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Harlan Municipal Water WorksWater quality report

Serves
4,574
Connections
1,910
Water source
Surface water
Based in
Harlan, KY
County
Harlan
Owner
Local government
The 3 ZIP codes it serves

40806, 40831, 40854

PWSID KY0480178 · EPA data

Read this first

  • Lithium was found in three of 4 samples, highest 42 ppb. Above EPA’s health reference level of 10 ppb, a screening level rather than an enforceable limit.

1 health-based violation since 2016. Details are below.

What was found, stop by stop

  • Below the health goal
  • Above the health goal
  • Above the legal limit
  • No federal data

  1. At the source

    EPA UCMR 5 sampled this utility for 29 PFAS and lithium from March 12, 2024 to Dec. 3, 2024. Each tick under a result’s line is one sample where it was found, dated when you point at it.

  2. Lithium

    Above EPA’s health benchmark

    42ppb

    Highest of 4 samples; found in three

    Above EPA’s health reference level of 10 ppb, a screening level rather than an enforceable limit.

    What handles it: No certification claim covers this compound yet.

  3. In treatment

    No federal results for this stop. Disinfection byproduct, chlorine and fluoride levels are in Harlan Municipal Water Works’s own annual report, which it must send you every year.

  4. In the pipes

    No lead and copper results on file with EPA for this utility.

  5. At your tap

    The last stretch is your own plumbing. A certified lab test is the only way to know what reaches your glass. Lead in your water: what to do

Tested and not found

Below EPA’s minimum reporting level in every sample taken from March 12, 2024 to Dec. 3, 2024. Not found means not measured above that level, which is not the same as zero.

All 30 compounds tested and not found
  • 11Cl-PF3OUdS
  • 4:2 FTS
  • 6:2 FTS
  • 8:2 FTS
  • 9Cl-PF3ONS
  • ADONA
  • HFPO-DA (GenX)
  • Lead
  • NEtFOSAA
  • NFDHA
  • NMeFOSAA
  • PFBA
  • PFBS
  • PFDA
  • PFDoA
  • PFEESA
  • PFHpA
  • PFHpS
  • PFHxA
  • PFHxS
  • PFMBA
  • PFMPA
  • PFNA
  • PFOA
  • PFOS
  • PFPeA
  • PFPeS
  • PFTA
  • PFTrDA
  • PFUnA

Violations since 2016

Contaminant or ruleTypePeriodMeasuredStatus
TTHMThe running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, AverageApril 1, 2017 to June 30, 20170.082 MG/LResolved
Health-based violations only. Resolved and archived mean the utility returned to compliance or the state closed the record. 1 monitoring or reporting violation not shown.

What this report cannot tell you

  • Levels of everything else. Federal bulk data carries results for PFAS, lithium, lead and copper, and violations for the rest. Nitrate, arsenic, disinfection byproducts and other levels are in Harlan Municipal Water Works’s own annual report, which it must send you every year.
  • 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.
  • Anything after the latest data. SDWIS data is from 2026 Q2; UCMR 5 samples are from March 12, 2024 to Dec. 3, 2024.

Other Kentucky utilities

All Kentucky utilities

Sources

What to do next

  1. About Lithium

    What each marked result does to health, where it comes from, and the certification claim that addresses it.

  2. Read the utility’s own report

    Harlan Municipal Water Works must send you a water quality report every year. It lists nitrate, arsenic and byproduct levels this page cannot.

  3. Test your own tap for lead

    Your service line, solder and fixtures decide the lead at your faucet, not the utility’s average.

  4. NSF/ANSI standards, decoded

    A filter for taste or chlorine is a preference, not a need. The standards say what each kind can do.