultLimitStatus
PFOA
Not detected
Limit 4 ppt
––4 pptNot detected
PFOS
Not detected
Limit 4 ppt
––4 pptNot detected
PFHxS
Detected, below limit
Limit 10 ppt
2.35 ppt
24% of the limit
4.7 ppt10 pptDetected, below limit
PFNA
Not detected
Limit 10 ppt
––10 pptNot detected
HFPO-DA (GenX)
Not detected
Limit 10 ppt
––10 pptNot detected
Hazard Index (a combined score for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and PFBS, where above 1 is over the limit)
Detected, below limit
Limit 1
0.240.471Detected, below limit
PFBS
Detected, below limit
Guideline 2,000 ppt
3.25 ppt3.5 ppt2,000 ppt guidelineDetected, below limit
PFBA
Not detected
Guideline 6,000 ppt
––6,000 ppt guidelineNot detected
PFHxA
Not detected
Guideline 3,000 ppt
––3,000 ppt guidelineNot detected

29 PFAS tested, 2 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: 3 ppb lead (Jan 2026 – now (in progress)). Below action level

Highest since 2016: 3.9 ppb (Dec 2024).

Monitoring periodLead (90th pct.)
Jan 2026 – now (in progress)3 ppb
Jan 2025 – Dec 20250 ppb
Jan 2024 – Dec 20243.9 ppb
Earlier results (9)
Jan 2021 – Dec 20230 ppb
Jan 2018 – Dec 20201.5 ppb
Jan 2015 – Dec 20172.94 ppb
Jan 2012 – Dec 20142.86 ppb
Jan 2009 – Dec 20110 ppb
Jan 2008 – Dec 20102.8 ppb
Jan 2005 – Dec 20071 ppb
Jun 2005 – Sep 20051,000 ppb
Jan 2002 – Dec 20025 ppb

Copper 90th percentile: 12.1 ppm (Sep 2005), action level 1,300 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

0
Health-based since 2016
2
Monitoring/reporting since 2016
0
Health-based unresolved now
8
Total ever recorded, incl. paperwork

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)

ContaminantHighestGuidelineDetectedTested
Manganese3.52 ppb300 ppb3 of 6UCMR 4 (2018)
Chromium-60.41 ppb–10 of 10UCMR 3 (2014)
Strontium0.26 ppm1.5 ppm10 of 10UCMR 3 (2014)
Chlorate180 ppb210 ppb8 of 10UCMR 3 (2013)
Vanadium0.5 ppb21 ppb9 of 10UCMR 3 (2014)
1,4-Dioxane0.41 ppb0.35 ppb6 of 6UCMR 3 (2013)
Molybdenum2.9 ppb40 ppb10 of 10UCMR 3 (2014)

Where it serves

Hamilton, Middletown, Fairfield, Mason, Monroe, Sharonville, Springdale

ZIP codes the system reported serving: 45011, 45014, 45015, 45040, 45044, 45050, 45069, 45241, 45246

Nearby utilities

Questions

Is Butler County Water District 2 Public Water System water safe to drink?

Butler County Water District 2 Public 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 Butler County Water District 2 Public Water System water have PFAS?

Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of Butler County Water District 2 Public Water System found 2 PFAS at least once. None of the averages were above the federal limits.

What is the lead level in Butler County Water District 2 Public Water System water?

The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Butler County Water District 2 Public Water System is 3 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:

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.