Tap Water Results

Loudoun Water – Central System water quality

Ashburn, VA · serves 334,808 people (83,426 connections) · Surface water · Local government · EPA ID VA6107350

Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it

Buys water from Fairfax County Water Authority. Treated water bought from another system can carry that system's contaminants.

Summary

No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.

PFAS
Detected, below limit1 of 29 PFAS found at least once. All averages below the federal limits.
Lead
Below action level0.5 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 Jan 2024 – now, still in progress (results reported so far). Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
Violations
None health-basedNo health-based violations since 2016.
What you can do

PFAS (“forever chemicals”)

EPA UCMR 5: 2 entry points tested Jun 2023 to Mar 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.

ContaminantHighest averageHighest resultLimitStatus
PFOA
Not detected
Limit 4 ppt
––4 pptNot detected
PFOS
Not detected
Limit 4 ppt
––4 pptNot detected
PFHxS
Not detected
Limit 10 ppt
––10 pptNot detected
PFNA
Not detected
Limit 10 ppt
––10 pptNot detected
HFPO-DA (GenX)
Not detected
Limit 10 ppt
––10 pptNot detected
Hazard Index (a combined score for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and PFBS, where above 1 is over the limit)
Not detected
Limit 1
––1Not detected
PFBS
Not detected
Guideline 2,000 ppt
––2,000 ppt guidelineNot detected
PFBA
Not detected
Guideline 6,000 ppt
––6,000 ppt guidelineNot detected
PFHxA
Not detected
Guideline 3,000 ppt
––3,000 ppt guidelineNot detected
PFPeA
Detected, no limit
0.85 ppt3.4 pptnoneDetected, no limit

29 PFAS tested, 1 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: 0.5 ppb lead (Jan 2024 – now (in progress)). Below action level

Highest since 2016: 1.1 ppb (Dec 2017).

Monitoring periodLead (90th pct.)
Jan 2024 – now (in progress)0.5 ppb
Jan 2021 – Dec 20230 ppb
Jan 2018 – Dec 20200 ppb
Earlier results (9)
Jan 2015 – Dec 20171.1 ppb
Jan 2012 – Dec 20140.5 ppb
Jan 2009 – Dec 20112 ppb
Jul 2007 – Dec 20070.1 ppb
Jan 2007 – Jun 20070 ppb
Jan 2003 – Dec 20051 ppb
Jan 2002 – Dec 20021 ppb
Jan 2001 – Dec 20011 ppb
Jan 2000 – Jun 20008 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

0
Health-based since 2016
1
Monitoring/reporting since 2016
0
Health-based unresolved now
14
Total ever recorded, incl. paperwork

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)

ContaminantHighestGuidelineDetectedTested
Manganese4.2 ppb300 ppb4 of 8UCMR 4 (2019)
Chlorate200 ppb210 ppb10 of 16UCMR 3 (2014)
Vanadium0.64 ppb21 ppb4 of 16UCMR 3 (2014)
Molybdenum24 ppb40 ppb2 of 16UCMR 3 (2014)
Strontium0.18 ppm1.5 ppm16 of 16UCMR 3 (2014)
Chromium-60.2 ppb–15 of 16UCMR 3 (2014)

Where it serves

Ashburn, Great Falls, Bull Run, Chantilly, South Riding, Brambleton, Sterling, Herndon, Cascades

ZIP codes the system reported serving: 20120, 20146, 20147, 20148, 20151, 20152, 20164, 20165, 20166, 20170, 20176, 22066

Nearby utilities

Questions

Is Loudoun Water – Central System water safe to drink?

Loudoun Water – Central 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 Loudoun Water – Central System water have PFAS?

Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of Loudoun Water – Central System found 1 PFAS at least once. None of the averages were above the federal limits.

What is the lead level in Loudoun Water – Central System water?

The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Loudoun Water – Central System is 0.5 ppb, for the monitoring period that began Jan 2024 (still in progress). 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:

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.