Town of Nashville water quality report, rewritten
- Serves
- 5,900
- Connections
- 2,718
- Water source
- Surface water bought from another system
- Based in
- Nashville, NC
- County
- Nash
- Owner
- Local government
PWSID NC04640202026 edition · EPA data
Read this first
- PFOS (above the health goal) was found in seven of 10 samples, highest 490 ppt. Above the 4.0 ppt legal limit in at least one sample. Compliance is judged on a running annual average, not one sample.
- PFHxS (above the health goal) was found in two of 10 samples, highest 35 ppt. Above the 10 ppt legal limit in at least one sample. Compliance is judged on a running annual average, not one sample.
- PFOA (above the health goal) was found in five of 10 samples, highest 6.6 ppt. Above the 4.0 ppt legal limit in at least one sample. Compliance is judged on a running annual average, not one sample.
- Copper (above the health goal) In the latest period, 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below 1.7 ppm, above the 1.3 ppm action level.
2 health-based violations since 2016. Details are below.
What handles itWhat was found
Highlighted: above the health goal, or EPA’s health benchmark where there is no goal. Circled: above the legal limit in at least one sample, or the action level. Every scale puts that line at its middle.
PFOS (above the health goal)
Comes from the source
490 (above the legal limit in at least one sample)ppt
Highest of 10 samples; found in seven
Above the 4.0 ppt legal limit in at least one sample. Compliance is judged on a running annual average, not one sample.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 53Look for: PFOS ReductionSame claim, other certifiers’ wording: Total PFAS Reduction; Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS)
- NSF/ANSI 58Look for: Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS)
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.
EPA UCMR 5, samples taken from March 11, 2024 to March 12, 2025. Each blue tick is one sample where it was found.
PFHxS (above the health goal)
Comes from the source
35 (above the legal limit in at least one sample)ppt
Highest of 10 samples; found in two
Above the 10 ppt legal limit in at least one sample. Compliance is judged on a running annual average, not one sample.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 53Look for: Total PFAS ReductionSame claim, other certifiers’ wording: Perfluorohexane Sulfonic Acid (PFHxS)
NSF’s PFAS claims are tested to below 20 ppt. EPA’s limit is 10 ppt, and EPA says no certification yet shows a filter reaching its levels.
EPA UCMR 5, samples taken from Sept. 23, 2024 to March 12, 2025. Each blue tick is one sample where it was found.
PFOA (above the health goal)
Comes from the source
6.6 (above the legal limit in at least one sample)ppt
Highest of 10 samples; found in five
Above the 4.0 ppt legal limit in at least one sample. Compliance is judged on a running annual average, not one sample.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 53Look for: PFOA ReductionSame claim, other certifiers’ wording: Total PFAS Reduction; Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA)
- NSF/ANSI 58Look for: Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA)
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.
EPA UCMR 5, samples taken from June 4, 2024 to Dec. 9, 2024. Each blue tick is one sample where it was found.
Copper (above the health goal)
Comes from pipes, often your own
1.7 (above the action level)ppm
90th percentile, 1993
In the latest period, 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below 1.7 ppm, above the 1.3 ppm action level.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 53Look for: Copper Reduction
- NSF/ANSI 58Look for: Copper Reduction
EPA SDWIS, lead and copper monitoring periods ending 1993. The pointer marks the latest period; each blue tick is an earlier one.
Lithium
Comes from the source
9.5ppb
Highest of 10 samples; found in one
Below EPA’s health reference level of 10 ppb. Lithium has no legal limit or health goal of its own.
What handles it
No certification claim covers this compound yet.
EPA UCMR 5, samples taken on Sept. 23, 2024. Each blue tick is one sample where it was found.
PFBS
Comes from the source
3.6ppt
Highest of 10 samples; found in two
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 53Look for: Total PFAS Reduction
EPA UCMR 5, samples taken from Sept. 23, 2024 to Dec. 9, 2024. Each blue tick is one sample where it was found.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| PFHxA | 4.6 ppt | 1 of 10 | None covers it |
| PFHpS | 3.6 ppt | 1 of 10 | None covers it |
Tested and not found
Below EPA’s minimum reporting level in every sample taken from March 11, 2024 to March 12, 2025. Not found means not measured above that level, which is not the same as zero.
All 24 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
- PFDA
- PFDoA
- PFEESA
- PFHpA
- PFMBA
- PFMPA
- PFNA
- PFPeA
- PFPeS
- PFTA
- PFTrDA
- PFUnA
Violations since 2016
| Contaminant or rule | Type | Period | Measured | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Jan. 1, 2025 to March 31, 2025 | 0.061 MG/L | Resolved |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | July 1, 2024 to Sept. 30, 2024 | 0.061 MG/L | Resolved |
| Health-based violations only. Resolved and archived mean the utility returned to compliance or the state closed the record. 18 monitoring or reporting violations not shown. | ||||
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: PFOS Reduction, Total PFAS Reduction, PFOA Reduction, Copper Reduction
For: PFOS, PFHxS, PFOA, Copper
- NSF/ANSI 58
Claims: Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS), Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA), Copper Reduction
For: PFOS, PFOA, Copper
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
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
PUR PLUS 11-Cup Pitcher (PPT111W)
Pitcher
- NSF listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
Certified for: PFOS, PFHxS, PFOA, Copper
Countertop reverse osmosis
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 58NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
Certified for: PFOS, PFOA, Copper
PUR PLUS Faucet Filtration System, Horizontal (PFM400H)
Faucet mount
- NSF listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
Certified for: PFOS, PFHxS, PFOA
Under-sink carbon
- NSF listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53checked Oct. 4, 2026
Certified for: PFOS, PFHxS, PFOA
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 Town of Nashville’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 11, 2024 to March 12, 2025.
What to do next
Read up on the 4 marked results
What each one does to health, where it comes from, and the certification claim that addresses it.
Start with PFOSGet the utility’s own report
Town of Nashville must send you a water quality report every year. It lists nitrate, arsenic and byproduct levels this page cannot.
How to read itTest your own tap for lead
Your service line, solder and fixtures decide the lead at your faucet, not the utility’s average.
Lead in your water: what to doCompare certified filters
What the filters certified for these results cost over five years, cartridges included.
Compare five-year costs
Other North Carolina utilities
- Charlotte Water1.2 million
- City of Raleigh650,000
- City of Winston - Salem391,900
- City of Durham333,490
- City of Greensboro319,588
- Town of Cary227,300
- Fayetteville Public Works Comm226,441
- Cfpua - Wilmington212,227
- Union County Water System169,685
- City of Asheville157,431
- Onslow WTR and Sewer Authority156,755
- Davidson Water Inc154,307
Sources
- EPA UCMR 5 occurrence data, file of Aug. 27, 2026
- EPA SDWA bulk download (SDWIS federal data), 2026 Q2
- Limits and goals: each contaminant’s page, with its EPA source.
- How this page is built: methodology.