Is Albany, GA tap water safe?
The short answer
1 of the 3 utilities serving Albany has a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s records: Lee County Utilities Authority.
Albany, which serves the most people here, has 2 results above the health goal. The worst: PFOS at 4.0 ppt, above the health goal. Health goals are stricter than legal limits and are not enforced.
A town can be served by more than one utility, and some homes are on private wells. The name on your water bill tells you which is yours, and your ZIP code narrows it down. They are listed by how many people each serves in Albany’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
Albany
Georgia · serves 101,245 people · about 31,200 in Albany
2 results above the health goal. The worst: PFOS at 4.0 ppt, above the health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Lee County Utilities Authority
Georgia · serves 20,194 people · about 400 in Albany
1 result above the legal limit and 1 result above the health goal. The worst: Fluoride at 7.7 ppm, above the legal limit.
4 health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
USMC - Logistics
Georgia · serves 3,350 people · under 100 in Albany
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 3.1 ppb, above the health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
What handles it
Each of these is certified, on a certifier’s listing, for a result above a line in Albany’s water, which serves the most people here. Another utility’s report names what handles its own results.
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ZeroWater 10 Cup Pitcher (ZP-010)
Pitcher
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53checked Oct. 4, 2026
Certified for: PFOS, 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: PFOS, Lead
Express Water StreamLine Direct Connect System (USC001)
Under-sink carbon
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 16, 2026
Certified for: PFOS, Lead
Water testing near Albany
The 2 labs Georgia certifies closest to Albany, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Crystal River Water Services
Norman Park, GA · about 37 miles
Certified for bacteria
Ackurit Labs
Tallahassee, FL · about 72 miles
Certified for bacteria
University of Georgia Agricultural and Environmental Services Laboratories: Well water tests for minerals, nitrate, lead and bacteria, sent in through your county Extension office, which supplies bottles and helps with sampling and fees. The lab lists $20 for its basic water test, $12 for nitrate, $40 for coliform bacteria, and $90 for the home loan set of lead, nitrate, nitrite and bacteria. Water Analyses, UGA Agricultural and Environmental Services Laboratories.
All 43 certified labs for GeorgiaWhich ZIP codes are in Albany: Census 2020 relationship files. Which utilities serve them, and how many people: EPA SDWIS and EPA’s service area map. Each utility’s results: EPA UCMR 5, EPA SDWIS, and EPA’s and the state’s compliance monitoring, as its report lists them. How they are measured: methodology. Certified labs: Georgia EPD, laboratories certified by Georgia for chemical, microbiological, PFAS, and lead and copper monitoring; distances from the Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation area gazetteer.
What to do next
- Read Albany’s full reportEvery result with its dates, the violations, and the certification claim that handles each finding.Open the report
- Filters for PFOSRanked by certification and what they cost over five years.The best water filters for PFAS, ranked
- On a private well?No utility tests a well. A certified lab test is the first step.How to test well water