Williamstown Water Dept water quality
Williamstown, WV · serves 3,469 people (1,567 connections) · Groundwater · Local government · EPA ID WV3305412
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Summary
PFAS above the 2024 federal limits. Systems have until 2029 to meet the PFAS limits.
Is it an emergency? No: PFAS limits are about years of exposure, not a glass of water, and nothing in EPA's data calls for you to stop drinking the water today. If your utility ever issues a boil-water or do-not-drink notice, follow it.
- PFAS
- Above limitPFOA, PFHxS, the PFAS Hazard Index above the federal limit in EPA's 2023–2025 testing (PFOA 26.1 ppt vs a limit of 4 ppt, PFHxS 20 ppt vs a limit of 10 ppt, where ppt = parts per trillion).
- Lead
- Below action level3.1 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 2026 – now, still in progress (results reported so far). Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- Resolved1 health-based violation since 2016, most recently Dec 2020.
- Pregnant, or mixing baby formula with tap water? Babies drink more water for their size, so PFAS exposure matters more for them. Consider bottled water or a filter certified for PFAS for formula, and ask your doctor. Health effects.
- To lower your PFAS exposure now, a home filter certified for PFAS reduction works (reverse osmosis, or activated carbon certified to NSF/ANSI 53 or 58). Filters for these results.
- 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 Williamstown Water Dept'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) 375-7761. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 1 entry point tested May 2023 to Nov 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 Above limit Limit 4 ppt | 26.1 ppt 6.53× the limit |
| PFOS Not detected Limit 4 ppt | – |
| PFHxS Above limit Limit 10 ppt | 20 ppt 2× the limit |
| 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) Above limit Limit 1 | 2 |
| PFBS Detected, below limit Guideline 2,000 ppt | 8.4 ppt |
| PFBA Detected, below limit Guideline 6,000 ppt | 3 ppt |
| PFHxA Detected, below limit Guideline 3,000 ppt | 7.15 ppt |
| PFPeA Detected, no limit | 1.75 ppt |
| PFHpA Detected, no limit | 3.45 ppt |
For context: the PFOA average is higher than at 96% of the West Virginia systems EPA tested and the PFHxS average is higher than at 98% of the West Virginia systems EPA tested.
29 PFAS tested, 7 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 2 samples (reporting limit 9 ppb). About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 3.1 ppb lead (Jan 2026 – now (in progress)). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 6.5 ppb (Dec 2016).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2026 – now (in progress) | 3.1 ppb |
| Jan 2020 – Dec 2022 | 3.4 ppb |
| Jan 2019 – Dec 2021 | 3.4 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2017 – Dec 2019 | 5.7 ppb |
| Jan 2016 – Dec 2018 | 5.7 ppb |
| Jan 2014 – Dec 2016 | 6.5 ppb |
| Jan 2013 – Dec 2015 | 6.5 ppb |
| Jan 2011 – Dec 2013 | 7.8 ppb |
| Jan 2008 – Dec 2010 | 5.3 ppb |
| Jan 2005 – Dec 2007 | 8 ppb |
| Jan 2002 – Dec 2004 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 2000 – Dec 2002 | 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
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| Dec 2020 | An inspection found a significant problem (such as a damaged well or storage tank) that was not fixed on time. EPA record: Groundwater Rule · Failure To Address Deficiency (limit ) Resolved |
4 unresolved monitoring or reporting violations: Lead and Copper Rule, Consumer Confidence 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.
Where it serves
Williamstown
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 26187
Nearby utilities
- Union Williams Public Service District Waverly · 6 mi · PFAS above limit
- Parkersburg Utility Board Parkersburg · 11 mi · PFAS above limit
- Pleasants County Public Service District St. Marys · 13 mi · PFAS above limit
- Lubeck Public Service District Washington · 15 mi · PFAS above limit
- Mineral Wells Public Service District Mineralwells · 15 mi · PFAS above limit
- Pennsboro Water System Pennsboro · 27 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is Williamstown Water Dept water safe to drink?
Williamstown Water Dept had 1 health-based violation since 2016, all since resolved. EPA testing found PFAS above the 2024 federal limits, which systems must meet by 2029. 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 Williamstown Water Dept water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of Williamstown Water Dept found 7 PFAS at least once. The highest entry-point averages were above the federal limit for PFOA and PFHxS: PFOA 26.1 ppt, PFHxS 20 ppt (limit 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS, 10 ppt for the others).
What is the lead level in Williamstown Water Dept water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Williamstown Water Dept is 3.1 ppb, for the monitoring period that began Jan 2026 (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:
- EPA's own report for WV3305412: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID WV3305412).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Williamstown Water Dept at (304) 375-7761, 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.