Tap Water Quality Report
Tap water quality in ALTOONA, Pennsylvania
Tap water in ALTOONA, Pennsylvania receives a grade of F (59/100) from TapWaterSafety.org. It's served by ALTOONA WATER AUTHORITY. The most significant water quality concerns are: Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline; Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) significantly above health guideline; Haloacetic acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline. Data sources: EPA SDWIS, EPA ECHO, EWG Tap Water Database.
What's in ALTOONA's tap water
Top water quality concerns identified by the EPA and Environmental Working Group across the utility serving ALTOONA.
Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernHaloacetic acids (HAA9) detected at 13.8 ppb, 230x above the EWG health guideline of 0.06 ppb.
Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernTotal trihalomethanes (TTHMs) detected at 24.0 ppb, 160x above the EWG health guideline of 0.15 ppb.
Haloacetic acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernHaloacetic acids (HAA5) detected at 11.8 ppb, 118x above the EWG health guideline of 0.1 ppb.
EPA compliance record
Official U.S. EPA records for ALTOONA WATER AUTHORITY (system ID PA4070023) for the last 3 years. Checked 2026-10-07.
| Rule | Type | Since | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public Notice Rule and Revised PN Rule | Other (e.g. public notice) | 09/23/2025 | Open |
| Revised Total Coliform Rule | Required treatment not met | 08/13/2025 | Resolved |
| Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule | Missed testing or reporting | 10/01/2023 | Resolved |
| Revised Total Coliform Rule | Missed testing | 09/01/2023 | Resolved |
| Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule | Missed testing or reporting | 10/01/2023 | Resolved |
| Revised Total Coliform Rule | Missed reporting | 08/13/2025 | Resolved |
| Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule | Required treatment not met | 03/01/2026 | Resolved |
Source: U.S. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO), from the Safe Drinking Water Information System. See EPA's full report.
Recommended filters for ALTOONA
Filters matched to the specific contaminants in ALTOONA's water supply.
Carbon filter certified for VOCs (NSF/ANSI 53)
$180-$599Activated carbon is effective for disinfection byproducts. Look for NSF/ANSI 53 VOC reduction.
Disclosure: TapWaterSafety earns a commission from purchases made through these links. This does not influence our scoring methodology or filter selection.
All contaminants detected in ALTOONA's tap water
Every contaminant identified, compared side-by-side against US EPA legal limits, the EU Drinking Water Directive (2020/2184), WHO Guidelines, and California's Public Health Goal. Why we show multiple standards →
| Contaminant | Detected | EWG US health-based |
EPA US legal |
EU DWD Europe |
WHO global |
CA PHG strictest US |
Tested sample year |
Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haloacetic acids (HAA9) Disinfection byproduct |
13.8 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 230× over |
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct |
24.0 ppb | 0.15 | 80.0 | 100 | — | — | — | 160× over |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct |
11.8 ppb | 0.1 | 60.0 | 60 | — | — | — | 118× over |
| Bromodichloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
3.82 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 64× over |
| Chloroform Disinfection byproduct |
19.0 ppb | 0.4 | — | — | — | — | — | 48× over |
| Dichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
8.64 ppb | 0.2 | — | — | — | — | — | 43× over |
| Trichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
3.13 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 31× over |
| Dibromochloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
1.12 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 11× over |
| Chromium (hexavalent) Heavy metal |
0.104 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | — | — | 5.2× over |
| Thallium Heavy metal |
0.272 ppb | 0.1 | 2.0 | — | — | — | — | 2.7× over |
| Bromate Disinfection byproduct |
0.227 ppb | 0.1 | 10.0 | 10 | 10 | 0.1 | — | 2.3× over |
| Manganese Heavy metal |
18.5 ppb | 100.0 | — | 50 | 80 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Barium Heavy metal |
35.3 ppb | 700.0 | 2000.0 | — | 1300 | 2000 | — | Below guideline |
| Chlorate Disinfection byproduct |
6.71 ppb | 210.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Xylenes (total) Volatile organic compound |
4.74 ppb | 1800.0 | 10000.0 | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Ethylbenzene Volatile organic compound |
0.526 ppb | 300.0 | 700.0 | 1 | 10 | 0.15 | — | Below guideline |
| Monochloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
0.0281 ppb | 53.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Strontium Radiological |
0.0385 ppb | 1500.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
All values in the unit of the detected level. Red cells indicate the detected level exceeds that standard. Some contaminants have limits in some jurisdictions but not others (shown as —). The "Tested" column shows the year each contaminant sample was collected.
Sources: US EPA, EU Drinking Water Directive 2020/2184, WHO Guidelines, California OEHHA PHGs, EWG Tap Water Database.
Treatment plant contact info
For service issues, water quality concerns, or to request a Consumer Confidence Report from ALTOONA WATER AUTHORITY.