Oneida Water and Sewer Commission
What EPA’s and CDC’s records show in this utility’s water: PFAS and lithium; nitrate, arsenic and other regulated chemicals; lead and copper; and violations since 2016, with the certification that handles each result.
- Serves
- 11,600 people
- Connections
- 4,936
- Water source
- Surface water
- Based in
- Oneida, TN
- County
- Scott
- Owner
- Local government
The short answer
1 result is above the health goal. The worst: Lead, above the health goal. 10 health-based violations since 2016.
What handles itWhat was found
PFAS and lithium: EPA UCMR 5, samples taken from July 23, 2024 to April 14, 2025.
Lead and copper: EPA SDWIS monitoring periods ending 2004 to 2025.
Haloacetic acids (HAA5), total trihalomethanes (TTHM) and nitrate: Tennessee’s yearly averages per water system, as CDC’s Environmental Public Health Tracking Network publishes them, 2020 to 2022, with EPA’s 2012 to 2019 file for earlier years.
PFAS: None of the six PFAS in EPA’s 2024 drinking water rule was found in this utility’s samples. None of the other 23 PFAS tested for was found either.
EPA’s 2024 PFAS rule, compound by compound
| PFAS | EPA’s limit | Result |
|---|---|---|
| PFOA | 4.0 ppt | Not foundNot found in any of 4 samples, below 4 ppt |
| PFOS | 4.0 ppt | Not foundNot found in any of 4 samples, below 4 ppt |
| PFHxS | 10 ppt | Not foundNot found in any of 4 samples, below 3 ppt |
| PFNA | 10 ppt | Not foundNot found in any of 4 samples, below 4 ppt |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) | 10 ppt | Not foundNot found in any of 4 samples, below 5 ppt |
| PFBS | Index only | Not foundNot found in any of 4 samples, below 3 ppt |
| Hazard IndexPFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA and PFBS together | 1 | Doesn’t applyDoesn’t apply: no sampling location found two or more of the four |
| Results from EPA’s UCMR 5 sampling. “Below” is the lab’s reporting level: a result under it reads as not found, which is not the same as zero. The limits are EPA’s 2024 rule, with compliance due from 2029; EPA has since proposed changes to some of them, explained on each compound’s page. PFBS has no limit of its own and counts only toward the Hazard Index, which adds up the four, each against EPA’s health-based level, from each sampling location’s average, as EPA’s UCMR 5 summary does. It counts only where two or more of the four were found, and is above the limit from 1.5. | ||
Above the health goal1
Lead
Comes from pipes, often your own
1.0ppb
90th percentile, 2023 to 2025
In the latest period, 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below 1.0 ppb, below EPA’s action level of 15 ppb. The action level drops to 10 ppb on Nov. 1, 2027. EPA’s health goal for lead is zero.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Lead Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Lead Reduction”
Below EPA’s limits3
Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
Forms or is added in treatment
25.7ppb
Highest yearly average, 2020 to 2022
2022 average: 23.8 ppb
Averaged by year, the highest was 25.7 ppb, in 2021, below EPA’s legal limit of 60 ppb. In 2022, the latest year on file, it averaged 23.8 ppb. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest yearly average of 59.6 ppb, in 2014, and EPA recorded violations in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017.
What handles it
No certification claim covers this compound yet.
Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)
Forms or is added in treatment
33.1ppb
Highest yearly average, 2020 to 2022
2022 average: 29.1 ppb
Averaged by year, the highest was 33.1 ppb, in 2021, below EPA’s legal limit of 80 ppb. In 2022, the latest year on file, it averaged 29.1 ppb. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest yearly average of 79.5 ppb, in 2015, and EPA recorded violations in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Trihalomethanes (TTHM) Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Trihalomethanes (TTHM) Reduction”
Nitrate
Comes from the source
0.15ppm
Highest yearly average, 2020 to 2022
2022 average: 0.1 ppm
Averaged by year, the highest was 0.15 ppm, in 2020, below EPA’s legal limit of 10 ppm. In 2022, the latest year on file, it averaged 0.1 ppm. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest sample of 0.24 ppm, in 2017.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Nitrate/Nitrite Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Nitrate/Nitrite (30 ppm challenge)”
30 compounds tested and not foundIncluding all six PFAS in EPA’s 2024 rule. Below the reporting level in every sample. Not found is not the same as zero.
- 11Cl-PF3OUdS
- 4:2 FTS
- 6:2 FTS
- 8:2 FTS
- 9Cl-PF3ONS
- ADONA
- HFPO-DA (GenX)
- Lithium
- NEtFOSAA
- NFDHA
- NMeFOSAA
- PFBA
- PFBS
- PFDA
- PFDoA
- PFEESA
- PFHpA
- PFHpS
- PFHxA
- PFHxS
- PFMBA
- PFMPA
- PFNA
- PFOA
- PFOS
- PFPeA
- PFPeS
- PFTA
- PFTrDA
- PFUnA
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
Claim: Lead Reduction
For: Lead
- NSF/ANSI 58
Claim: Lead Reduction
For: Lead
At the tap, or for the whole house?
