Plumstead Northern System water quality
Plumstead, PA · serves 2,605 people (996 connections) · Groundwater · Local government · EPA ID PA1090144
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
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 6.95 ppt vs a limit of 4 ppt, PFOS 6.9 ppt vs a limit of 4 ppt, where ppt = parts per trillion).
- Lead
- Out of dateEPA's national database has no lead results for this system since 1995 (then 2 ppb, 90th percentile). Systems this size normally test every one to three years, so this most likely means newer results were not reported to EPA, not that testing stopped. Ask the utility for its latest results.
- 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 Plumstead Northern 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 (215) 766-8914. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 4 entry points tested Jan 2025 to Jul 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 Above limit Limit 4 ppt | 6.95 ppt 1.74× the limit |
| PFOS Above limit Limit 4 ppt | 6.9 ppt 1.72× the limit |
| 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 | 0.0034 |
| PFBS Detected, below limit Guideline 2,000 ppt | 6.8 ppt |
| PFBA Detected, below limit Guideline 6,000 ppt | 6.25 ppt |
| PFHxA Detected, below limit Guideline 3,000 ppt | 4.15 ppt |
| PFPeA Detected, no limit | 4.05 ppt |
Pennsylvania has its own PFAS limits. PFOA 14 ppt (this system's highest average: 6.95 ppt), PFOS 18 ppt (this system's highest average: 6.9 ppt). State compliance is judged on the state's own sampling, so ask the utility or the state program whether it meets them.
For context: the PFOA average is higher than at 91% of the Pennsylvania systems EPA tested and the PFOS average is higher than at 87% of the Pennsylvania systems EPA tested.
29 PFAS tested, 6 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 1 of 8 samples. Highest result 10.7 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: 2 ppb lead (Jan 1995 – Dec 1995). No results since 1995
This is the newest lead result in EPA's national database. Utilities report lead results to their state, and states pass them to EPA. Gaps like this usually mean the newer results did not reach EPA's database, not that the utility stopped testing. Results this old may not reflect the water today. Ask the utility or your state drinking water program for the latest lead monitoring.
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 1995 – Dec 1995 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 1994 – Jun 1994 | 3 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.
Where it serves
Plumstead
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 18947
Nearby utilities
- North Penn Water Authority Bedminster · 5 mi · PFAS above limit
- Perkasie Regional Authority Bedminster · 5 mi · PFAS above limit
- Doylestown Borough Water Dept Doylestown · 6 mi · PFAS above limit
- Dtma Main System Doylestown · 6 mi · PFAS above limit
- Warwick Township Water & Sewer Authority Warwick · 9 mi · PFAS above limit
- BCWSA Main Lower South Warrington · 10 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is Plumstead Northern System water safe to drink?
Plumstead Northern System 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 Plumstead Northern System water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of Plumstead Northern System found 6 PFAS at least once. The highest entry-point averages were above the federal limit for PFOA and PFOS: PFOA 6.95 ppt, PFOS 6.9 ppt (limit 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS, 10 ppt for the others).
What is the lead level in Plumstead Northern System water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Plumstead Northern System is 2 ppb, for the period ending Dec 1995, which is more than five years old. 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 PA1090144: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID PA1090144).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Plumstead Northern System at (215) 766-8914, 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.