Highland Court
What EPA’s and Pennsylvania’s records show in this utility’s water: PFAS; nitrate, arsenic and other regulated chemicals; lead and copper; and violations since 2016, with the certification that handles each result.
- Serves
- 54 people
- Connections
- 26
- Water source
- Groundwater
- Based in
- Parkesburg, PA
- County
- Chester
- Owner
- Private
- Hardness
- Moderately hard
The ZIP code it serves
The short answer
2 results are above EPA’s legal limit, and 1 more is above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029. The worst: PFOA, above Pennsylvania’s limit. 1 health-based violation since 2016.
What handles itWhat was found
PFAS: Pennsylvania’s own results under its PFAS rule, entry point samples taken from March 10, 2025 to Aug. 3, 2026.
Lead and copper: EPA SDWIS monitoring periods ending 1993 to 2019.
Nitrate, total trihalomethanes (TTHM), haloacetic acids (HAA5), arsenic, chromium (total), fluoride and uranium: Pennsylvania’s own results, samples taken from Feb. 5, 2020 to July 6, 2026, with EPA’s 2012 to 2019 file for earlier years.
PFAS: PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS and PFBS were found, of the six PFAS in EPA’s 2024 drinking water rule; their results are below.
EPA’s 2024 PFAS rule, compound by compound
| PFAS | EPA’s limit | Result |
|---|---|---|
| PFOA | 4.0 ppt | Above Pennsylvania’s limit37.3 ppt highest, found in 7 of 7 samples. Details |
| PFOS | 4.0 ppt | Above EPA’s new limit (2029)4.5 ppt highest, found in 6 of 7 samples. Details |
| PFHxS | 10 ppt | Below EPA’s limits3.6 ppt highest, found in 7 of 7 samples. Details |
| PFNA | 10 ppt | Not foundNot found in any of 7 samples |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) | 10 ppt | Not foundNot found in any of 7 samples |
| PFBS | Index only | Below EPA’s limits2.9 ppt highest, found in 6 of 7 samples. Details |
| Results from Pennsylvania’s own PFAS monitoring, samples where water enters the pipes; each compound’s card has its four-quarter averages, the way limits are judged. The limits are EPA’s 2024 rule, with compliance due from 2029; EPA has since proposed changes to some of them, explained on each compound’s page. Pennsylvania’s own limits for PFOA and PFOS are in force now. PFBS has no limit of its own and counts only toward EPA’s Hazard Index, which TapBuff works out only from UCMR 5’s averages, so it isn’t given here. | ||
About PFAS certifications
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.
Above the legal limit2
PFOA
Comes from the source
37.3ppt
Highest sample, Aug. 3, 2026; found in 7 of 7
2026 average: 31.8 ppt
The highest sample was 37.3 ppt, about 9.3 times EPA’s new limit of 4.0 ppt, which takes effect in 2029. EPA’s health goal is zero. Compliance will be judged on a running annual average, not one sample. Averaged over four quarters at one entry point, the way both Pennsylvania’s limit and EPA’s are judged, the highest was 29.8 ppt, for the year to Sept. 30, 2026: above Pennsylvania’s limit of 14 ppt and above EPA’s new limit of 4.0 ppt. Pennsylvania recorded three violations of its limit for PFOA here, dated Jan. 21, 2026, April 21, 2026 and July 21, 2026, on running averages of 27 to 28 ppt. In 2026, the latest year on file, its three samples averaged 31.8 ppt.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “PFOA Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA)”
Lead
Comes from pipes, often your own
89ppb
90th percentile, 2019
In the latest period, 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below 89 ppb, above EPA’s action level of 15 ppb. The action level drops to 10 ppb on Nov. 1, 2027, and this result is at or above that. EPA’s health goal for lead is zero.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Lead Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Lead Reduction”
Above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 20291
PFOS
Comes from the source
4.5ppt
Highest sample, March 2, 2026; found in 6 of 7
2026 average: 3.6 ppt
The highest sample was 4.5 ppt, above EPA’s new limit of 4.0 ppt, which takes effect in 2029. EPA’s health goal is zero. Compliance will be judged on a running annual average, not one sample. Averaged over four quarters at one entry point, the way both Pennsylvania’s limit and EPA’s are judged, the highest was 2.8 ppt, for the year to June 30, 2026: below Pennsylvania’s limit of 18 ppt and below EPA’s new limit of 4.0 ppt. In 2026, the latest year on file, its three samples averaged 3.6 ppt.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “PFOS Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS)”
