Pawc Mid Monroe
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
- 1,580 people
- Connections
- 787
- Water source
- Groundwater
- Based in
- Tobyhanna, PA
- County
- Monroe
- Owner
- Private
The short answer
1 result is above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029, and 2 more are above the health goal. The worst: PFOA, above EPA’s new limit (2029). 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 Jan. 30, 2024 to July 22, 2026.
Lead and copper: EPA SDWIS monitoring periods ending 1993 to 1996.
Haloacetic acids (HAA5), total trihalomethanes (TTHM), nitrate, arsenic, chromium (total), fluoride and uranium: Pennsylvania’s own results, samples taken from Feb. 11, 2020 to Aug. 20, 2026, with EPA’s 2012 to 2019 file for earlier years.
PFAS: PFOA and PFOS 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 EPA’s new limit (2029)12.7 ppt highest, found in 4 of 26 samples. Details |
| PFOS | 4.0 ppt | Above the health goal4.0 ppt highest, found in 4 of 27 samples. Details |
| PFHxS | 10 ppt | Not foundNot found in any of 16 samples |
| PFNA | 10 ppt | Not foundNot found in any of 16 samples |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) | 10 ppt | Not foundNot found in any of 16 samples |
| PFBS | Index only | Not foundNot found in any of 16 samples |
| 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 EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 20291
PFOA
Comes from the source
12.7ppt
Highest sample, July 19, 2024; found in 4 of 26
2026 average: 0.44 ppt
The highest sample was 12.7 ppt, about 3.2 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 4.7 ppt, for the year to Dec. 31, 2024: below Pennsylvania’s limit of 14 ppt and above EPA’s new limit of 4.0 ppt. In 2026, the latest year on file, its eight samples averaged 0.44 ppt.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “PFOA Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA)”
Above the health goal2
PFOS
Comes from the source
4.0ppt
Highest sample, Sept. 8, 2025; found in 4 of 27
2026: not found
The highest sample was 4.0 ppt: below EPA’s new limit of 4.0 ppt, which takes effect in 2029, but above its health goal of zero. Averaged over four quarters at one entry point, the way both Pennsylvania’s limit and EPA’s are judged, the highest was 1.9 ppt, for the year to Sept. 30, 2025: below Pennsylvania’s limit of 18 ppt and below EPA’s new limit of 4.0 ppt. In 2026, the latest year on file, it wasn’t found in any of its seven samples.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “PFOS Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS)”
Lead
Comes from pipes, often your own
1.0ppb
90th percentile, 1996
In the latest period, 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below 1.0 ppb, below EPA’s action level of 15 ppb. The action level drops to 10 ppb on Nov. 1, 2027. 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”
Below EPA’s limits3
Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
Forms or is added in treatment
47ppb
Highest yearly average, 2020 to 2026
2026 average: 37.1 ppb
Averaged by year, the highest was 47 ppb, in 2025, below EPA’s legal limit of 60 ppb. Its highest single sample was 81.3 ppb. In 2026, the latest year on file, its six samples averaged 37.1 ppb. EPA recorded no violation for haloacetic acids (HAA5) at this utility since 2020. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest yearly average of 31.7 ppb, in 2019.
What handles it
No certification claim covers this compound yet.
Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)
Forms or is added in treatment
55.7ppb
Highest yearly average, 2020 to 2026
2026 average: 44.4 ppb
Averaged by year, the highest was 55.7 ppb, in 2025, below EPA’s legal limit of 80 ppb. Its highest single sample was 104 ppb. In 2026, the latest year on file, its six samples averaged 44.4 ppb. EPA recorded no violation for total trihalomethanes (TTHM) at this utility since 2020. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest yearly average of 62 ppb, in 2018.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Trihalomethanes (TTHM) Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Trihalomethanes (TTHM) Reduction”
Nitrate
Comes from the source
1.1ppm
Highest sample; found in 22 of 25
2026 average: 0.28 ppm
The highest sample, in 2026, was 1.1 ppm, below EPA’s legal limit of 10 ppm. That was also the latest year on file, and its five samples averaged 0.28 ppm. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest sample of 1.2 ppm, in 2018.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Nitrate/Nitrite Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Nitrate/Nitrite (30 ppm challenge)”
8 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)
- PFBS
- PFHxS
- 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, PFOS Reduction, Lead Reduction
For: PFOA, PFOS, Lead
Other certifiers’ wording: Total PFAS Reduction; Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA); Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS)
- NSF/ANSI 58
Claims: Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA), Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS), Lead Reduction
For: PFOA, PFOS, 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.
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, PFOS, Lead
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, PFOS, Lead
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, PFOS, Lead
Under-sink reverse osmosis
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 58checked Oct. 4, 2026
Certified for: PFOA, PFOS, Lead
Under-sink reverse osmosis
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 58checked Oct. 9, 2026
Certified for: PFOA, PFOS, Lead
Violations since 2016
| Contaminant or rule | Type | Period | Measured | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Groundwater Rule | Required treatment for surface water or groundwater was not met.EPA: Treatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) | Aug. 1, 2016 to Aug. 31, 2016 | — | Resolved |
| Health-based violations only. Resolved and archived mean the utility returned to compliance or the state closed the record. 1 monitoring or reporting violation not shown. | ||||
What this report can’t tell you
Everything else. Haloacetic acids (HAA5), total trihalomethanes (TTHM), nitrate, arsenic, chromium (total), fluoride and uranium results here are Pennsylvania’s own from 2020 on, with EPA’s national file for 2012 to 2019. Pawc Mid Monroe’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. 11, 2020 to Aug. 20, 2026; Pennsylvania’s PFAS results run from Jan. 30, 2024 to July 22, 2026.
Testing your own tap
The 3 labs Pennsylvania certifies closest to the area Pawc Mid Monroe serves, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Eurofins Philadelphia - Wind Gap
Wind Gap, PA · about 21 miles
ABE Laboratories LLC
Bath, PA · about 27 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, minerals and other inorganics
Microbac Laboratories, Inc. - Pittston
Pittston, PA · about 36 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, lead and copper, metals, minerals and other inorganics, organic chemicals, disinfection byproducts
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
- Limits and goals: each contaminant’s page, with its EPA source.
- How this page is built: methodology.
PWSID PA2450119. 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 reportPawc Mid Monroe 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