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Palmerton Municipal Authority water quality report, rewritten

Serves
7,000
Connections
2,245
Water source
Groundwater
Based in
Palmerton, PA
County
Carbon
Owner
Private
The 2 ZIP codes it serves

18012, 18071

PWSID PA3130012 · EPA data

Read this first

  • PFOA (above the health goal) was found in two of 4 samples, highest 42.5 ppt. Above the 4.0 ppt legal limit in at least one sample. Compliance is judged on a running annual average, not one sample.
  • PFOS (above the health goal) was found in two of 4 samples, highest 40 ppt. Above the 4.0 ppt legal limit in at least one sample. Compliance is judged on a running annual average, not one sample.
  • PFNA (above the health goal) was found in two of 4 samples, highest 21.1 ppt. Above the 10 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 4 samples, highest 10.4 ppt. Above the 10 ppt legal limit in at least one sample. Compliance is judged on a running annual average, not one sample.

1 health-based violation since 2016. Details are below.

What handles it

What 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.

PFAS and lithium: EPA UCMR 5, samples taken from Feb. 18, 2025 to Sept. 23, 2025. Each blue tick on a scale is one sample where it was found.

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.

PFOA (above the health goal)

Comes from the source

42.5 (above the legal limit in at least one sample)ppt

Highest of 4 samples; found in two

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

PFOS (above the health goal)

Comes from the source

40 (above the legal limit in at least one sample)ppt

Highest of 4 samples; found in two

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

PFNA (above the health goal)

Comes from the source

21.1 (above the legal limit in at least one sample)ppt

Highest of 4 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

PFHxS (above the health goal)

Comes from the source

10.4 (above the legal limit in at least one sample)ppt

Highest of 4 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

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
PFPeA11.8 ppt2 of 4None covers it
PFHxA11.4 ppt2 of 4None covers it
PFHpA10.6 ppt2 of 4NSF/ANSI 53: Total PFAS Reduction
PFBA6.5 ppt2 of 4None covers it

Tested and not found

Below EPA’s minimum reporting level in every sample taken from Feb. 18, 2025 to Sept. 23, 2025. Not found means not measured above that level, which is not the same as zero.

All 23 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
  • PFBS
  • PFDA
  • PFDoA
  • PFEESA
  • PFHpS
  • PFMBA
  • PFMPA
  • PFPeS
  • PFTA
  • PFTrDA
  • PFUnA

Violations since 2016

Contaminant or ruleTypePeriodMeasuredStatus
Groundwater RuleRequired treatment for surface water or groundwater was not met.EPA: Treatment Technique (SWTR and GWR)July 1, 2018 to July 31, 2018—Resolved
Health-based violations only. Resolved and archived mean the utility returned to compliance or the state closed the record. 48 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: PFOA Reduction, PFOS Reduction, Total PFAS Reduction

    Other certifiers’ wording: Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA); Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS); Perfluorononanoic Acid (PFNA); Perfluorohexane Sulfonic Acid (PFHxS)

    For: PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, PFHxS

  • NSF/ANSI 58

    Claims: Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA), Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS)

    For: PFOA, PFOS

At the tap, or for the whole house?

These come with the water itself, so a whole-house system certified for the same claims treats every tap and shower. A filter at the tap treats drinking water for much less. 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 Palmerton Municipal Authority’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 Feb. 18, 2025 to Sept. 23, 2025.

Other Pennsylvania utilities

All Pennsylvania utilities

Sources

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 PFOA

  • Get the utility’s own report

    Palmerton Municipal Authority must send you a water quality report every year. It lists nitrate, arsenic and byproduct levels this page cannot.

    How to read it

  • Test 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 do

  • Compare certified filters

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

    Compare five-year costs