Ambler Borough Water Dept water quality
Ambler, PA · serves 20,000 people (6,008 connections) · Surface water · Local government · EPA ID PA1460020
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Buys water from North Wales Water Authority, Aqua Pennsylvania Main System. 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, the PFAS Hazard Index above the federal limit in EPA's 2023–2025 testing (PFOA 14.1 ppt vs a limit of 4 ppt, PFOS 12.6 ppt vs a limit of 4 ppt, where ppt = parts per trillion).
- Lithium
- Above screening levelHighest result 22.4 ppb. EPA uses 10 ppb to decide what to study further. It is not a health limit, and there is no federal limit for lithium. About 1 in 4 systems tested were above it.
- Lead
- Below action level2.3 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.
- 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 Ambler Borough Water Dept'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) 646-1000. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 9 entry points tested Aug 2024 to May 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 | 14.1 ppt 3.52× the limit |
| PFOS Above limit Limit 4 ppt | 12.6 ppt 3.14× the limit |
| PFHxS Detected, below limit Limit 10 ppt | 4.55 ppt 46% of the limit |
| PFNA Rounds to the limit Limit 10 ppt | 11.7 ppt 1.17× the limit |
| 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) Above limit Limit 1 | 1.59 |
| PFBS Detected, below limit Guideline 2,000 ppt | 9.1 ppt |
| PFBA Detected, below limit Guideline 6,000 ppt | 8.05 ppt |
| PFHxA Detected, below limit Guideline 3,000 ppt | 11.1 ppt |
| PFPeA Detected, no limit | 12.5 ppt |
| PFHpA Detected, no limit | 8 ppt |
| 6:2 FTS Detected, no limit | 3 ppt |
Why "rounds to the limit"? the PFNA average (11.7 ppt) is slightly above the number on paper, but EPA compares results after rounding to the limit's precision (4.4 ppt rounds to 4), so it meets the limit as EPA applies it. Close enough to the limit to be worth watching.
Pennsylvania has its own PFAS limits. PFOA 14 ppt (this system's highest average: 14.1 ppt, above it), PFOS 18 ppt (this system's highest average: 12.6 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 96% of the Pennsylvania systems EPA tested and the PFOS average is higher than at 96% of the Pennsylvania systems EPA tested.
29 PFAS tested, 10 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 14 of 20 samples. Highest result 22.4 ppb. EPA's non-enforceable screening level is 10 ppb. Above 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: 2.3 ppb lead (Jun 2025 – Sep 2025). Below action level
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jun 2025 – Sep 2025 | 2.3 ppb |
| Jun 2022 – Sep 2022 | 0 ppb |
| Jun 2016 – Sep 2016 | 0 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jun 2013 – Sep 2013 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2010 – Dec 2010 | 3.9 ppb |
| Jan 2007 – Dec 2007 | 3.5 ppb |
| Jan 2003 – Dec 2003 | 4 ppb |
| Jan 2001 – Dec 2001 | 8 ppb |
| Jan 1998 – Dec 1998 | 6 ppb |
| Jul 1994 – Dec 1994 | 6 ppb |
| Jan 1993 – Jun 1993 | 10 ppb |
| Jul 1992 – Dec 1992 | 13 ppb |
Copper 90th percentile: 2.78 ppm (Dec 1992), 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
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 | 720 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Chlorate | 47.7 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.45 ppb | – |
| Strontium | 1.06 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Molybdenum | 16.5 ppb | 40 ppb |
| Vanadium | 1.5 ppb | 21 ppb |
| 1,4-Dioxane | 0.13 ppb | 0.35 ppb |
Where it serves
Ambler
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 19002, 19034, 19422, 19442
Nearby utilities
- Aqua Pennsylvania Hatboro Horsham · 4 mi · PFAS above limit
- Horsham Water&sewer Authority Horsham · 4 mi · PFAS above limit
- North Wales Water Authority North Wales · 5 mi · PFAS above limit
- Pennsylvania American Water – Norristown Norristown · 7 mi
- BCWSA Main Lower South Warrington · 7 mi · PFAS above limit
- Warwick Township Water & Sewer Authority Warwick · 10 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is Ambler Borough Water Dept water safe to drink?
Ambler Borough Water Dept 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 Ambler Borough Water Dept water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of Ambler Borough Water Dept found 10 PFAS at least once. The highest entry-point averages were above the federal limit for PFOA and PFOS: PFOA 14.1 ppt, PFOS 12.6 ppt (limit 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS, 10 ppt for the others).
What is the lead level in Ambler Borough Water Dept water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Ambler Borough Water Dept is 2.3 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 PA1460020: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID PA1460020).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Ambler Borough Water Dept at (215) 646-1000, 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.