Town of Odenville, Utillities Bd. of the
What EPA’s and Alabama’s records show in this utility’s water: PFAS and lithium; nitrate, arsenic and other regulated chemicals; lead and copper; and violations since 2016, with the certification that handles each result.
- Serves
- 26,022 people
- Connections
- 8,674
- Water source
- Surface water bought from another system
- Based in
- Odenville, AL
- County
- St. Clair
- Owner
- Local government
- Hardness
- Hard
The short answer
1 result is above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029, and 2 more are above the health goal. The worst: PFOA, above EPA’s new limit (2029). No health-based violations on file since 2016.
What handles itWhat was found
PFAS and lithium: EPA UCMR 5, samples taken from April 24, 2023 to Jan. 12, 2024.
Lead and copper: EPA SDWIS monitoring periods ending 2004 to 2024.
Copper: EPA’s file records a utility’s copper only when it exceeds the action level. The last here was 1.4 ppm, for the period ending Dec. 31, 2007. None since is on file, so it is not counted as a current finding.
Arsenic, nitrate, total trihalomethanes (TTHM), haloacetic acids (HAA5), chromium (total) and fluoride: Alabama’s own results, samples taken from Feb. 11, 2020 to Aug. 10, 2026, with EPA’s 2012 to 2019 file for earlier years.
PFAS: PFOA and PFBS were found, of the six PFAS in EPA’s 2024 drinking water rule; their results are below. Three other PFAS with no federal limit were found, the highest PFPeA at 17.6 ppt: see them below.
EPA’s 2024 PFAS rule, compound by compound
| PFAS | EPA’s limit | Result |
|---|---|---|
| PFOA | 4.0 ppt | Above EPA’s new limit (2029)4.9 ppt highest, found in 1 of 19 samples. Details |
| PFOS | 4.0 ppt | Not foundNot found in any of 19 samples, below 4 ppt |
| PFHxS | 10 ppt | Not foundNot found in any of 19 samples, below 3 ppt |
| PFNA | 10 ppt | Not foundNot found in any of 19 samples, below 4 ppt |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) | 10 ppt | Not foundNot found in any of 19 samples, below 5 ppt |
| PFBS | Index only | Below EPA’s limits24.3 ppt highest, found in 3 of 19 samples. Details |
| Hazard IndexPFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA and PFBS together | 1 | Doesn’t applyDoesn’t apply: no sampling location found two or more of the four |
| Results from EPA’s UCMR 5 sampling. “Below” is the lab’s reporting level: a result under it reads as not found, which is not the same as zero. The limits are EPA’s 2024 rule, with compliance due from 2029; EPA has since proposed changes to some of them, explained on each compound’s page. PFBS has no limit of its own and counts only toward the Hazard Index, which adds up the four, each against EPA’s health-based level, from each sampling location’s average, as EPA’s UCMR 5 summary does. It counts only where two or more of the four were found, and is above the limit from 1.5. | ||
About PFAS certifications
NSF’s PFAS claims are tested to below 20 ppt. EPA’s limit is 4.0 ppt, and EPA says no certification yet shows a filter reaching its levels.
Above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 20291
PFOA
Comes from the source
4.9ppt
Highest sample, Jan. 12, 2024; found in 1 of 19
The highest sample was 4.9 ppt, above EPA’s new limit of 4.0 ppt, which takes effect in 2029. EPA’s health goal is zero. Compliance will be judged on a running annual average, not one sample. Averaged by sampling location, as EPA compares its UCMR 5 results with the limit, the highest was 0 ppt, below it.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “PFOA Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA)”
Above the health goal2
Lead
Comes from pipes, often your own
2.0ppb
90th percentile, 2022 to 2024
In the latest period, 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below 2.0 ppb, below EPA’s action level of 15 ppb. The action level drops to 10 ppb on Nov. 1, 2027. EPA’s health goal for lead is zero.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Lead Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Lead Reduction”
Arsenic
Comes from the source
0.14ppb
Highest yearly average, 2021 to 2026
2026: not found
Averaged by year, the highest was 0.14 ppb, in 2025: below EPA’s legal limit of 10 ppb, but above its health goal of zero. Its highest single sample was 1.0 ppb. In 2026, the latest year on file, it wasn’t found in its one sample.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Arsenic (Pentavalent)<=50 ppb Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Arsenic (Pentavalent)<=50 ppb Reduction”
Below EPA’s limits6
Nitrate
Comes from the source
4.0ppm
Highest sample; found in 42 of 56
2026 average: 0.69 ppm
The highest sample, in 2026, was 4.0 ppm, below EPA’s legal limit of 10 ppm. That was also the latest year on file, and its eight samples averaged 0.69 ppm. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest sample of 1.6 ppm, in 2014.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Nitrate/Nitrite Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Nitrate/Nitrite (30 ppm challenge)”
Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)
Forms or is added in treatment
10.9ppb
Highest yearly average, 2020 to 2026
2026 average: 4.8 ppb
Averaged by year, the highest was 10.9 ppb, in 2024, below EPA’s legal limit of 80 ppb. Its highest single sample was 66.3 ppb. In 2026, the latest year on file, its six samples averaged 4.8 ppb. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest yearly average of 13.2 ppb, in 2015.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Trihalomethanes (TTHM) Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Trihalomethanes (TTHM) Reduction”
Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
Forms or is added in treatment
4.1ppb
Highest yearly average, 2020 to 2026
2026: not found
Averaged by year, the highest was 4.1 ppb, in 2021, below EPA’s legal limit of 60 ppb. Its highest single sample was 29 ppb. In 2026, the latest year on file, it wasn’t found in any of its six samples. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest yearly average of 8.6 ppb, in 2015.
