Is Ponce, PR tap water safe?
The short answer
3 of the 8 utilities serving Ponce have a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s records: Ponce Urbano, Orocovis Urbano and Cotto Laurel.
Ponce Urbano, which serves the most people here, has 3 results above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029, 1 result above the health goal and 1 result above EPA’s health benchmark. The worst: PFOS at 25.6 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029.
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.
- Open report
Ponce Urbano
Puerto Rico · serves 113,972 people · lists Ponce among the places it serves
3 results above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029, 1 result above the health goal and 1 result above EPA’s health benchmark. The worst: PFOS at 25.6 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029.
40 health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Santa Isabel Urbano
Puerto Rico · serves 39,925 people · lists Ponce among the places it serves
1 result above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029 and 1 result above the health goal. The worst: PFOS at 10.3 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Orocovis Urbano
Puerto Rico · serves 16,992 people · lists Ponce among the places it serves
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 6.0 ppb, above the health goal.
20 health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Cotto Laurel
Puerto Rico · serves 12,979 people · lists Ponce among the places it serves
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 6.0 ppb, above the health goal.
37 health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Guayanilla Urbano
Puerto Rico · serves 7,302 people · lists Ponce among the places it serves
1 result above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029 and 1 result above the health goal. The worst: PFOS at 5.5 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Ensenada
Puerto Rico · serves 6,130 people · lists Ponce among the places it serves
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 6.0 ppb, above the health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Cerrillos
Puerto Rico · serves 5,658 people · lists Ponce among the places it serves
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 6.0 ppb, above the health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Adjuntas Urbano
Puerto Rico · serves 2,870 people · lists Ponce among the places it serves
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 6.0 ppb, above the health goal.
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 Ponce Urbano’s water, which serves the most people here. Another utility’s report names what handles its own results.
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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: PFOS, PFHxS, PFOA, Lead
Culligan 10-Cup Pitcher with ZeroWater Technology (ZEROP10)
Pitcher
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 9, 2026
Certified for: PFOS, PFHxS, PFOA, Lead
Culligan MaxClear Scout Gravity Water Filter (MCS701P)
Dispenser
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 9, 2026
Certified for: PFOS, PFHxS, PFOA, Lead
Water testing near Ponce
The 3 labs Puerto Rico certifies closest to Ponce, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
ALCHEM Laboratories
Ponce, PR · about 4 miles
Certified for bacteria
Laboratorio Clínico Analítico, Inc.
Ponce, PR · about 7 miles
Certified for bacteria
Beckton Environmental Laboratories, Inc.
Ponce, PR · about 7 miles
Certified for bacteria
(787) 841-7373Website: Beckton Environmental Laboratories, Inc.
Which ZIP codes are in Ponce: 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: Departamento de Salud, laboratorios y parámetros certificados (agua potable); distances from the Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation area gazetteer.
Near Ponce
Towns nearby with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read Ponce Urbano’s full reportEvery result with its dates, the violations, and the certification claim that handles each finding.Open the report
- Filters for PFOSRanked by certification and what they cost over five years.The best water filters for PFAS, ranked
- On a private well?No utility tests a well. A certified lab test is the first step.How to test well water