Chester Water Authority water quality
Chester, PA · serves 140,437 people (44,371 connections) · Surface water · Local government · EPA ID PA1230004
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Detected, below limit4 of 29 PFAS found at least once. All averages below the federal limits.
- Lead
- Below action level4.76 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 Sep 2025. Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- None health-basedNo health-based violations since 2016.
- 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 Chester Water Authority'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 (610) 876-8185. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 1 entry point tested Feb 2024 to Nov 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 One sample above limit Limit 4 ppt | 2.43 ppt 61% of the limit |
| 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) Detected, below limit Limit 1 | 0.0015 |
| PFBS Detected, below limit Guideline 2,000 ppt | 3.02 ppt |
| PFBA Not detected Guideline 6,000 ppt | – |
| PFHxA Detected, below limit Guideline 3,000 ppt | 3.55 ppt |
| PFPeA Detected, no limit | 3.67 ppt |
Pennsylvania has its own PFAS limits. PFOA 14 ppt (this system's highest average: 2.43 ppt), PFOS 18 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, 4 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: 4.76 ppb lead (Jun 2025 – Sep 2025). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 13.9 ppb (Sep 2022).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jun 2025 – Sep 2025 | 4.76 ppb |
| Jun 2022 – Sep 2022 | 13.9 ppb |
| Jun 2019 – Sep 2019 | 10 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jun 2016 – Sep 2016 | 9.52 ppb |
| Jun 2013 – Sep 2013 | 7.46 ppb |
| Jan 2012 – Dec 2012 | 9.8 ppb |
| Jan 2011 – Dec 2011 | 4.4 ppb |
| Jan 2010 – Dec 2010 | 6.1 ppb |
| Jan 2009 – Dec 2009 | 5.4 ppb |
| Jan 2008 – Dec 2008 | 6 ppb |
| Jan 2007 – Dec 2007 | 4.4 ppb |
| Jan 2006 – Dec 2006 | 5.6 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 | 4.26 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.13 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Vanadium | 0.3 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.16 ppb | – |
Where it serves
44 ZIP codes the system reported serving
19013, 19014, 19015, 19016, 19017, 19060, 19061, 19063, 19064, 19086, 19094, 19105, 19112, 19311, 19312, 19317, 19319, 19330, 19331, 19339, 19340, 19342, 19343, 19346, 19348, 19350, 19352, 19355, 19357, 19360, 19362, 19363, 19372, 19373, 19374, 19378, 19380, 19382, 19390, 19393, 19432, 19462, 19507, 19809
Nearby utilities
- Veolia Water Bethel Bethel · 6 mi · PFAS above limit
- Philadelphia Water Department Philadelphia · 17 mi · PFAS above limit
- Kennett Square Municipal Water Works East Marlborough · 19 mi · PFAS above limit
- Pennsylvania American Water – Norristown Norristown · 19 mi
- Pennsylvania American Water – Audubon Lower Providence · 21 mi · PFAS above limit
- Ambler Borough Water Dept Ambler · 23 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is Chester Water Authority water safe to drink?
Chester Water Authority 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 Chester Water Authority water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of Chester Water Authority found 4 PFAS at least once. None of the averages were above the federal limits.
What is the lead level in Chester Water Authority water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Chester Water Authority is 4.76 ppb, for the period ending Sep 2025. 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 PA1230004: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID PA1230004).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Chester Water Authority at (610) 876-8185, 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.