What handles it
No certification claim covers this compound yet.
Chromium (total)
Comes from the source
6.3ppb
Highest yearly average, 2021 to 2026
2026: not found
Averaged by year, the highest was 6.3 ppb, in 2025, below EPA’s legal limit of 100 ppb. Its highest single sample was 7.0 ppb. In 2026, the latest year on file, it wasn’t found in its one sample. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest yearly average of 0.5 ppb, in 2019.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Chromium (Hexavalent) Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Chromium Reduction”
Fluoride
Forms or is added in treatment
0.11ppm
Highest yearly average, 2021 to 2026
2026: not found
Averaged by year, the highest was 0.11 ppm, in 2022, below EPA’s legal limit of 4.0 ppm. Its highest single sample was 0.25 ppm. In 2026, the latest year on file, it wasn’t found in its one sample.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Fluoride Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Fluoride”
PFBS
Comes from the source
24.3ppt
Highest sample, Jan. 12, 2024; found in 3 of 19
The highest sample was 24.3 ppt, below EPA’s hazard index benchmark of 2,000 ppt. PFBS has no legal limit or health goal of its own.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Total PFAS Reduction”
Also found, with no federal limit
EPA measured these PFAS to learn how often they occur. None has a legal limit or a health goal yet.
| Compound | Highest sample | Found in | Certification claim |
|---|---|---|---|
| PFPeA | 17.6 ppt | 3 of 19 | None covers it |
| PFBA | 10 ppt | 3 of 19 | None covers it |
| PFHxA | 8.4 ppt | 3 of 19 | None covers it |
25 compounds tested and not foundBelow the reporting level in every sample. Not found is not the same as zero.
- 11Cl-PF3OUdS
- 4:2 FTS
- 6:2 FTS
- 8:2 FTS
- 9Cl-PF3ONS
- ADONA
- HFPO-DA (GenX)
- Lithium
- NEtFOSAA
- NFDHA
- NMeFOSAA
- PFDA
- PFDoA
- PFEESA
- PFHpA
- PFHpS
- PFHxS
- PFMBA
- PFMPA
- PFNA
- PFOS
- PFPeS
- PFTA
- PFTrDA
- PFUnA
What handles it
A certification covers specific claims, not a whole standard. Look for these claims on the certifier’s listing, not the box. Wording varies a little: NSF writes “Lead Reduction,” WQA just “Lead.”
- NSF/ANSI 53
Claims: PFOA Reduction, Lead Reduction, Arsenic (Pentavalent)<=50 ppb Reduction
For: PFOA, Lead, Arsenic
Other certifiers’ wording: Total PFAS Reduction; Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA); Arsenic (III) (50 ppb influent level)
- NSF/ANSI 58
Claims: Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA), Lead Reduction, Arsenic (Pentavalent)<=50 ppb Reduction
For: PFOA, Lead, Arsenic
Other certifiers’ wording: Arsenic (Pentavalent)<=300 ppb Reduction; Arsenic (V) (300 ppb influent level)
At the tap, or for the whole house?
Lead and copper usually come from pipes and fixtures inside or near your home. A whole-house system sits where water enters, so it cannot catch what your own plumbing adds after it. For those, the filter that counts is the one at the tap. How whole-house systems compare.
