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Tahlequah PwaWater quality report

Serves
14,458
Connections
7,972
Water source
Surface water
Based in
Tahlequah, OK
County
Cherokee
Owner
Local government
The 2 ZIP codes it serves

74451, 74464

PWSID OK1021701 · EPA data

Read this first

Nothing in the federal data for this utility is above a health goal. That covers PFAS, lithium, lead and copper; it does not cover everything, so read what this report cannot tell you below.

10 health-based violations 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 June 6, 2023 to March 5, 2024. Each tick under a result’s line is one sample where it was found, dated when you point at it.

  2. PFBS

    Below the benchmark

    5.7ppt

    Highest of 8 samples; found in five

    Below EPA’s hazard index benchmark of 2,000 ppt. PFBS has no legal limit or health goal of its own.

  3. 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.

    CompoundHighest sampleFound inCertification claim
    PFPeA4.4 ppt3 of 8None covers it
    PFHxA4.2 ppt1 of 8None covers it

  4. In treatment

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

  5. In the pipes

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

  6. 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 June 6, 2023 to March 5, 2024. Not found means not measured above that level, which is not the same as zero.

All 28 compounds tested and not found
  • 11Cl-PF3OUdS
  • 4:2 FTS
  • 6:2 FTS
  • 8:2 FTS
  • 9Cl-PF3ONS
  • ADONA
  • HFPO-DA (GenX)
  • Lead
  • Lithium
  • NEtFOSAA
  • NFDHA
  • NMeFOSAA
  • PFBA
  • PFDA
  • PFDoA
  • PFEESA
  • PFHpA
  • PFHpS
  • PFHxS
  • PFMBA
  • PFMPA
  • PFNA
  • PFOA
  • PFOS
  • PFPeS
  • PFTA
  • PFTrDA
  • PFUnA

Violations since 2016

Contaminant or ruleTypePeriodMeasuredStatus
Lead and Copper Rule RevisionsThe required inventory of lead service lines was not completed or submitted on time.EPA: LSL InventoryOct. 17, 2024—Resolved
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, AverageOct. 1, 2022 to Dec. 31, 20220.062 MG/LResolved
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, AverageApril 1, 2022 to June 30, 20220.063 MG/LResolved
Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment RuleRequired treatment for surface water or groundwater was not met.EPA: Treatment Technique (SWTR and GWR)Oct. 1, 2019 to Oct. 31, 2019—Resolved
Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment RuleRequired treatment for surface water or groundwater was not met.EPA: Treatment Technique (SWTR and GWR)Oct. 1, 2019 to Oct. 31, 2019—Archived
Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment RuleRequired treatment for surface water or groundwater was not met.EPA: Treatment Technique (SWTR and GWR)Sept. 1, 2019 to Sept. 30, 2019—Archived
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, AverageJuly 1, 2019 to Sept. 30, 20190.061 MG/LResolved
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, AverageApril 1, 2019 to June 30, 20190.066 MG/LResolved
TTHMThe running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, AverageJuly 1, 2017 to Sept. 30, 20170.082 MG/LResolved
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, AverageJuly 1, 2017 to Sept. 30, 20170.071 MG/LResolved
Health-based violations only. Resolved and archived mean the utility returned to compliance or the state closed the record. 4 monitoring or reporting violations 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 Tahlequah Pwa’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 June 6, 2023 to March 5, 2024.

Other Oklahoma utilities

All Oklahoma utilities

Sources

What to do next

  1. Every contaminant TapBuff tracks

    Nothing here is above a health goal in the federal data, which does not cover everything.

  2. Read the utility’s own report

    Tahlequah Pwa 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.