Is Hempfield, PA tap water safe?
Supplied by Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County – Yough Plant · serves 133,000 people (120,175 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID PA5260036
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Buys water from Pennsylvania American Water – Pittsburgh. 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 3 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
- Resolved2 health-based violations since 2016, most recently Oct 2022.
- 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.
- Want to reduce what was found? Filters for these results.
- Tested your own tap? Compare your result with these numbers. Moving? Compare this system with another.
- Read Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County – Yough Plant'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 (724) 626-0050. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 1 entry point tested Sep 2024 to Jun 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 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 3 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 2018 – Sep 2018 | 0 ppb |
| Jun 2016 – Sep 2016 | 0 ppb |
| Jun 2013 – Sep 2013 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2010 – Dec 2010 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2007 – Dec 2007 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2004 – Dec 2004 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2001 – Dec 2001 | 4.2 ppb |
| Jan 1998 – Dec 1998 | 3.8 ppb |
| Jul 1992 – Dec 1992 | 5.7 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
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| Oct 2022 | The running annual average for Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) was above the legal limit. EPA record: Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) · Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · measured 0.065 mg/l (limit 0.060 mg/L) Resolved |
| Aug 2022 | A required step to remove or kill germs (filtration, disinfection or fixing a contaminated well) was not done properly. EPA record: Surface Water Treatment Rule · Treatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) (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 | 67.6 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.057 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Chromium-6 | 0.1 ppb | – |
| Chlorate | 39 ppb | 210 ppb |
Where it serves
Hempfield, Unity, Mount Pleasant, Salem, South Huntingdon, East Huntingdon, Rostraver, North Huntingdon, Sewickley, Elizabeth, Perry, Carroll, Upper Tyrone, Youngwood, Donora, Wyano
32 ZIP codes the system reported serving
15012, 15018, 15033, 15063, 15083, 15089, 15473, 15479, 15601, 15602, 15612, 15619, 15624, 15625, 15631, 15637, 15639, 15640, 15642, 15650, 15663, 15666, 15670, 15672, 15676, 15678, 15679, 15683, 15693, 15695, 15697, 15698
Nearby utilities
- Wilkinsburg-Penn Joint Water Authority Wilkinsburg · 19 mi
- Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County – Sweeney Plant Kiskiminetas · 21 mi
- Pennsylvania American Water – Pittsburgh Pittsburgh · 23 mi
- Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority Pittsburgh · 23 mi
- Hampton Shaler Water Authority Shaler · 26 mi
- Coraopolis Water & Sewer Authority Moon · 36 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is Hempfield tap water safe to drink?
Most of Hempfield gets its water from Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County – Yough Plant. Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County – Yough Plant had 2 health-based violations 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 Hempfield water have PFAS?
EPA tested Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County – Yough Plant for 29 PFAS between Sep 2024 and Jun 2025 and none were detected above the reporting limits (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical).
What is the lead level in Hempfield water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County – Yough Plant 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 PA5260036: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID PA5260036).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County – Yough Plant at (724) 626-0050, 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.