Is Harrisburg, PA tap water safe?
Supplied by Capital Region Water · serves 66,540 people (20,778 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID PA7220049
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Most of Harrisburg gets its water from Capital Region Water. Parts of the city are served by a smaller system: Pennsylvania American Water – Steelton (6,428 people). Your water bill names your system.
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 Capital Region Water'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 (717) 238-8725. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 1 entry point 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 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 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2010 – Dec 2010 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2007 – Dec 2007 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2004 – Dec 2004 | 2 ppb |
| Jul 2000 – Dec 2000 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2000 – Jun 2000 | 1 ppb |
| Jan 1999 – Dec 1999 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 1998 – Dec 1998 | 5 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 | 1.83 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.038 ppb | – |
| Strontium | 0.019 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
Where it serves
Harrisburg, Lower Paxton, Susquehanna, Swatara
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 17101, 17102, 17103, 17104, 17105, 17109, 17110, 17111, 17120, 17125
Nearby utilities
- Veolia Mechanicsburg Fairview · 8 mi · PFAS above limit
- Veolia Water West Hanover · 9 mi
- Veolia Newberry System Newberry · 11 mi · PFAS above limit
- Veolia Middletown Londonderry · 12 mi · PFAS above limit
- Dillsburg Area Authority Franklin · 17 mi · PFAS above limit
- Carlisle Water Treatment Plant North Middleton · 17 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is Harrisburg tap water safe to drink?
Most of Harrisburg gets its water from Capital Region Water. Capital Region Water 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 Harrisburg water have PFAS?
EPA tested Capital Region Water 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 Harrisburg water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Capital Region Water 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 PA7220049: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID PA7220049).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Capital Region Water at (717) 238-8725, 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.