Pennsylvania American Water – Pittsburgh water quality
Pittsburgh, PA · serves 686,000 people (215,173 connections) · Surface water · Private · EPA ID PA5020039
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Buys water from West County Municipal Authority – McKeesport, Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority. Treated water bought from another system can carry that system's contaminants.
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Not detectedNone of 29 PFAS found above EPA's reporting limits in 12 samples (2023–2025).
- Lithium
- Above screening levelHighest result 19.6 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 level4 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
- Resolved1 health-based violation since 2016, most recently Nov 2017. One required an urgent public notice within 24 hours (the kind behind boil-water notices), most recently Nov 2017. What to do if you get a notice.
- 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 Pennsylvania American Water – Pittsburgh'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 (412) 885-6064. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 3 entry points tested Jan 2024 to Oct 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
Detected in 4 of 12 samples. Highest result 19.6 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: 4 ppb lead (Jun 2025 – Sep 2025). Below action level
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jun 2025 – Sep 2025 | 4 ppb |
| Jun 2022 – Sep 2022 | 3.8 ppb |
| Jun 2019 – Sep 2019 | 1 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jun 2016 – Sep 2016 | 2.8 ppb |
| Jun 2013 – Sep 2013 | 4 ppb |
| Jan 2012 – Dec 2012 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2010 – Dec 2010 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 2004 – Dec 2004 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 2001 – Dec 2001 | 4 ppb |
| Jan 1998 – Dec 1998 | 3 ppb |
| Jul 1995 – Dec 1995 | 3 ppb |
| Jul 1994 – Dec 1994 | 4 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 2017 | The water was cloudier than allowed at least once. Cloudiness can shield germs from disinfection. Urgent public notice required What that means EPA record: Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule · Single Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) (limit ) 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 | 6.9 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Chlorate | 370 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Molybdenum | 1.2 ppb | 40 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.73 ppb | – |
| Strontium | 0.38 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| 1,4-Dioxane | 0.15 ppb | 0.35 ppb |
Where it serves
Pittsburgh, Hanover, Amwell, Mount Pleasant, East Finley, Smith, Somerset, Morris, North Strabane, Cecil, Independence, North Fayette, Chartiers, Elizabeth, Robinson, South Fayette, Peters, Jefferson Hills, Union, West Mifflin, Collier, Carroll, Bethel Park, Upper St. Clair, South Park, White Oak, Mount Lebanon, Baldwin, Munhall, Duquesne, Castle Shannon, Glassport, Muse, Greenock, New Eagle, Dravosburg, Southview, Joffre, Meadowlands, Atlasburg, Midway, West Middletown, East Pittsburgh, West Elizabeth, Westland
69 ZIP codes the system reported serving
15004, 15017, 15018, 15019, 15021, 15025, 15031, 15034, 15037, 15038, 15045, 15047, 15053, 15054, 15055, 15057, 15060, 15063, 15064, 15067, 15071, 15078, 15088, 15102, 15106, 15110, 15112, 15120, 15122, 15123, 15129, 15131, 15135, 15142, 15204, 15205, 15207, 15208, 15210, 15211, 15216, 15220, 15226, 15227, 15228, 15234, 15236, 15241, 15242, 15243, 15301, 15311, 15312, 15314, 15317, 15321, 15323, 15329, 15330, 15332, 15340, 15342, 15347, 15350, 15361, 15363, 15367, 15378, 15379
Nearby utilities
- Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority Pittsburgh · same area
- Wilkinsburg-Penn Joint Water Authority Wilkinsburg · 5 mi
- Hampton Shaler Water Authority Shaler · 6 mi
- Coraopolis Water & Sewer Authority Moon · 13 mi · PFAS above limit
- Moon Township Municipal Authority Moon · 13 mi · PFAS above limit
- West View Water Authority Cranberry · 20 mi
Questions
Is Pennsylvania American Water – Pittsburgh water safe to drink?
Pennsylvania American Water – Pittsburgh had 1 health-based violation since 2016, all since resolved. 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 Pennsylvania American Water – Pittsburgh water have PFAS?
EPA tested Pennsylvania American Water – Pittsburgh for 29 PFAS between Jan 2024 and Oct 2024 and none were detected above the reporting limits (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical).
What is the lead level in Pennsylvania American Water – Pittsburgh water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Pennsylvania American Water – Pittsburgh is 4 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 PA5020039: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID PA5020039).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Pennsylvania American Water – Pittsburgh at (412) 885-6064, 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.