Upper Southampton Mun Auth water quality report, rewritten
- Serves
- 16,000
- Connections
- 5,201
- Water source
- Surface water bought from another system
- Based in
- Southampton, PA
- County
- Bucks
- Owner
- Local government
The ZIP code it serves
PWSID PA1090063 · EPA data
Read this first
- PFOS (above the health goal) was found in four of 8 samples, highest 16.4 ppt. Above the 4.0 ppt legal limit in at least one sample. Compliance is judged on a running annual average, not one sample.
- PFOA (above the health goal) was found in four of 8 samples, highest 14.2 ppt. Above the 4.0 ppt legal limit in at least one sample. Compliance is judged on a running annual average, not one sample.
3 health-based violations since 2016. Details are below.
What handles itWhat was found
Highlighted: above the health goal, or EPA’s health benchmark where there is no goal. Circled: above the legal limit in at least one sample, or the action level. Every scale puts that line at its middle.
PFAS and lithium: EPA UCMR 5, samples taken from Jan. 23, 2023 to Oct. 8, 2024. Each blue tick on a scale is one sample where it was found.
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.
PFOS (above the health goal)
Comes from the source
16.4 (above the legal limit in at least one sample)ppt
Highest of 8 samples; found in four
Above the 4.0 ppt legal limit in at least one sample. Compliance is judged on a running annual average, not one sample.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 53Look for: PFOS Reduction
- NSF/ANSI 58Look for: Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS)
PFOA (above the health goal)
Comes from the source
14.2 (above the legal limit in at least one sample)ppt
Highest of 8 samples; found in four
Above the 4.0 ppt legal limit in at least one sample. Compliance is judged on a running annual average, not one sample.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 53Look for: PFOA Reduction
- NSF/ANSI 58Look for: Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA)
PFHxS
Comes from the source
5.0ppt
Highest of 8 samples; found in four
Detected, below the legal limit and the health goal.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 53Look for: Total PFAS Reduction
PFBS
Comes from the source
7.5ppt
Highest of 8 samples; found in four
Below EPA’s hazard index benchmark of 2,000 ppt. PFBS has no legal limit or health goal of its own.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 53Look for: Total PFAS Reduction
Also found, with no federal limit
EPA measured these PFAS to learn how often they occur. None has a legal limit or a health goal yet.
| Compound | Highest sample | Found in | Certification claim |
|---|---|---|---|
| PFBA | 19.3 ppt | 4 of 8 | None covers it |
| PFPeA | 8.3 ppt | 4 of 8 | None covers it |
| PFHxA | 7.6 ppt | 4 of 8 | None covers it |
| PFHpA | 5.1 ppt | 4 of 8 | NSF/ANSI 53: Total PFAS Reduction |
Tested and not found
Below EPA’s minimum reporting level in every sample taken from Jan. 23, 2023 to Oct. 8, 2024. Not found means not measured above that level, which is not the same as zero.
All 23 compounds tested and not found
- 11Cl-PF3OUdS
- 4:2 FTS
- 6:2 FTS
- 8:2 FTS
- 9Cl-PF3ONS
- ADONA
- HFPO-DA (GenX)
- Lead
- Lithium
- NEtFOSAA
- NFDHA
- NMeFOSAA
- PFDA
- PFDoA
- PFEESA
- PFHpS
- PFMBA
- PFMPA
- PFNA
- PFPeS
- PFTA
- PFTrDA
- PFUnA
Violations since 2016
| Contaminant or rule | Type | Period | Measured | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Groundwater Rule | Required treatment for surface water or groundwater was not met.EPA: Treatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) | Oct. 1, 2025 to Oct. 31, 2025 | — | Archived |
| Surface Water Treatment Rule | Required treatment for surface water or groundwater was not met.EPA: Treatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) | Sept. 1, 2022 | — | Resolved |
| Revised Total Coliform Rule | Coliform results required a check of the system, and the check or its fixes were not done on time.EPA: Treatment Technique, Level 1 Assessment (RTCR) | Nov. 12, 2019 | — | Resolved |
| Health-based violations only. Resolved and archived mean the utility returned to compliance or the state closed the record. 43 monitoring or reporting violations not shown. | ||||
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, PFOA Reduction
Other certifiers’ wording: Total PFAS Reduction; Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS); Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA)
For: PFOS, PFOA
- NSF/ANSI 58
Claims: Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS), Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA)
For: PFOS, PFOA
At the tap, or for the whole house?
These come with the water itself, so a whole-house system certified for the same claims treats every tap and shower. A filter at the tap treats drinking water for much less. How whole-house systems compare.
Filters with those claims on a certifier’s listing
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: PFOS, PFOA
Aquasana Claryum Direct Connect (AQ-MF-1)
Under-sink carbon
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
Certified for: PFOS, PFOA
Under-sink reverse osmosis
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 58checked Oct. 4, 2026
Certified for: PFOS, PFOA
Countertop reverse osmosis
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 58NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
Certified for: PFOS, PFOA
What this report cannot tell you
- Levels of everything else. Federal bulk data carries results for PFAS, lithium, lead and copper, and violations for the rest. Nitrate, arsenic, disinfection byproducts and other levels are in Upper Southampton Mun Auth’s own annual report, which it must send you every year.
- 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.
- Anything after the latest data. SDWIS data is from 2026 Q2; UCMR 5 samples are from Jan. 23, 2023 to Oct. 8, 2024.
Other Pennsylvania utilities
- Philadelphia Water Department1.6 million
- Aqua PA Main System822,600
- PA Amer Water Co - Pittsburgh686,000
- Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Auth520,000
- Erie City Water Authority220,001
- York Water Co206,762
- West View Water Authority200,000
- Mawc Sweeney Plant143,000
- Chester Water Authority140,437
- PA Amer Water Co Lake Scranton137,142
- Mawc Yough Plant133,000
- Wilkinsburg - Penn Jt Water Auth125,000
Sources
- EPA UCMR 5 occurrence data, file of Aug. 27, 2026
- EPA SDWA bulk download (SDWIS federal data), 2026 Q2
- Limits and goals: each contaminant’s page, with its EPA source.
- How this page is built: methodology.
What to do next
Read up on the 2 marked results
What each one does to health, where it comes from, and the certification claim that addresses it.
Start with PFOSGet the utility’s own report
Upper Southampton Mun Auth must send you a water quality report every year. It lists nitrate, arsenic and byproduct levels this page cannot.
How to read itTest your own tap for lead
Your service line, solder and fixtures decide the lead at your faucet, not the utility’s average.
Lead in your water: what to doCompare certified filters
What the filters certified for these results cost over five years, cartridges included.
Compare five-year costs