Tap Water Quality Report
Tap water quality in LANCASTER, Pennsylvania
Tap water in LANCASTER, Pennsylvania receives a grade of F (53/100) from TapWaterSafety.org. It's served by CITY OF LANCASTER. The most significant water quality concerns are: PFAS contamination; Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline; Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS) significantly above health guideline; Haloacetic acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline. Data sources: EPA SDWIS, EPA ECHO, EWG Tap Water Database.
What's in LANCASTER's tap water
Top water quality concerns identified by the EPA and Environmental Working Group across the utility serving LANCASTER.
PFAS contamination
Severe concernPerfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) detected. PFAS are persistent chemicals linked to cancer and immune effects with no known safe exposure threshold.
Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernHaloacetic acids (HAA9) detected at 39.6 ppb, 661x above the EWG health guideline of 0.06 ppb.
Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernPerfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS) detected at 0.549 ppt, 549x above the EWG health guideline of 0.001 ppt.
Haloacetic acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernHaloacetic acids (HAA5) detected at 36.5 ppb, 365x above the EWG health guideline of 0.1 ppb.
EPA compliance record
Official U.S. EPA records for CITY OF LANCASTER (system ID PA7360058) for the last 3 years. Checked 2026-10-07.
| Rule | Type | Since | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule | Contaminant above the legal limit | 04/01/2024 | Resolved |
| Surface Water Treatment Rule | Missed testing or reporting | 09/01/2024 | 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 LANCASTER
Filters matched to the specific contaminants in LANCASTER's water supply.
Filter certified for PFOA/PFOS (NSF/ANSI 53 or 58)
$180-$750Reverse osmosis and some carbon block filters reduce PFAS. Look for certification to NSF/ANSI 53 or 58 for PFOA/PFOS.
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 LANCASTER'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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) PFAS |
8.83 ppt | 0.09 | 4.0 | 100 | 100 | 0.007 | — | EPA violation |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA9) Disinfection byproduct |
39.6 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 661× over |
| Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS) PFAS |
0.549 ppt | 0.001 | 10.0 | — | — | — | — | 549× over |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct |
36.5 ppb | 0.1 | 60.0 | 60 | — | — | — | 365× over |
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct |
49.7 ppb | 0.15 | 80.0 | 100 | — | — | — | 332× over |
| Trichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
19.0 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 190× over |
| Bromodichloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
10.6 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 176× over |
| Chloroform Disinfection byproduct |
37.1 ppb | 0.4 | — | — | — | — | — | 93× over |
| Dichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
17.3 ppb | 0.2 | — | — | — | — | — | 86× over |
| Nitrate Inorganic |
4.13 ppm | 0.14 | 10.0 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | — | 30× over |
| Dibromochloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
2.07 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 21× over |
| Cadmium Heavy metal |
0.325 ppb | 0.04 | 5.0 | 5 | 3 | 0.04 | — | 8.1× over |
| Dibromoacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
0.185 ppb | 0.03 | — | — | — | — | — | 6.2× over |
| Chromium (hexavalent) Heavy metal |
0.11 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | — | — | 5.5× over |
| Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) PFAS |
1.45 ppt | 0.3 | 4.0 | 100 | 100 | 1 | — | 4.8× over |
| Atrazine Pesticide/Herbicide |
0.1 ppb | 0.1 | 3.0 | 0.1 | 100 | 0.15 | — | Below guideline |
| Chlorate Disinfection byproduct |
202.6 ppb | 210.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Manganese Heavy metal |
11.5 ppb | 100.0 | — | 50 | 80 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Barium Heavy metal |
36.8 ppb | 700.0 | 2000.0 | — | 1300 | 2000 | — | Below guideline |
| 1,4-Dioxane Semi-volatile organic compound |
0.00875 ppb | 0.35 | — | — | 50 | 1 | — | Below guideline |
| Vanadium Other |
0.306 ppb | 21.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorohexanoic Acid (PFHxA) PFAS |
7.3 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluoropentanoic Acid (PFPeA) PFAS |
4.73 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorobutanoic Acid (PFBA) PFAS |
3.35 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHPA) PFAS |
2.9 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Molybdenum Other |
0.0813 ppb | 40.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Monochloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
0.0946 ppb | 53.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) PFAS |
2.73 ppt | 2000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Monobromoacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
0.0246 ppb | 25.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Strontium Radiological |
0.157 ppb | 1500.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Chromium (total) Heavy metal |
0.167 ppb | — | 100.0 | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Fluoride Inorganic |
0.645 ppm | — | 4.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Nitrite Inorganic |
0.00867 ppm | — | 1.0 | — | — | — | — | 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 CITY OF LANCASTER.