Richlandtown Water Department
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
- 1,450 people
- Connections
- 462
- Water source
- Groundwater
- Based in
- Richlandtown, PA
- County
- Bucks
- Owner
- Local government
The ZIP code it serves
The short answer
5 results are above the health goal. The worst: PFOS, above the health goal. No health-based violations on file since 2016.
What handles itWhat was found
PFAS: Pennsylvania’s own results under its PFAS rule, entry point samples taken from Feb. 5, 2024 to March 16, 2026.
Lead and copper: EPA SDWIS monitoring periods ending 1995 to 1996.
Arsenic, uranium, nitrate, total trihalomethanes (TTHM), haloacetic acids (HAA5), chromium (total) and fluoride: Pennsylvania’s own results, samples taken from Feb. 10, 2020 to Sept. 10, 2026, with EPA’s 2012 to 2019 file for earlier years.
PFAS: PFOS and PFOA 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 goal2.5 ppt highest, found in 5 of 14 samples. Details |
| PFOS | 4.0 ppt | Above the health goal3.3 ppt highest, found in 21 of 21 samples. Details |
| PFHxS | 10 ppt | Not foundNot found in any of 5 samples |
| PFNA | 10 ppt | Not foundNot found in any of 5 samples |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) | 10 ppt | Not foundNot found in any of 5 samples |
| PFBS | Index only | Not foundNot found in any of 5 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 the health goal5
PFOS
Comes from the source
3.3ppt
Highest sample, March 2, 2026; found in 21 of 21
2026 average: 2.9 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 2.9 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 three samples averaged 2.9 ppt.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “PFOS Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS)”
Arsenic
Comes from the source
7.0ppb
Highest yearly average, 2020 to 2026
2026 average: 3.2 ppb
Averaged by year, the highest was 7.0 ppb, in 2025: below EPA’s legal limit of 10 ppb, but above its health goal of zero. Its highest single sample was 12 ppb. In 2026, the latest year on file, its six samples averaged 3.2 ppb. EPA recorded no violation for arsenic at this utility since 2020. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest yearly average of 8.4 ppb, in 2014, and EPA recorded a violation in 2014.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Arsenic (Pentavalent)<=50 ppb Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Arsenic (Pentavalent)<=50 ppb Reduction”
PFOA
Comes from the source
2.5ppt
Highest sample, Feb. 5, 2024; found in 5 of 14
2026 average: 1.0 ppt
The highest sample was 2.5 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 2.2 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 two samples averaged 1.0 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
3.0ppb
90th percentile, 1996
In the latest period, 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below 3.0 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”
Uranium
Comes from the source
3.4ppb
Highest yearly average, 2024
Averaged by year, the highest was 3.4 ppb, in 2024: below EPA’s legal limit of 30 ppb, but above its health goal of zero. Its highest single sample was 3.8 ppb. That is the only year on file. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest yearly average of 3.5 ppb, in 2012.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Uranium”
Below EPA’s limits3
Nitrate
Comes from the source
3.1ppm
Highest sample; found in 7 of 13
2026 average: 0.96 ppm
The highest sample, in 2021, was 3.1 ppm, below EPA’s legal limit of 10 ppm. In 2026, the latest year on file, its two samples averaged 0.96 ppm. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest sample of 3.6 ppm, in 2012.
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
14.1ppb
Highest yearly average, 2020 to 2026
2026, one sample: 12.5 ppb
Averaged by year, the highest was 14.1 ppb, in 2020, below EPA’s legal limit of 80 ppb. In 2026, the latest year on file, its one sample was 12.5 ppb. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest yearly average of 29.1 ppb, in 2018.
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
7.8ppb
Highest yearly average, 2020 to 2026
Averaged by year, the highest was 7.8 ppb, in 2026, below EPA’s legal limit of 60 ppb. That was also the latest year on file. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest yearly average of 10.5 ppb, in 2018.
What handles it
No certification claim covers this compound yet.
6 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
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: PFOS Reduction, Arsenic (Pentavalent)<=50 ppb Reduction, PFOA Reduction, Lead Reduction
For: PFOS, Arsenic, PFOA, Lead
Other certifiers’ wording: Total PFAS Reduction; Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS); Arsenic (III) (50 ppb influent level); Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA)
- NSF/ANSI 58
Claims: Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS), Arsenic (Pentavalent)<=50 ppb Reduction, Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA), Lead Reduction, Uranium
For: PFOS, Arsenic, PFOA, Lead, Uranium
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
Countertop reverse osmosis
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 58NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
Certified for: PFOS, Arsenic, PFOA, Lead
Aquasana SmartFlow Reverse Osmosis (AQ-SFRO2)
Under-sink reverse osmosis
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 58NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 9, 2026
Certified for: PFOS, Arsenic, PFOA, Lead
Brondell Capella RC250 Reverse Osmosis System
Under-sink reverse osmosis
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 58NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 9, 2026
Certified for: PFOS, Arsenic, PFOA, Lead
ZeroWater 10 Cup Pitcher (ZP-010)
Pitcher
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53checked Oct. 4, 2026
Certified for: PFOS, 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: PFOS, PFOA, Lead
The best water filters for PFAS, ranked
Violations since 2016
No health-based violations on file with EPA since 2016. There are 32 monitoring or reporting violations: a sample missed, late or not reported.
What this report can’t tell you
Everything else. Arsenic, uranium, nitrate, total trihalomethanes (TTHM), haloacetic acids (HAA5), chromium (total) and fluoride results here are Pennsylvania’s own from 2020 on, with EPA’s national file for 2012 to 2019. Richlandtown Water Department’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. 10, 2020 to Sept. 10, 2026; Pennsylvania’s PFAS results run from Feb. 5, 2024 to March 16, 2026.
Testing your own tap
The 3 labs Pennsylvania certifies closest to the area Richlandtown Water Department serves, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Analytical Laboratories, Inc
Telford, PA · about 11 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate
ABE Laboratories LLC
Bath, PA · about 21 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, minerals and other inorganics
Eurofins Philadelphia - Horsham
Horsham, PA · about 22 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 PA1090057. Rebuilt from EPA data on Oct. 18, 2026.
What to do next
- Read up on the 5 results above a lineWhat each one does to health, where it comes from, and the certification claim that addresses it.Start with PFOS
- Get the utility’s own reportRichlandtown Water Department 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