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Monaca Boro Water DeptWater quality report

Standards for what was found here

5358
Serves
6,500
Connections
2,523
Water source
Groundwater
Based in
Monaca, PA
County
Beaver
Owner
Local government
The ZIP code it serves

15061

PWSID PA5040039 · EPA data

Read this first

  • PFHxS was found in two of 2 samples, highest 11.1 ppt. Above the 10 ppt legal limit in at least one sample. Compliance is judged on a running annual average, not one sample.
  • Lead In the latest period, 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below 3.4 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level. The action level drops to 10 ppb on Nov. 1, 2027. EPA’s health goal for lead is zero.

4 health-based violations since 2016. Details are below.

What handles it

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 April 22, 2024 to Oct. 28, 2024. Each tick under a result’s line is one sample where it was found, dated when you point at it.

    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.

  2. PFHxS

    Above the legal limit

    11.1ppt

    Highest of 2 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.

    • NSF/ANSI 53 · Look for: Total PFAS ReductionSame claim, other certifiers’ wording: Perfluorohexane Sulfonic Acid (PFHxS)

  3. PFBS

    Below the benchmark

    6.6ppt

    Highest of 2 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.

  4. In treatment

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

  5. In the pipes

    Lead and copper, from the homes the utility samples. Your own service line, solder and fixtures decide yours.

  6. Lead

    Above the health goal

    3.4ppb

    90th percentile, 2025

    In the latest period, 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below 3.4 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level. The action level drops to 10 ppb on Nov. 1, 2027. EPA’s health goal for lead is zero.

    EPA SDWIS, lead and copper monitoring periods ending 2004 to 2025. The line stops at the latest period; each tick under it is an earlier one.

  7. 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 April 22, 2024 to Oct. 28, 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)
  • Lithium
  • NEtFOSAA
  • NFDHA
  • NMeFOSAA
  • PFBA
  • PFDA
  • PFDoA
  • PFEESA
  • PFHpA
  • PFHpS
  • PFHxA
  • PFMBA
  • PFMPA
  • PFNA
  • PFOA
  • PFOS
  • PFPeA
  • PFPeS
  • PFTA
  • PFTrDA
  • PFUnA

Violations since 2016

Contaminant or ruleTypePeriodMeasuredStatus
Revised Total Coliform RuleColiform results required a check of the system, and the check or its fixes were not done on time.EPA: Treatment Technique, Level 1 Assessment (RTCR)Aug. 7, 2023—Resolved
Groundwater RuleRequired treatment for surface water or groundwater was not met.EPA: Treatment Technique (SWTR and GWR)Oct. 1, 2021 to Oct. 31, 2021—Resolved
Groundwater RuleRequired treatment for surface water or groundwater was not met.EPA: Treatment Technique (SWTR and GWR)Dec. 1, 2018 to Dec. 31, 2018—Resolved
Groundwater RuleRequired treatment for surface water or groundwater was not met.EPA: Treatment Technique (SWTR and GWR)April 1, 2017 to April 30, 2017—Resolved
Health-based violations only. Resolved and archived mean the utility returned to compliance or the state closed the record. 38 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: Total PFAS Reduction, Lead Reduction

    For: PFHxS, Lead

  • NSF/ANSI 58

    Claim: Lead Reduction

    For: Lead

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.

Compare five-year costs

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

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 Monaca Boro Water Dept’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 April 22, 2024 to Oct. 28, 2024.

Other Pennsylvania utilities

All Pennsylvania utilities

Sources

What to do next

  1. Start with PFHxS

    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

    Monaca Boro Water Dept 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. Compare five-year costs

    What the filters certified for these results cost over five years, cartridges included.