Berkeley County Public Service Water District – Potomac River water quality
Martinsburg, WV · serves 69,372 people (29,193 connections) · Surface water · Local government · EPA ID WV3300218
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Buys water from City of Martinsburg. 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 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 Dec 2024. 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 Berkeley County Public Service Water District – Potomac River'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 (304) 274-5803. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 1 entry point tested Mar 2023 to Dec 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 | – |
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 (Jan 2022 – Dec 2024). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 7 ppb (Dec 2016).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2022 – Dec 2024 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2022 – Dec 2022 | 3.3 ppb |
| Jan 2021 – Dec 2021 | 1.8 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2020 – Dec 2020 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2017 – Dec 2019 | 3.5 ppb |
| Jan 2015 – Dec 2017 | 3.5 ppb |
| Jan 2014 – Dec 2016 | 7 ppb |
| Jan 2012 – Dec 2014 | 7 ppb |
| Jan 2011 – Dec 2013 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2009 – Dec 2011 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2008 – Dec 2010 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2005 – Dec 2007 | 7 ppb |
Copper 90th percentile: 1.62 ppm (Dec 1995), action level 1,300 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
4 unresolved monitoring or reporting violations: Consumer Confidence Rule, Public Notice, Lead and Copper Rule.
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 | 5.27 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Vanadium | 0.44 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.29 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Chromium-6 | 0.22 ppb | – |
| Chlorate | 516 ppb | 210 ppb |
Where it serves
Martinsburg
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 25402, 25403, 25404, 25419, 25427
Nearby utilities
- Wvaw – Walnut Grove Utilities Charles Town · 14 mi · PFAS above limit
- Morgantown Utility Board Morgantown · 106 mi
- Weirton Area Water Board Weirton · 153 mi · PFAS above limit
- New Martinsville Water System New Martinsville · 154 mi · PFAS above limit
- Pennsboro Water System Pennsboro · 160 mi · PFAS above limit
- Pleasants County Public Service District St. Marys · 172 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is Berkeley County Public Service Water District – Potomac River water safe to drink?
Berkeley County Public Service Water District – Potomac River 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 Berkeley County Public Service Water District – Potomac River water have PFAS?
EPA tested Berkeley County Public Service Water District – Potomac River for 29 PFAS between Mar 2023 and Dec 2023 and none were detected above the reporting limits (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical).
What is the lead level in Berkeley County Public Service Water District – Potomac River water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Berkeley County Public Service Water District – Potomac River is 0 ppb, for the period ending Dec 2024. 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 WV3300218: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID WV3300218).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Berkeley County Public Service Water District – Potomac River at (304) 274-5803, 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.