Is Bowmanstown, PA tap water safe?
The short answer
2 of the 2 utilities serving Bowmanstown have a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and Pennsylvania’s records: Bowmanstown Authority and Palmerton Municipal Authority.
Bowmanstown Authority, which serves the most people here, has 1 result above the action level. The worst: Lead at 18.6 ppb, above the action level.
The water from Bowmanstown Authority is soft, typically 31 mg/L (1.8 grains per gallon). How Pennsylvania’s water compares.
A town can be served by more than one utility, and some homes are on private wells. The name on your water bill tells you which is yours, and your ZIP code narrows it down. They are listed by how many people each serves in Bowmanstown’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
Bowmanstown Authority
Pennsylvania · serves 900 people · about 490 in Bowmanstown
1 result above the action level. The worst: Lead at 18.6 ppb, above the action level. Hardness: soft, typically 31 mg/L (1.8 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Palmerton Municipal Authority
Pennsylvania · serves 7,000 people · under 100 in Bowmanstown
2 results above the legal limit and 1 result above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029. The worst: PFOS at 49.3 ppt, above Pennsylvania’s limit.
1 health-based violation since 2016
What handles it
Each of these is certified, on a certifier’s listing, for a result above a line in Bowmanstown Authority’s water, which serves the most people here. Another utility’s report names what handles its own results.
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Brita Tahoe Pitcher with Elite Filter (OB60, OB06)
Pitcher
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 13, 2026
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 53checked Oct. 13, 2026
Certified for: Lead
Brita Everyday Pitcher with Elite Filter (OB46, OB06)
Pitcher
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 13, 2026
Certified for: Lead
PUR PLUS 11-Cup Pitcher (PPT111W)
Pitcher
- NSF listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
Certified for: Lead
Water testing near Bowmanstown
The 3 labs Pennsylvania certifies closest to Bowmanstown, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
ABE Laboratories LLC
Bath, PA · about 11 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, minerals and other inorganics
Eurofins Philadelphia - Wind Gap
Wind Gap, PA · about 15 miles
HawkMtn Labs Inc
Hazle Township, PA · about 25 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, lead and copper, metals, minerals and other inorganics, organic chemicals, disinfection byproducts, radioactivity
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 PennsylvaniaWhich ZIP codes are in Bowmanstown: Census 2020 relationship files. Which utilities serve them, and how many people: EPA SDWIS and EPA’s service area map. Each utility’s results: EPA UCMR 5, EPA SDWIS, and EPA’s and the state’s compliance monitoring, as its report lists them. How they are measured: methodology. Certified labs: Pennsylvania DEP Laboratory Accreditation Program, accredited labs for drinking water; distances from the Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation area gazetteer.
Near Bowmanstown
Other towns in Carbon County with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read Bowmanstown Authority’s full reportEvery result with its dates, the violations, and the certification claim that handles each finding.Open the report
- Filters for LeadRanked by certification and what they cost over five years.The best water filters for lead, ranked
- On a private well?No utility tests a well. A certified lab test is the first step.How to test well water