Below EPA’s limits5
Nitrate
Comes from the source
8.0ppm
Highest sample; found in 27 of 27
2026 average: 6.0 ppm
The highest sample, in 2024, was 8.0 ppm, below EPA’s legal limit of 10 ppm. In 2026, the latest year on file, its three samples averaged 6.0 ppm. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest sample of 13.1 ppm, in 2013, and EPA recorded a violation in 2013.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Nitrate/Nitrite Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Nitrate/Nitrite (30 ppm challenge)”
PFHxS
Comes from the source
3.6ppt
Highest sample, March 2, 2026; found in 7 of 7
2026 average: 3.3 ppt
The highest sample was 3.6 ppt, below EPA’s new limit of 10 ppt, which takes effect in 2029. Averaged over four quarters at one entry point, the way EPA’s limit is judged, the highest was 3.0 ppt, for the year to Sept. 30, 2026: below EPA’s new limit of 10 ppt. In 2026, the latest year on file, its three samples averaged 3.3 ppt.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Total PFAS Reduction”
Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)
Forms or is added in treatment
10.3ppb
Highest yearly average, 2022 to 2025
2025, one sample: 6.7 ppb
Averaged by year, the highest was 10.3 ppb, in 2022, below EPA’s legal limit of 80 ppb. In 2025, the latest year on file, its one sample was 6.7 ppb. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest yearly average of 9.5 ppb, in 2016.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Trihalomethanes (TTHM) Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Trihalomethanes (TTHM) Reduction”
Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
Forms or is added in treatment
4.9ppb
Highest yearly average, 2022 to 2025
2025: not found
Averaged by year, the highest was 4.9 ppb, in 2022, below EPA’s legal limit of 60 ppb. In 2025, the latest year on file, it wasn’t found in its one sample. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest yearly average of 4.9 ppb, in 2013.
What handles it
No certification claim covers this compound yet.
PFBS
Comes from the source
2.9ppt
Highest sample, March 10, 2025; found in 6 of 7
2026 average: 2.1 ppt
The highest sample was 2.9 ppt, below EPA’s hazard index benchmark of 2,000 ppt. PFBS has no legal limit or health goal of its own. In 2026, the latest year on file, its three samples averaged 2.1 ppt.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Total PFAS Reduction”
6 compounds tested and not foundBelow the reporting level in every sample. Not found is not the same as zero.
From routine monitoring
- Arsenic
- Chromium (total)
- Fluoride
- Uranium
PFAS, from Pennsylvania’s own monitoring
- HFPO-DA (GenX)
- PFNA
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: PFOA Reduction, Lead Reduction, PFOS Reduction
For: PFOA, Lead, PFOS
Other certifiers’ wording: Total PFAS Reduction; Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA); Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS)
- NSF/ANSI 58
Claims: Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA), Lead Reduction, Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS)
For: PFOA, Lead, PFOS
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
Disclosure: 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
ZeroWater 10 Cup Pitcher (ZP-010)
Pitcher
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53checked Oct. 4, 2026
Certified for: PFOA, Lead, PFOS
Aquasana Claryum Direct Connect (AQ-MF-1)
Under-sink carbon
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 16, 2026
Certified for: PFOA, Lead, PFOS
Express Water StreamLine Direct Connect System (USC001)
Under-sink carbon
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 16, 2026
Certified for: PFOA, Lead, PFOS
Under-sink reverse osmosis
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 58checked Oct. 4, 2026
Certified for: PFOA, Lead, PFOS
Under-sink reverse osmosis
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 58checked Oct. 9, 2026
Certified for: PFOA, Lead, PFOS
Hardness
Moderately hard, 80 mg/L (4.7 grains per gallon), at its one sampling point, in 2021.
