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Pawc Penn Estates

What EPA’s and Pennsylvania’s records show in this utility’s water: PFAS and lithium; nitrate, arsenic and other regulated chemicals; lead and copper; and violations since 2016, with the certification that handles each result.

Serves
4,300 people
Connections
1,734
Water source
Groundwater
Based in
Tobyhanna, PA
County
Monroe
Owner
Public and private
The ZIP code it serves

18301

The short answer

1 result is above EPA’s legal limit, 4 more are above the health goal, and 1 more is above EPA’s health benchmark. The worst: Copper, above the action level. 4 health-based violations since 2016.

What handles it

What was found

PFAS: Pennsylvania’s own results under its PFAS rule, entry point samples taken from Jan. 16, 2024 to Sept. 14, 2026, with EPA’s UCMR 5 samples, 2023, as the earlier record.

Lithium, and PFAS Pennsylvania didn’t test: EPA UCMR 5, samples taken from Feb. 6, 2023 to Oct. 25, 2023.

Lead and copper: EPA SDWIS monitoring periods ending 2001 to 2021.

Arsenic, nitrate, total trihalomethanes (TTHM), haloacetic acids (HAA5), chromium (total), fluoride and uranium: Pennsylvania’s own results, samples taken from Feb. 20, 2020 to Sept. 14, 2026, with EPA’s 2012 to 2019 file for earlier years.

PFAS: PFOA, PFOS and PFBS were found, of the six PFAS in EPA’s 2024 drinking water rule; their results are below. None of the other 23 PFAS tested for was found.

EPA’s 2024 PFAS rule, compound by compound

PFASEPA’s limitResult
PFOA4.0 pptAbove the health goal3.3 ppt highest, found in 7 of 48 samples. Details
PFOS4.0 pptAbove the health goal2.6 ppt highest, found in 7 of 48 samples. Details
PFHxS10 pptNot foundNot found in any of 20 samples
PFNA10 pptNot foundNot found in any of 20 samples
HFPO-DA (GenX)10 pptNot foundNot found in any of 20 samples
PFBSIndex onlyBelow EPA’s limits1.9 ppt highest, found in 2 of 20 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, and what EPA’s UCMR 5 samples found before. 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 limit1

Copper

Comes from pipes, often your own

Above the action level

2.0ppm

90th percentile, 2021

In the latest period, 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below 2.0 ppm, above EPA’s action level of 1.3 ppm.

What handles it

Above the health goal4

PFOA

Comes from the source

Above the health goal

3.3ppt

Highest sample, Aug. 11, 2026; found in 7 of 48

2026 average: 0.71 ppt

The highest sample was 3.3 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 1.1 ppt, for the year to Dec. 31, 2024: below Pennsylvania’s limit of 14 ppt and below EPA’s new limit of 4.0 ppt. In 2026, the latest year on file, its 12 samples averaged 0.71 ppt. Earlier, EPA’s UCMR 5 samples, 2023, didn’t find it in any of 14.

What handles it

PFOS

Comes from the source

Above the health goal

2.6ppt

Highest sample, Aug. 11, 2026; found in 7 of 48

2026 average: 0.41 ppt

The highest sample was 2.6 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 1.2 ppt, for the year to Dec. 31, 2024: 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 12 samples averaged 0.41 ppt. Earlier, EPA’s UCMR 5 samples, 2023, didn’t find it in any of 14.

What handles it

Arsenic

Comes from the source

Above the health goal

2.0ppb

Highest yearly average, 2020 to 2024

2024 average: 0.57 ppb

Averaged by year, the highest was 2.0 ppb, in 2020: below EPA’s legal limit of 10 ppb, but above its health goal of zero. In 2024, the latest year on file, its seven samples averaged 0.57 ppb. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest yearly average of 6.0 ppb, in 2019.

What handles it

  • NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Arsenic (Pentavalent)<=50 ppb Reduction”
  • NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Arsenic (Pentavalent)<=50 ppb Reduction”

Lead

Comes from pipes, often your own

Above the health goal

1.0ppb

90th percentile, 2025

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

Above EPA’s health benchmark1

Lithium

Comes from the source

Above EPA’s health benchmark

22.2ppb

Highest sample, Aug. 22, 2023; found in 7 of 14

The highest sample was 22.2 ppb, about twice EPA’s health reference level of 10 ppb. That is a screening level, not an enforceable limit.

What handles it

No certification claim covers this compound yet.

Below EPA’s limits4

Nitrate

Comes from the source

Below EPA’s limits

7.3ppm

Highest sample; found in 6 of 60

2026 average: 0.21 ppm

The highest sample, in 2020, was 7.3 ppm, below EPA’s legal limit of 10 ppm. In 2026, the latest year on file, its 12 samples averaged 0.21 ppm. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest sample of 0.77 ppm, in 2017.

What handles it

  • NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Nitrate/Nitrite Reduction”
  • NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Nitrate/Nitrite (30 ppm challenge)”

Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)

Forms or is added in treatment

Below EPA’s limits

28.3ppb

Highest yearly average, 2020 to 2026

2026 average: 2.0 ppb

Averaged by year, the highest was 28.3 ppb, in 2022, below EPA’s legal limit of 80 ppb. In 2026, the latest year on file, its two samples averaged 2.0 ppb. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest yearly average of 3.0 ppb, in 2014.

