Is Zion, PA tap water safe?
The short answer
3 of the 5 utilities serving Zion have a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and Pennsylvania’s records: Bellefonte Borough Water Auth, Walker Twp Water Assn and Milesburg Borough Water Auth.
Bellefonte Borough Water Auth, which serves the most people here, has 1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 4.6 ppb, above the health goal. Health goals are stricter than legal limits and are not enforced.
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 Zion’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
Bellefonte Borough Water Auth
Pennsylvania · serves 9,500 people · about 240 in Zion
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 4.6 ppb, above the health goal.
1 health-based violation since 2016
- Open report
Walker Twp Water Assn
Pennsylvania · serves 3,250 people · under 100 in Zion
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 10 ppb, above the health goal.
1 health-based violation since 2016
- Open report
Spring Twp Water Authority
Pennsylvania · serves 3,300 people · under 100 in Zion
3 results above the health goal. The worst: PFOS at 2.5 ppt, above the health goal. Hardness: hard, typically 167 mg/L (9.8 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
State Corr Inst Benner Twp
Pennsylvania · serves 2,850 people · under 100 in Zion
2 results above the health goal. The worst: PFOS at 3.5 ppt, above the health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Milesburg Borough Water Auth
Pennsylvania · serves 2,750 people · under 100 in Zion
2 results above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 12 ppb, above the health goal.
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 Bellefonte Borough Water Auth’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 Zion
The 3 labs Pennsylvania certifies closest to Zion, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Agricultural Analytical Services Laboratory
University Park, PA · about 10 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, lead and copper, metals, minerals and other inorganics
SPL - State College
State College, PA · about 12 miles
Certified for bacteria
TGAI Laboratories LLC
State College, PA · about 12 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 PennsylvaniaZIP codes in Zion
Which ZIP codes are in Zion: 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 Zion
Other towns in Centre County with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read Bellefonte Borough Water Auth’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