Is Erie, PA tap water safe?
Supplied by Erie City Water Authority · serves 220,001 people (63,820 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID PA6250028
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 8 samples (2023–2025).
- Lead
- Below action level1.08 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 2018. One required an urgent public notice within 24 hours (the kind behind boil-water notices), most recently Oct 2018. 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.
- 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 Erie City Water Authority's 2026 water quality report (PDF) (Consumer Confidence Report, from the utility). It lists every regulated contaminant tested, including ones not on this page. Questions: (814) 870-8000.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 2 entry points tested Jan 2023 to Oct 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 8 samples (reporting limit 9 ppb). About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 1.08 ppb lead (Jun 2025 – Sep 2025). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 1.18 ppb (Sep 2016).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jun 2025 – Sep 2025 | 1.08 ppb |
| Jun 2022 – Sep 2022 | 1.08 ppb |
| Jun 2019 – Sep 2019 | 0 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jun 2016 – Sep 2016 | 1.18 ppb |
| Jun 2013 – Sep 2013 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2010 – Dec 2010 | 3.2 ppb |
| Jan 2007 – Dec 2007 | 0.48 ppb |
| Jan 2003 – Dec 2003 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 2001 – Dec 2001 | 2 ppb |
| Jul 1998 – Dec 1998 | 2 ppb |
| Jul 1997 – Dec 1997 | 6 ppb |
| Jul 1992 – Dec 1992 | 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 |
|---|---|
| Oct 2018 | 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 |
| Jan 2017 | The running annual average for TTHM was above the legal limit. EPA record: TTHM · Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average (limit 0.080 mg/L) 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 | 3.17 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Chlorate | 230 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.11 ppb | – |
| Strontium | 0.21 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Molybdenum | 1.5 ppb | 40 ppb |
| Vanadium | 0.26 ppb | 21 ppb |
Where it serves
Erie
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 16415, 16421, 16428, 16501, 16502, 16503, 16504, 16505, 16506, 16507, 16508, 16509, 16510, 16511, 16512, 16541, 16563
Nearby utilities
- Beaver Borough Municipal Authority Beaver · 29 mi · PFAS above limit
- Titusville Municipal Water Titusville · 40 mi · PFAS above limit
- City of Lancaster Lancaster · 88 mi · PFAS above limit
- West View Water Authority Cranberry · 97 mi
- Hampton Shaler Water Authority Shaler · 110 mi
- Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County – Sweeney Plant Kiskiminetas · 110 mi
Questions
Is Erie tap water safe to drink?
Most of Erie gets its water from Erie City Water Authority. Erie City Water Authority 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 Erie water have PFAS?
EPA tested Erie City Water Authority for 29 PFAS between Jan 2023 and Oct 2023 and none were detected above the reporting limits (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical).
What is the lead level in Erie water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Erie City Water Authority is 1.08 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 PA6250028: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID PA6250028).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- Erie City Water Authority's 2026 water quality report (PDF): the utility's own annual report, including contaminants EPA's national database doesn't carry (link checked Nov 14, 2026). Phone: (814) 870-8000.
- Erie City Water Authority 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.