Filters with those claims on a certifier’s listing
Disclosure: TapBuff earns a commission if you buy through some links on this page. It does not change which standard or filter we name. As an Amazon Associate, TapBuff earns from qualifying purchases. How TapBuff makes money
Countertop reverse osmosis
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 58NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
Certified for: PFOA, Lead, Arsenic
Aquasana SmartFlow Reverse Osmosis (AQ-SFRO2)
Under-sink reverse osmosis
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 58NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 9, 2026
Certified for: PFOA, Lead, Arsenic
Brondell Capella RC250 Reverse Osmosis System
Under-sink reverse osmosis
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 58NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 9, 2026
Certified for: PFOA, Lead, Arsenic
ZeroWater 10 Cup Pitcher (ZP-010)
Pitcher
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53checked Oct. 4, 2026
Certified for: PFOA, Lead
Aquasana Claryum Direct Connect (AQ-MF-1)
Under-sink carbon
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 16, 2026
Certified for: PFOA, Lead
The best water filters for PFAS, ranked
Hardness
Hard, 121 mg/L (7.1 grains per gallon), at its one sampling point, 2015 to 2026.
Hardness is calcium and magnesium. EPA sets no limit for it: it shows up as scale on fixtures and in water heaters, and as soap that won’t lather. USGS calls water above 60 mg/L moderately hard, above 120 hard and above 180 very hard.
Disinfectant
Town of Odenville, Utillities Bd. of the reported disinfecting with chlorine, not chloramine, at all 9 of its sampling points, in its 2023 to 2024 sampling for EPA.
Chlorine leaves water that sits out for a few days, CDC says. A filter certified for it carries a chlorine claim under NSF/ANSI 42; a shower filter, a free chlorine claim under NSF/ANSI 177. This utility buys its water from another system, so what it reported may leave out treatment done before the water reaches it. This is what the utility reported for that sampling. Its annual water quality report says what it uses now.
Violations since 2016
No health-based violations on file with EPA since 2016. There is 1 monitoring or reporting violation: a sample missed, late or not reported.
What this report can’t tell you
Everything else. Arsenic, nitrate, total trihalomethanes (TTHM), haloacetic acids (HAA5), chromium (total) and fluoride results here are Alabama’s own from 2020 on, with EPA’s national file for 2012 to 2019. Town of Odenville, Utillities Bd. of the’s own annual report, which it must send you every year, has the contaminants this page does not show.
Your own plumbing. Lead results are the 90th percentile across homes the utility samples. Your home’s service line, solder and fixtures decide yours. A certified lab test is the only way to know.
What it means for your health. This page reports what the records show and EPA’s limits and goals; it is not medical advice. If you are worried about a health effect, talk to a doctor or your local health department.
Anything after the latest data. SDWIS data is from 2026 Q3; UCMR 5 samples are from April 24, 2023 to Jan. 12, 2024; Alabama’s results run from Feb. 11, 2020 to Aug. 10, 2026.
Testing your own tap
The 3 labs Alabama certifies closest to the area Town of Odenville, Utillities Bd. of the serves, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Guardian Systems
Leeds, AL · about 14 miles
Certified for bacteria
Sutherland Environmental Testing Laboratory
Birmingham, AL · about 26 miles
Living Water Services
Alabaster, AL · about 40 miles
Certified for bacteria
Alabama Department of Public Health: Bacteria testing for private wells. Call your county health department to have an environmentalist collect the sample, or collect it yourself in a container from the county health department; there may be a collection fee and a testing fee. Well Water, Alabama Department of Public Health.
All 64 certified labs for AlabamaSources
- EPA UCMR 5 occurrence data, file of Oct. 15, 2026
- EPA SDWA bulk download (SDWIS federal data), 2026 Q3
- Alabama Department of Environmental Management, Drinking Water Branch, results from Jan. 6, 2020 to Oct. 8, 2026, read Oct. 17, 2026
- EPA Six-Year Review 4 compliance monitoring data, 2012 to 2019, file of Feb. 5, 2024
- Disinfectant: EPA UCMR 5 occurrence data, additional data elements, file of Oct. 15, 2026
- Certified labs: ADEM, certified bacteriological, chemical and PFAS drinking water laboratories, read Oct. 17, 2026; distances from the Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation area gazetteer
- Hardness: Alabama Department of Environmental Management, Drinking Water Branch, results from Feb. 24, 2015 to May 11, 2026, read Oct. 17, 2026
- Limits and goals: each contaminant’s page, with its EPA source.
- How this page is built: methodology.
PWSID AL0001203. Rebuilt from EPA data on Oct. 18, 2026.
What to do next
- Read up on the 3 results above a lineWhat each one does to health, where it comes from, and the certification claim that addresses it.Start with PFOA
- Get the utility’s own reportTown of Odenville, Utillities Bd. of the must send you a water quality report every year. It covers contaminants this page does not show.How to read it
- Test your own tap for leadYour service line, solder and fixtures decide the lead at your faucet, not the utility’s average.Lead in your water: what to do
- Compare certified filtersWhat the filters certified for these results cost over five years, cartridges included.Compare five-year costs