Is Salix, PA tap water safe?
The short answer
1 of the 2 utilities serving Salix has a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and Pennsylvania’s records: Highland S & W Auth Beaverdam.
Highland S & W Auth Beaverdam, which serves the most people here, has 1 result above the legal limit. The worst: Total trihalomethanes (TTHM) at 40.7 ppb, above the legal limit.
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 Salix’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
Highland S & W Auth Beaverdam
Pennsylvania · serves 22,617 people · about 170 in Salix
1 result above the legal limit. The worst: Total trihalomethanes (TTHM) at 40.7 ppb, above the legal limit.
3 health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Windber Area Auth
Pennsylvania · serves 9,463 people · under 100 in Salix
1 result above EPA’s health benchmark. The worst: Lithium at 19.7 ppb, above EPA’s health benchmark.
No health-based violations since 2016
What handles it
Each of these is certified, on a certifier’s listing, for a result above a line in Highland S & W Auth Beaverdam’s water, which serves the most people here. Another utility’s report names what handles its own results.
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
Aquasana Clean Water Machine (AQ-CWM2)
Countertop
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 9, 2026
Certified for: Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)
Brita Hub Countertop Water Filter System (87340)
Countertop
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 9, 2026
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 53checked Oct. 9, 2026
Certified for: Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)
Ninja HydraSense Countertop Water Filtration System (WF1001)
Countertop
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 9, 2026
Certified for: Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)
Water testing near Salix
The 3 labs Pennsylvania certifies closest to Salix, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Chemstream Lab Services
Homer City, PA · about 24 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, lead and copper, metals, minerals and other inorganics, radioactivity
Pace Analytical Services, LLC - Altoona, PA
Altoona, PA · about 25 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, lead and copper, metals, minerals and other inorganics, organic chemicals, disinfection byproducts, radioactivity
Cardan Laboratories Inc
Northern Cambria, PA · about 26 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 PennsylvaniaWhich ZIP codes are in Salix: 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 Salix
Other towns in Cambria County with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read Highland S & W Auth Beaverdam’s full reportEvery result with its dates, the violations, and the certification claim that handles each finding.Open the report
- About Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)What it does to health, where it comes from, and the certification claim that addresses it.About Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)
- On a private well?No utility tests a well. A certified lab test is the first step.How to test well water