Is Northampton, PA tap water safe?
Supplied by Aqua Pennsylvania Main System · serves 822,600 people (304,127 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID PA1460073
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Most of Northampton gets its water from Aqua Pennsylvania Main System. Parts of the city are served by 3 smaller systems: BCWSA Main Lower South (52,621 people), Northampton Bucks County Municipal Authority (36,750 people), Upper Southampton Municipal Authority (16,000 people). Your water bill names your system.
Buys water from Aqua Pennsylvania West Chester, Aqua Pennsylvania Bensalem, Phoenixville Water Dept, Aqua Pennsylvania Uwchlan, BCWSA Main Lower South, Philadelphia Water Department, Chester Water Authority. 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 above the federal limit in EPA's 2023–2025 testing (PFOA 11.8 ppt vs a limit of 4 ppt, PFOS 8.9 ppt vs a limit of 4 ppt, where ppt = parts per trillion).
- Lithium
- Above screening levelHighest result 15.7 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 level0 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
- Resolved2 health-based violations since 2016, most recently Nov 2024. One required an urgent public notice within 24 hours (the kind behind boil-water notices), most recently Jul 2017. What to do if you get a notice.
- 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.
- Got a boil-water or do-not-drink notice? What each notice means and what to do.
- Tested your own tap? Compare your result with these numbers. Moving? Compare this system with another.
- Read Aqua Pennsylvania Main System's water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report, from the utility). It lists every regulated contaminant tested, including ones not on this page. Questions: (610) 645-1122.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 19 entry points tested Feb 2024 to Dec 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 Above limit Limit 4 ppt | 11.8 ppt 2.95× the limit |
| PFOS Above limit Limit 4 ppt | 8.9 ppt 2.23× the limit |
| PFHxS Detected, below limit Limit 10 ppt | 7.4 ppt 74% of the limit |
| PFNA Detected, below limit Limit 10 ppt | 8.82 ppt 88% of 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) Detected, below limit Limit 1 | 0.88 |
| PFBS Detected, below limit Guideline 2,000 ppt | 6.1 ppt |
| PFBA Detected, below limit Guideline 6,000 ppt | 7.92 ppt |
| PFHxA Detected, below limit Guideline 3,000 ppt | 11.6 ppt |
| PFPeA Detected, no limit | 14 ppt |
| PFHpA Detected, no limit | 4.98 ppt |
Pennsylvania has its own PFAS limits. PFOA 14 ppt (this system's highest average: 11.8 ppt), PFOS 18 ppt (this system's highest average: 8.9 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 95% of the Pennsylvania systems EPA tested and the PFOS average is higher than at 91% of the Pennsylvania systems EPA tested.
29 PFAS tested, 9 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 2 of 50 samples. Highest result 15.7 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: 0 ppb lead (Jun 2025 – Sep 2025). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 3.91 ppb (Sep 2019).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jun 2025 – Sep 2025 | 0 ppb |
| Jun 2022 – Sep 2022 | 3.4 ppb |
| Jun 2019 – Sep 2019 | 3.91 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jun 2016 – Sep 2016 | 2.79 ppb |
| Jun 2013 – Sep 2013 | 2.2 ppb |
| Jan 2010 – Dec 2010 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 2007 – Dec 2007 | 3.9 ppb |
| Jan 2004 – Dec 2004 | 2.8 ppb |
| Jan 2001 – Dec 2001 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 1999 – Dec 1999 | 7 ppb |
| Jan 1998 – Dec 1998 | 6 ppb |
| Jul 1997 – Dec 1997 | 5 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 |
|---|---|
| Nov 2024 | A required step to remove or kill germs (filtration, disinfection or fixing a contaminated well) was not done properly. EPA record: Groundwater Rule · Treatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) (limit ) Resolved |
