Redbank Valley Mun Auth
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
- 981
- Water source
- Surface water
- Based in
- New Bethlehem, PA
- County
- Clarion
- Owner
- Local government
The ZIP code it serves
The short answer
3 results are above the health goal. The worst: PFOA, above the health goal. 3 health-based violations since 2016.
What handles itWhat was found
PFAS: Pennsylvania’s own results under its PFAS rule, entry point samples taken from Jan. 24, 2024 to Jan. 7, 2026.
Lead and copper: EPA SDWIS monitoring periods ending 1993 to 1996.
Total trihalomethanes (TTHM), haloacetic acids (HAA5), nitrate, fluoride, arsenic, chromium (total) and uranium: Pennsylvania’s own results, samples taken from March 13, 2020 to Sept. 16, 2026, with EPA’s 2012 to 2019 file for earlier years.
PFAS: PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, PFHxS and PFBS 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 goal2.0 ppt highest, found in 2 of 8 samples. Details |
| PFOS | 4.0 ppt | Above the health goal1.3 ppt highest, found in 1 of 8 samples. Details |
| PFHxS | 10 ppt | Below EPA’s limits0.4 ppt highest, found in 1 of 5 samples. Details |
| PFNA | 10 ppt | Below EPA’s limits0.56 ppt highest, found in 1 of 5 samples. Details |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) | 10 ppt | Not foundNot found in any of 5 samples |
| PFBS | Index only | Below EPA’s limits0.61 ppt highest, found in 1 of 5 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. 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 goal3
PFOA
Comes from the source
2.0ppt
Highest sample, Oct. 2, 2024; found in 2 of 8
2026: not found
The highest sample was 2.0 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 0.9 ppt, for the year to March 31, 2025: below Pennsylvania’s limit of 14 ppt and below EPA’s new limit of 4.0 ppt. In 2026, the latest year on file, it wasn’t found in its one sample.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “PFOA Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA)”
PFOS
Comes from the source
1.3ppt
Highest sample, Feb. 5, 2025; found in 1 of 8
2026: not found
The highest sample was 1.3 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 0.32 ppt, for the year to March 31, 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 its one sample.
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
2.6ppb
90th percentile, 1996
In the latest period, 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below 2.6 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 limits7
Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)
Forms or is added in treatment
57ppb
Highest yearly average, 2020 to 2026
2026 average: 32.6 ppb
Averaged by year, the highest was 57 ppb, in 2024, below EPA’s legal limit of 80 ppb. Its highest single sample was 88 ppb. In 2026, the latest year on file, its two samples averaged 32.6 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 67 ppb, in 2014, and EPA recorded violations in 2012 and 2015.
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
34ppb
Highest yearly average, 2020 to 2026
2026 average: 24.7 ppb
Averaged by year, the highest was 34 ppb, in 2023, below EPA’s legal limit of 60 ppb. Its highest single sample was 72.9 ppb. In 2026, the latest year on file, its three samples averaged 24.7 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 39.3 ppb, in 2019.
What handles it
No certification claim covers this compound yet.
PFNA
Comes from the source
0.56ppt
Highest sample, Feb. 5, 2025; found in 1 of 5
2026: not found
The highest sample was 0.56 ppt, below EPA’s new limit of 10 ppt, which takes effect in 2029. Averaged over four quarters at one entry point, the way EPA’s limit is judged, the highest was 0.14 ppt, for the year to Sept. 30, 2025: below EPA’s new limit of 10 ppt. In 2026, the latest year on file, it wasn’t found in its one sample.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Total PFAS Reduction”
Nitrate
Comes from the source
0.52ppm
Highest sample; found in 7 of 7
2026, one sample: 0.43 ppm
The highest sample, in 2021, was 0.52 ppm, below EPA’s legal limit of 10 ppm. In 2026, the latest year on file, its one sample was 0.43 ppm. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest sample of 0.74 ppm, in 2019.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Nitrate/Nitrite Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Nitrate/Nitrite (30 ppm challenge)”
PFHxS
Comes from the source
0.4ppt
Highest sample, Feb. 5, 2025; found in 1 of 5
2026: not found
The highest sample was 0.4 ppt, below EPA’s new limit of 10 ppt, which takes effect in 2029. Averaged over four quarters at one entry point, the way EPA’s limit is judged, the highest was 0.1 ppt, for the year to Sept. 30, 2025: below EPA’s new limit of 10 ppt. In 2026, the latest year on file, it wasn’t found in its one sample.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Total PFAS Reduction”
Fluoride
Forms or is added in treatment
0.11ppm
Highest yearly average, 2020 to 2026
2026, one sample: 0.09 ppm
Averaged by year, the highest was 0.11 ppm, in 2024, below EPA’s legal limit of 4.0 ppm. In 2026, the latest year on file, its one sample was 0.09 ppm.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Fluoride Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Fluoride”
PFBS
Comes from the source
0.61ppt
Highest sample, Feb. 5, 2025; found in 1 of 5
2026: not found
The highest sample was 0.61 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, it wasn’t found in its one sample.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Total PFAS Reduction”
4 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)
- Uranium
PFAS, from Pennsylvania’s own monitoring
- HFPO-DA (GenX)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total organic carbon | Not enough organic matter was removed. It reacts with disinfectant to form byproducts.EPA: Treatment Technique Precursor Removal | Jan. 1, 2020 to March 31, 2020 | — | Resolved |
| Total organic carbon | Not enough organic matter was removed. It reacts with disinfectant to form byproducts.EPA: Treatment Technique Precursor Removal | Oct. 1, 2019 to Dec. 31, 2019 | — | Resolved |
| Total organic carbon | Not enough organic matter was removed. It reacts with disinfectant to form byproducts.EPA: Treatment Technique Precursor Removal | Jan. 1, 2016 to March 31, 2016 | — | Resolved |
| Health-based violations only. Resolved and archived mean the utility returned to compliance or the state closed the record. 18 monitoring or reporting violations not shown. | ||||
What this report can’t tell you
Everything else. Total trihalomethanes (TTHM), haloacetic acids (HAA5), nitrate, fluoride, arsenic, chromium (total) and uranium results here are Pennsylvania’s own from 2020 on, with EPA’s national file for 2012 to 2019. Redbank Valley Mun Auth’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 March 13, 2020 to Sept. 16, 2026; Pennsylvania’s PFAS results run from Jan. 24, 2024 to Jan. 7, 2026.
Testing your own tap
The 3 labs Pennsylvania certifies closest to the area Redbank Valley Mun Auth serves, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
G & C Coal Analysis Lab Inc
Summerville, PA · about 11 miles
Eurofins Drinking Water and Wastewater Northeast
Kittaning, PA · about 15 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, metals, minerals and other inorganics
Pace Analytical Services, LLC-Indiana
Indiana, PA · about 29 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 PA6160010. 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 reportRedbank Valley Mun Auth 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