Easton Area Water System water quality
Bushkill, PA · serves 96,867 people (34,385 connections) · Surface water · Local government · EPA ID PA3480050
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 Easton Area Water 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 (610) 258-7181. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 1 entry point tested Feb 2023 to Nov 2023. "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
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jun 2025 – Sep 2025 | 0 ppb |
| Jun 2022 – Sep 2022 | 0 ppb |
| Jun 2019 – Sep 2019 | 0 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jun 2016 – Sep 2016 | 0 ppb |
| Jun 2013 – Sep 2013 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 2010 – Dec 2010 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2007 – Dec 2007 | 1.1 ppb |
| Jan 2002 – Dec 2004 | 1 ppb |
| Jan 2001 – Dec 2001 | 8 ppb |
| Jan 1998 – Dec 1998 | 2 ppb |
| Jul 1995 – Dec 1995 | 3 ppb |
| Jul 1994 – Dec 1994 | 7 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 | 18.2 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.17 ppb | – |
| Chlorate | 375 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.091 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Vanadium | 0.2 ppb | 21 ppb |
Where it serves
Bushkill, Williams, Lower Nazareth, Forks, Palmer
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 18020, 18040, 18042, 18043, 18044, 18045, 18064
Nearby utilities
- City of Bethlehem Bethlehem · 12 mi
- Whitehall Township Authority Whitehall · 13 mi · PFAS above limit
- Palmerton Municipal Authority Palmerton · 15 mi · PFAS above limit
- Lehigh County Authority – Allentown Division Allentown · 16 mi
- Tunkhannock Borough Municipal Authority Tunkhannock · 19 mi · PFAS above limit
- Emmaus Borough Public Water Emmaus · 20 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is Easton Area Water System water safe to drink?
Easton Area Water System 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 Easton Area Water System water have PFAS?
EPA tested Easton Area Water System for 29 PFAS between Feb 2023 and Nov 2023 and none were detected above the reporting limits (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical).
What is the lead level in Easton Area Water System water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Easton Area Water 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 PA3480050: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID PA3480050).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Easton Area Water System at (610) 258-7181, 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.