Hardness is calcium and magnesium. EPA sets no limit for it: it shows up as scale on fixtures and in water heaters, and as soap that won’t lather. USGS calls water above 60 mg/L moderately hard, above 120 hard and above 180 very hard.
Violations since 2016
| Contaminant or rule | Type | Period | Measured | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lead and Copper Rule | A required study or plan for corrosion control was not done on time.EPA: OCCT/SOWT Study/Recommendation | April 1, 2022 | — | Resolved |
| Health-based violations only. Resolved and archived mean the utility returned to compliance or the state closed the record. 12 monitoring or reporting violations not shown. | ||||
What this report can’t tell you
Everything else. Nitrate, total trihalomethanes (TTHM), haloacetic acids (HAA5), arsenic, chromium (total), fluoride and uranium results here are Pennsylvania’s own from 2020 on, with EPA’s national file for 2012 to 2019. Highland Court’s own annual report, which it must send you every year, has the contaminants this page does not show.
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.
What it means for your health. This page reports what the records show and EPA’s limits and goals; it is not medical advice. If you are worried about a health effect, talk to a doctor or your local health department.
Anything after the latest data. SDWIS data is from 2026 Q3; UCMR 5 didn’t sample this utility; Pennsylvania’s results run from Feb. 5, 2020 to July 6, 2026; Pennsylvania’s PFAS results run from March 10, 2025 to Aug. 3, 2026.
Testing your own tap
The 3 labs Pennsylvania certifies closest to the area Highland Court serves, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
H.O. Thompson Testing Lab
Parkesburg, PA · under a mile
Certified for bacteria
Brandywine Science Center
Kennett Square, PA · about 13 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, lead and copper, metals, minerals and other inorganics
Waypoint Analytical - PA Inc.
Leola, PA · about 17 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate
Penn State Agricultural Analytical Services Laboratory: Drinking water test kits from many county Extension offices, mailed back to the lab overnight with payment. Packages cover bacteria and basic chemistry, with add-ons for nitrate, metals, lead, and mining or gas drilling concerns. The standard package of bacteria, pH and total dissolved solids is $60, or $70 with nitrate; bacteria alone is $40, nitrate $15 and lead $25. Drinking Water Testing, Penn State Agricultural Analytical Services Lab.
All 108 certified labs for PennsylvaniaSources
- EPA UCMR 5 occurrence data, file of Oct. 15, 2026
- Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Drinking Water Reporting System, PFAS results read Oct. 17, 2026
- EPA SDWA bulk download (SDWIS federal data), 2026 Q3
- Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Drinking Water Reporting System, results from Jan. 2, 2020 to Oct. 8, 2026, read Oct. 17, 2026
- EPA Six-Year Review 4 compliance monitoring data, 2012 to 2019, file of Feb. 5, 2024
- Certified labs: Pennsylvania DEP Laboratory Accreditation Program, accredited labs for drinking water, read Oct. 11, 2026; distances from the Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation area gazetteer
- Hardness: Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Drinking Water Reporting System, results from March 12, 2021 to March 12, 2021, read Oct. 17, 2026
- Limits and goals: each contaminant’s page, with its EPA source.
- How this page is built: methodology.
PWSID PA1150070. Rebuilt from EPA data on Oct. 18, 2026.
What to do next
- Read up on the 3 results above a lineWhat each one does to health, where it comes from, and the certification claim that addresses it.Start with PFOA
- Get the utility’s own reportHighland Court must send you a water quality report every year. It covers contaminants this page does not show.How to read it
- Test your own tap for leadYour service line, solder and fixtures decide the lead at your faucet, not the utility’s average.Lead in your water: what to do
- Compare certified filtersWhat the filters certified for these results cost over five years, cartridges included.Compare five-year costs