Quarryville Boro
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
- 3,150 people
- Connections
- 1,120
- Water source
- Surface water bought from another system
- Based in
- Quarryville, PA
- County
- Lancaster
- Owner
- Local government
The short answer
2 results are above the health goal. The worst: PFOA, above the health goal. 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. 25, 2024 to April 30, 2026.
Lead and copper: EPA SDWIS monitoring periods ending 1993 to 1996.
Nitrate, haloacetic acids (HAA5), total trihalomethanes (TTHM), chromium (total), arsenic, fluoride and uranium: Pennsylvania’s own results, samples taken from Jan. 9, 2020 to July 9, 2026, with EPA’s 2012 to 2019 file for earlier years.
PFAS: PFOA, PFNA and PFHxS 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 the health goal4.0 ppt highest, found in 5 of 5 samples. Details |
| PFOS | 4.0 ppt | Not foundNot found in any of 5 samples |
| PFHxS | 10 ppt | Below EPA’s limits1.8 ppt highest, found in 1 of 1 samples. Details |
| PFNA | 10 ppt | Below EPA’s limits7.7 ppt highest, found in 1 of 1 samples. Details |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) | 10 ppt | Not foundNot found in its one sample |
| PFBS | Index only | Not foundNot found in its one sample |
| 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 health goal2
PFOA
Comes from the source
4.0ppt
Highest sample, Oct. 24, 2024; found in 5 of 5
2026, one sample: 3.3 ppt
The highest sample was 3.95 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 3.2 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 one sample was 3.3 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
5.0ppb
90th percentile, 1996
In the latest period, 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below 5.0 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 limits6
PFNA
Comes from the source
7.7ppt
One sample, April 30, 2026
2026, one sample: 7.7 ppt
The sample was 7.7 ppt, below EPA’s new limit of 10 ppt, which takes effect in 2029. No entry point has four quarters of results in a row to average, the way EPA’s limit is judged. Its only year on file is 2026, when its one sample was 7.7 ppt.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Total PFAS Reduction”
Nitrate
Comes from the source
6.9ppm
Highest sample; found in 26 of 26
2026 average: 5.9 ppm
The highest sample, in 2020, was 6.9 ppm, below EPA’s legal limit of 10 ppm. In 2026, the latest year on file, its three samples averaged 5.9 ppm. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest sample of 7.0 ppm, in 2014.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Nitrate/Nitrite Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Nitrate/Nitrite (30 ppm challenge)”
Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
Forms or is added in treatment
18.4ppb
Highest yearly average, 2020 to 2026
2026 average: 5.6 ppb
Averaged by year, the highest was 18.4 ppb, in 2024, below EPA’s legal limit of 60 ppb. Its highest single sample was 56.9 ppb. In 2026, the latest year on file, its six samples averaged 5.6 ppb. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest yearly average of 13.3 ppb, in 2012.
What handles it
No certification claim covers this compound yet.
Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)
Forms or is added in treatment
20.7ppb
Highest yearly average, 2020 to 2026
2026 average: 15.9 ppb
Averaged by year, the highest was 20.7 ppb, in 2024, below EPA’s legal limit of 80 ppb. Its highest single sample was 81 ppb. In 2026, the latest year on file, its six samples averaged 15.9 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 47.8 ppb, in 2013.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Trihalomethanes (TTHM) Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Trihalomethanes (TTHM) Reduction”
PFHxS
Comes from the source
1.8ppt
One sample, April 30, 2026
2026, one sample: 1.8 ppt
The sample was 1.8 ppt, below EPA’s new limit of 10 ppt, which takes effect in 2029. No entry point has four quarters of results in a row to average, the way EPA’s limit is judged. Its only year on file is 2026, when its one sample was 1.8 ppt.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Total PFAS Reduction”
Chromium (total)
Comes from the source
3.0ppb
Highest yearly average, 2020 to 2024
2024: not found
Averaged by year, the highest was 3.0 ppb, in 2020, below EPA’s legal limit of 100 ppb. In 2024, 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 11 ppb, in 2012.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Chromium (Hexavalent) Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Chromium 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
- Fluoride
- Uranium
PFAS, from Pennsylvania’s own monitoring
- HFPO-DA (GenX)
- PFBS
- PFOS
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
For: PFOA, Lead
Other certifiers’ wording: Total PFAS Reduction; Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA)
- NSF/ANSI 58
Claims: Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA), Lead Reduction
For: PFOA, 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, 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, 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, Lead
Under-sink reverse osmosis
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 58checked Oct. 4, 2026
Certified for: PFOA, Lead
Under-sink reverse osmosis
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 58checked Oct. 9, 2026
Certified for: PFOA, Lead
Violations since 2016
| Contaminant or rule | Type | Period | Measured | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surface Water Treatment Rule | Required treatment for surface water or groundwater was not met.EPA: Treatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) | Aug. 1, 2019 | — | Resolved |
| Health-based violations only. Resolved and archived mean the utility returned to compliance or the state closed the record. 6 monitoring or reporting violations not shown. | ||||
What this report can’t tell you
Everything else. Nitrate, haloacetic acids (HAA5), total trihalomethanes (TTHM), chromium (total), arsenic, fluoride and uranium results here are Pennsylvania’s own from 2020 on, with EPA’s national file for 2012 to 2019. Quarryville Boro’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 Jan. 9, 2020 to July 9, 2026; Pennsylvania’s PFAS results run from Jan. 25, 2024 to April 30, 2026.
Testing your own tap
The 3 labs Pennsylvania certifies closest to the area Quarryville Boro serves, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Waypoint Analytical - PA Inc.
Leola, PA · about 14 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate
Eurofins Lancaster Laboratories Environment Testing, LLC
Lancaster, PA · about 14 miles
Certified for nitrate, lead and copper, metals, minerals and other inorganics, organic chemicals, disinfection byproducts, PFAS
H.O. Thompson Testing Lab
Parkesburg, PA · about 15 miles
Certified for bacteria
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 PA7360112. Rebuilt from EPA data on Oct. 18, 2026.
What to do next
- Read up on the 2 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 reportQuarryville Boro 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