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Pennsylvania Tap Water Quality 2026

EPA drinking water data for 2,264 cities across Pennsylvania — covering lead levels, violation history, and compliance status.

Systems tracked: 991 Cities covered: 2,264 Updated: 2026 Q2
B

Pennsylvania earns a B for overall water quality

2264 communities across 67 counties and 991 water systems. 98.5% have no open violations.

Median lead where detected: 3.00 ppb
20.7% of systems report lead as not detected — a state filing convention, not a water quality measure
PFAS tested at 56.1% of communities; 277 above the federal limit
Lead reported for 97.6% of communities
98.5% of communities have no open violations
Water Systems
991
Active community systems
Median Lead Level
3 ppb
20% of EPA action level
Fully Compliant
98.5%
of systems — no active violations
How we grade states Grades are based on actual EPA enforcement data — MCL violations and lead levels measured against the 15 ppb federal action level. We do not use MCLG-based detections, which are aspirational zero-tolerance goals that would make nearly every state look dangerous. Read our full methodology →

Best & Worst Cities in Pennsylvania

✓ Cleanest Water
Highland
Clarion County
1.0 ppb A
Cleveland
Columbia County
1.9 ppb A
Parryville
Carbon County
1.8 ppb A
Liberty
Adams County
4.0 ppb B
Pike
Bradford County
3.0 ppb B
Jackson
Dauphin County
4.0 ppb B
⚠ Needs Attention
Knox
Clarion County
83.5 ppb F
Orangeville
Columbia County
27.0 ppb F
Glasgow
Beaver County
20.0 ppb F
Fredonia
Mercer County
24.2 ppb F
Berlin
Wayne County
30.0 ppb F
Fairview
Mercer County
24.2 ppb F

Water Quality by County

67 of 67
Sort:
CountySystemsLead LevelViolationsGrade
Allegheny County 133 4.0 ppb 0 B
Chester County 76 3.3 ppb 0 B
Luzerne County 72 5.0 ppb 0 B
Montgomery County 71 1.6 ppb 0 C
Berks County 69 3.0 ppb 0 B
Lancaster County 68 5.0 ppb 0 B
Westmoreland County 67 3.5 ppb 0 A
Schuylkill County 66 3.0 ppb 0 B
York County 66 3.0 ppb 0 B
Washington County 64 4.0 ppb 0 B

About Pennsylvania Drinking Water

Pennsylvania is served by 991 community water systems covering 2264 communities across 67 counties. 98.5% have no open violation on record.

Lead was detected in 1752 communities, with a median of 3.00 ppb — 20% of the federal action level. A further 458 reported none detected. That share is a state reporting convention rather than a measure of water quality, so it is stated separately rather than averaged in.

PFAS has been tested at 56.1% of communities here, and 277 are above the limits EPA set in 2024. Coverage matters: states that test more find more, so this figure is not comparable with a state that has tested less.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Pennsylvania tap water safe to drink? ▼
98.5% of communities have no open violation on record. 277 have PFAS above the federal limit set in 2024, which is the main open concern.
Does Pennsylvania have a lead problem? ▼
390 water systems report a 90th-percentile lead result at or above the 15 ppb action level. The action level is a treatment trigger, not a legal maximum, and 458 communities report no detection at all.
How complete is the data for Pennsylvania? ▼
Lead results are reported for 97.6% of communities and PFAS for 56.1%. Where a figure is missing it is shown as not reported rather than assumed safe.
How does Pennsylvania compare with other states? ▼
We do not rank states against each other. Lead reporting completeness ranges from under 20% to 100% depending on the state, so a national ranking would compare filing practice rather than water quality.