PFAS above EPA’s limits in Kentucky.
The short answer
9 utilities serving 199,762 people, as they report it, had a location averaging above a limit, most often PFOA (5) and PFOS (4). The largest is Paducah Water Works, whose highest PFOS average was 6.0 ppt, 1.5 times the limit. The furthest above is Harrison Co Water Association, at 3.8 times the PFOS limit.
These are EPA’s survey results, not violations: the limits take effect April 26, 2029, and compliance will rest on each utility’s own monitoring. EPA has proposed changes to the rule; as of Oct. 13, 2026, none is final.
Utilities above a limit
Largest first. Each one’s highest location average is for the limit it is furthest above, with the single highest sample of the same PFAS; its report has every result.
| Utility | Based in | Serves | Above | Highest location average | Highest single sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paducah Water Works | Paducah | 65,004 | PFOS | PFOS 6.0 ppt1.5 times the limit | 8.1 ppt |
| Georgetown Municipal Water Service | Georgetown | 44,608 | PFOS | PFOS 5.9 ppt1.5 times the limit | 12 ppt |
| Daviess Co Water District | Owensboro | 33,655 | PFOA | PFOA 4.5 ppt1.1 times the limit | 5.0 ppt |
| Harrison Co Water Association | Cynthiana | 16,736 | PFOS | PFOS 15 ppt3.8 times the limit | 48 ppt |
| Corbin Utilities Commission | Corbin | 16,065 | PFOA | PFOA 4.1 ppt1.03 times the limit | 6.7 ppt |
| Whitley Co Water District | Williamsburg | 9,825 | PFOA | PFOA 4.5 ppt1.1 times the limit | 10 ppt |
| Cynthiana Municipal Water Works | Cynthiana | 7,263 | PFOS | PFOS 15 ppt3.7 times the limit | 37 ppt |
| Whitesville Water Works | Whitesville | 3,672 | PFOA | PFOA 5.5 ppt1.4 times the limit | 5.6 ppt |
| North McLean Co Water District | Livermore | 2,934 | PFOA | PFOA 4.1 ppt1.03 times the limit | 6.5 ppt |
22 more utilities in Kentucky had a single sample above a limit but no location average above, so they are not listed; each report shows the sample.
Results: EPA UCMR 5 occurrence data, file of Oct. 15, 2026, samples from Jan. 3, 2023 to June 17, 2026, averaged by sampling location as EPA’s final UCMR 5 data summary does. Every state, and the full data as a CSV; how this list is made. People served is what each utility reports.
Where to go next
- Paducah Water Works’s reportEvery PFAS result with its dates, and the certification claim that handles each.Open the report
- Every stateThe national list, the largest utilities above a limit, and the data to download.PFAS above EPA’s limits
- Filters certified for PFASRanked by certification and what they cost over five years.Best water filters for PFAS