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

Below EPA’s limits

4.0ppb

Highest yearly average, 2020 to 2026

2026 average: 1.0 ppb

Averaged by year, the highest was 4.0 ppb, in 2021, below EPA’s legal limit of 60 ppb. In 2026, the latest year on file, its two samples averaged 1.0 ppb. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest yearly average of 0.32 ppb, in 2015.

What handles it

No certification claim covers this compound yet.

PFBS

Comes from the source

Below EPA’s limits

1.9ppt

Highest sample, Feb. 17, 2026; found in 2 of 20

2026 average: 0.16 ppt

The highest sample was 1.9 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 12 samples averaged 0.16 ppt. Earlier, EPA’s UCMR 5 samples, 2023, didn’t find it in any of 14.

What handles it

Pennsylvania utilities above EPA’s PFAS limits
29 compounds tested and not foundBelow the reporting level in every sample. Not found is not the same as zero.

From routine monitoring

  • Chromium (total)
  • Fluoride
  • Uranium

PFAS, from Pennsylvania’s own monitoring

  • HFPO-DA (GenX)
  • PFHxS
  • PFNA

From EPA’s UCMR 5 sampling

  • 11Cl-PF3OUdS
  • 4:2 FTS
  • 6:2 FTS
  • 8:2 FTS
  • 9Cl-PF3ONS
  • ADONA
  • NEtFOSAA
  • NFDHA
  • NMeFOSAA
  • PFBA
  • PFDA
  • PFDoA
  • PFEESA
  • PFHpA
  • PFHpS
  • PFHxA
  • PFMBA
  • PFMPA
  • PFPeA
  • PFPeS
  • PFTA
  • PFTrDA
  • PFUnA

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: Copper Reduction, PFOA Reduction, PFOS Reduction, Arsenic (Pentavalent)<=50 ppb Reduction, Lead Reduction

    For: Copper, PFOA, PFOS, Arsenic, Lead

    Other certifiers’ wording: Total PFAS Reduction; Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA); Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS); Arsenic (III) (50 ppb influent level)

  • NSF/ANSI 58

    Claims: Copper Reduction, Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA), Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS), Arsenic (Pentavalent)<=50 ppb Reduction, Lead Reduction

    For: Copper, PFOA, PFOS, Arsenic, Lead

    Other certifiers’ wording: Arsenic (Pentavalent)<=300 ppb Reduction; Arsenic (V) (300 ppb influent level)

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

Compare five-year costs

The best water filters for PFAS, ranked

The best reverse osmosis systems, ranked

The best water filters for lead, ranked

Disinfectant

Pawc Penn Estates reported disinfecting with chlorine, not chloramine, at all 7 of its sampling points, in its 2023 sampling for EPA.

Chlorine leaves water that sits out for a few days, CDC says. A filter certified for it carries a chlorine claim under NSF/ANSI 42; a shower filter, a free chlorine claim under NSF/ANSI 177. This is what the utility reported for that sampling. Its annual water quality report says what it uses now.

Chlorine vs. chloramineShower filters, by what their listings cover

Violations since 2016

Contaminant or ruleTypePeriodMeasuredStatus
Groundwater RuleRequired treatment for surface water or groundwater was not met.EPA: Treatment Technique (SWTR and GWR)May 1, 2022 to May 31, 2022—Resolved
Groundwater RuleRequired treatment for surface water or groundwater was not met.EPA: Treatment Technique (SWTR and GWR)June 1, 2019 to June 30, 2019—Resolved
Groundwater RuleRequired treatment for surface water or groundwater was not met.EPA: Treatment Technique (SWTR and GWR)March 1, 2019 to March 31, 2019—Resolved
Groundwater RuleRequired treatment for surface water or groundwater was not met.EPA: Treatment Technique (SWTR and GWR)June 1, 2017 to June 30, 2017—Resolved
Health-based violations only. Resolved and archived mean the utility returned to compliance or the state closed the record. 57 monitoring or reporting violations not shown.

What this report can’t tell you

  • Everything else. Arsenic, nitrate, total trihalomethanes (TTHM), haloacetic acids (HAA5), chromium (total), fluoride and uranium results here are Pennsylvania’s own from 2020 on, with EPA’s national file for 2012 to 2019. Pawc Penn Estates’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 samples are from Feb. 6, 2023 to Oct. 25, 2023; Pennsylvania’s results run from Feb. 20, 2020 to Sept. 14, 2026; Pennsylvania’s PFAS results run from Jan. 16, 2024 to Sept. 14, 2026.

Testing your own tap

Pawc Penn Estates’s results are for the water it sends out. What your own service line, solder and fixtures add shows up only in a test of your tap, by a lab Pennsylvania certifies.

The 3 labs Pennsylvania certifies closest to the area Pawc Penn Estates 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 16 miles

    (215) 355-3900

  • ABE Laboratories LLC

    Bath, PA · about 23 miles

    Certified for bacteria, nitrate, minerals and other inorganics

    (610) 837-7721

  • Microbac Laboratories, Inc. - Pittston

    Pittston, PA · about 34 miles

    Certified for bacteria, nitrate, lead and copper, metals, minerals and other inorganics, organic chemicals, disinfection byproducts

    (570) 348-0775

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 Pennsylvania

Sources

PWSID PA2450065. Rebuilt from EPA data on Oct. 18, 2026.

Towns it serves

Also in Monroe County

All Pennsylvania utilities

What to do next