| Jul 2017 | E. coli was confirmed in the water. E. coli means the water may have been contaminated with sewage or animal waste. Urgent public notice required What that means EPA record: Revised Total Coliform Rule · Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, E. coli (RTCR) 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 | 32 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 2.6 ppb | – |
| Molybdenum | 3.6 ppb | 40 ppb |
| Vanadium | 1.2 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Chlorate | 838 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.35 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| 1,2,3-Trichloropropane (TCP) | 0.17 ppb | 0.0004 ppb |
| 1,4-Dioxane | 1.5 ppb | 0.35 ppb |
Where it serves
Northampton, Lower Merion, West Caln, Bensalem, Tredyffrin, Middletown, Willistown, Horsham, Upper Merion, Bristol, Abington, East Marlborough, Lower Providence, East Bradford, Whitemarsh, Radnor, Warrington, Concord, Upper Dublin, Franklin, Whitpain, West Whiteland, Wallace, New London, East Brandywine, Warwick, East Whiteland, Marple, Warminster, East Goshen, Newtown, Haverford, Lower Gwynedd, Thornbury, Cheltenham, Chadds Ford, Schuylkill, Plymouth, Easttown, Upper Moreland, Upper Darby, Lower Moreland, Springfield, Lower Southampton, Aston, Tinicum, Ridley, Chester, Nether Providence, Norristown, Chester Heights, Ardmore, Bryn Athyn, Brookhaven, Woodlyn, Yeadon, Swarthmore, Folcroft, Ridley Park, Eddystone, Glenolden, Collingdale, Norwood, Sharon Hill, Prospect Park, Bridgeport
107 ZIP codes the system reported serving
18929, 18966, 18974, 18976, 19001, 19002, 19003, 19004, 19006, 19007, 19008, 19009, 19010, 19012, 19013, 19014, 19015, 19017, 19018, 19020, 19021, 19022, 19023, 19025, 19026, 19027, 19028, 19029, 19031, 19032, 19033, 19034, 19035, 19036, 19037, 19038, 19040, 19041, 19043, 19044, 19046, 19047, 19050, 19052, 19053, 19059, 19063, 19064, 19065, 19066, 19070, 19072, 19073, 19074, 19075, 19076, 19078, 19079, 19081, 19082, 19083, 19085, 19086, 19087, 19090, 19094, 19095, 19096, 19113, 19131, 19301, 19312, 19317, 19319, 19320, 19333, 19335, 19340, 19341, 19342, 19343, 19345, 19348, 19350, 19352, 19355, 19375, 19380, 19381, 19382, 19383, 19395, 19401, 19403, 19405, 19406, 19422, 19428, 19432, 19444, 19452, 19460, 19462, 19479, 19481, 19482, 19485
Nearby utilities
- Northampton Bucks County Municipal Authority Northampton · same area · PFAS above limit
- Upper Southampton Municipal Authority Northampton · same area · PFAS above limit
- Warwick Township Water & Sewer Authority Warwick · 5 mi · PFAS above limit
- Newtown Artesian Water Company Upper Makefield · 7 mi · PFAS above limit
- Pennsylvania American Water – Yardley Upper Makefield · 7 mi · PFAS above limit
- Aqua Pennsylvania Bensalem Bensalem · 8 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is Northampton tap water safe to drink?
Most of Northampton gets its water from Aqua Pennsylvania Main System. Aqua Pennsylvania Main System had 2 health-based violations since 2016, all since resolved. 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 Northampton water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of Aqua Pennsylvania Main System found 9 PFAS at least once. The highest entry-point averages were above the federal limit for PFOA and PFOS: PFOA 11.8 ppt, PFOS 8.9 ppt (limit 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS, 10 ppt for the others).
What is the lead level in Northampton water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Aqua Pennsylvania Main System is 0 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 PA1460073: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID PA1460073).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- Aqua Pennsylvania Main System's water quality report: the utility's own annual report, including contaminants EPA's national database doesn't carry (link checked Nov 14, 2026). Phone: (610) 645-1122.
- Aqua Pennsylvania Main System website
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.