Is Bethlehem, PA tap water safe?
Supplied by City of Bethlehem · serves 117,259 people (36,709 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID PA3480046
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Not detectedNone of 29 PFAS found above EPA's reporting limits in 4 samples (2023–2025).
- 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
- 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.
- Tested your own tap? Compare your result with these numbers. Moving? Compare this system with another.
- Read City of Bethlehem'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) 865-7207. 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 Not detected Limit 4 ppt | – |
| 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) Not detected Limit 1 | – |
| PFBS Not detected Guideline 2,000 ppt | – |
| PFBA Not detected Guideline 6,000 ppt | – |
| PFHxA Not detected Guideline 3,000 ppt | – |
Pennsylvania has its own PFAS limits. PFOA 14 ppt (this system's highest average: not detected), 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, 0 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: 0 ppb lead (Jun 2025 – Sep 2025). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 7 ppb (Sep 2019).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jun 2025 – Sep 2025 | 0 ppb |
| Jun 2022 – Sep 2022 | 1 ppb |
| Jun 2019 – Sep 2019 | 7 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jun 2016 – Sep 2016 | 2 ppb |
| Jun 2013 – Sep 2013 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2010 – Dec 2010 | 1.8 ppb |
| Jan 2007 – Dec 2007 | 1 ppb |
| Jan 2004 – Dec 2004 | 6 ppb |
| Jan 2001 – Dec 2001 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 2000 – Dec 2000 | 7 ppb |
| Jan 1999 – Jun 1999 | 5 ppb |
| Jul 1998 – Dec 1998 | 10 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 | 3.98 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.015 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Chromium-6 | 0.08 ppb | – |
Where it serves
Bethlehem
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 18014, 18015, 18017, 18018, 18020, 18025, 18034, 18055, 18064, 18067, 18103, 18109
Nearby utilities
- Lehigh County Authority – Allentown Division Allentown · 6 mi
- Whitehall Township Authority Whitehall · 7 mi · PFAS above limit
- Emmaus Borough Public Water Emmaus · 9 mi · PFAS above limit
- Easton Area Water System Bushkill · 12 mi
- Quakertown Borough Water System Quakertown · 13 mi · PFAS above limit
- Richland Township Water Authority Milford · 14 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is Bethlehem tap water safe to drink?
Most of Bethlehem gets its water from City of Bethlehem. City of Bethlehem 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 Bethlehem water have PFAS?
EPA tested City of Bethlehem for 29 PFAS between Feb 2024 and Nov 2024 and none were detected above the reporting limits (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical).
What is the lead level in Bethlehem water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for City of Bethlehem 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 PA3480046: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID PA3480046).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask City of Bethlehem at (610) 865-7207, 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.