Lead and copper usually come from pipes and fixtures inside or near your home. A whole-house system sits where water enters, so it cannot catch what your own plumbing adds after it. For those, the filter that counts is the one at the tap. How whole-house systems compare.
Filters with those claims on a certifier’s listing
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
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
ZeroWater 10 Cup Pitcher (ZP-010)
Pitcher
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53checked Oct. 4, 2026
Certified for: Lead
Culligan 10-Cup Pitcher with ZeroWater Technology (ZEROP10)
Pitcher
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 9, 2026
Certified for: Lead
Disinfectant
Oneida Water and Sewer Commission reported disinfecting with chlorine, not chloramine, at its one sampling point, in its 2024 to 2025 sampling for EPA. It also reported permanganate.
Chlorine leaves water that sits out for a few days, CDC says. A filter certified for it carries a chlorine claim under NSF/ANSI 42; a shower filter, a free chlorine claim under NSF/ANSI 177. This is what the utility reported for that sampling. Its annual water quality report says what it uses now.
Violations since 2016
| Contaminant or rule | Type | Period | Measured | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | July 1, 2017 to Sept. 30, 2017 | 0.061 MG/L | Resolved |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | April 1, 2017 to June 30, 2017 | 0.064 MG/L | Resolved |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Jan. 1, 2017 to March 31, 2017 | 0.065 MG/L | Resolved |
| TTHM | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Jan. 1, 2017 to March 31, 2017 | 0.081 MG/L | Resolved |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Oct. 1, 2016 to Dec. 31, 2016 | 0.061 MG/L | Resolved |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | July 1, 2016 to Sept. 30, 2016 | 0.071 MG/L | Resolved |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | April 1, 2016 to June 30, 2016 | 0.071 MG/L | Resolved |
| TTHM | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | April 1, 2016 to June 30, 2016 | 0.083 MG/L | Resolved |
| TTHM | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Jan. 1, 2016 to March 31, 2016 | 0.085 MG/L | Resolved |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Jan. 1, 2016 to March 31, 2016 | 0.068 MG/L | Resolved |
| Health-based violations only. Resolved and archived mean the utility returned to compliance or the state closed the record. | ||||
What this report can’t tell you
Everything else. Haloacetic acids (HAA5), total trihalomethanes (TTHM) and nitrate results here are Tennessee’s yearly averages as CDC publishes them, from 2020 on, with EPA’s national file for 2012 to 2019. Oneida Water and Sewer Commission’s own annual report, which it must send you every year, has the contaminants this page does not show.
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.
What it means for your health. This page reports what the records show and EPA’s limits and goals; it is not medical advice. If you are worried about a health effect, talk to a doctor or your local health department.
Anything after the latest data. SDWIS data is from 2026 Q3; UCMR 5 samples are from July 23, 2024 to April 14, 2025; CDC’s yearly averages for Tennessee cover 2020 to 2022.
Testing your own tap
The 3 labs Tennessee certifies closest to the area Oneida Water and Sewer Commission serves, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Assured Bio Labs, LLC
Oak Ridge, TN · about 38 miles
Certified for bacteria
DOE Y-12 CNS National Security Complex
Oak Ridge, TN · about 38 miles
Certified for metals, minerals and other inorganics, disinfection byproducts, radioactivity
Eberline Analytical Oak Ridge
Oak Ridge, TN · about 38 miles
Certified for radioactivity
Tennessee Department of Health: Water quality testing for eligible private wells and springs, through the program formerly called SafeWATCH. Contact the department's Waterborne Disease Team to ask about eligibility. Free for eligible wells and springs. Waterborne Diseases, Tennessee Department of Health.
All 37 certified labs for TennesseeSources
- EPA UCMR 5 occurrence data, file of Oct. 15, 2026
- EPA SDWA bulk download (SDWIS federal data), 2026 Q3
- CDC Environmental Public Health Tracking Network, yearly averages Tennessee supplied to CDC, 2020 to 2022, read Oct. 8, 2026. TapBuff’s comparisons with EPA’s limits are its own, not CDC’s or Tennessee’s.
- EPA Six-Year Review 4 compliance monitoring data, 2012 to 2019, file of Feb. 5, 2024
- Disinfectant: EPA UCMR 5 occurrence data, additional data elements, file of Oct. 15, 2026
- Certified labs: TDEC, commercial laboratories certified for drinking water analysis, read Oct. 10, 2026; distances from the Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation area gazetteer
- Limits and goals: each contaminant’s page, with its EPA source.
- How this page is built: methodology.
PWSID TN0000532. Rebuilt from EPA data on Oct. 18, 2026.
What to do next
- Read up on LeadWhat each one does to health, where it comes from, and the certification claim that addresses it.About Lead
- Get the utility’s own reportOneida Water and Sewer Commission must send you a water quality report every year. It covers contaminants this page does not show.How to read it
- Test your own tap for leadYour service line, solder and fixtures decide the lead at your faucet, not the utility’s average.Lead in your water: what to do
- Compare certified filtersWhat the filters certified for these results cost over five years, cartridges included.Compare five-year costs