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Western Virginia Water AuthorityWater quality report

Standards for what was found here

5358
Serves
182,700
Connections
67,598
Water source
Surface water
Based in
Roanoke City, VA
Owner
Local government
The 22 ZIP codes it serves

24002, 24010, 24011, 24012, 24013, 24014, 24015, 24016, 24017, 24018, 24019, 24022, 24037, 24042, 24065, 24077, 24083, 24101, 24153, 24157, 24175, 24179

PWSID VA2770900 · EPA data

Read this first

  • PFOA was found in one of 38 samples, highest 8.9 ppt. Above the 4.0 ppt legal limit in at least one sample. Compliance is judged on a running annual average, not one sample.
  • PFOS was found in six of 38 samples, highest 6.3 ppt. Above the 4.0 ppt legal limit in at least one sample. Compliance is judged on a running annual average, not one sample.
  • Lithium was found in 22 of 38 samples, highest 22.8 ppb. Above EPA’s health reference level of 10 ppb, a screening level rather than an enforceable limit.

3 health-based violations since 2016. Details are below.

What handles it

What was found, stop by stop

  • Below the health goal
  • Above the health goal
  • Above the legal limit
  • No federal data

  1. At the source

    EPA UCMR 5 sampled this utility for 29 PFAS and lithium from Sept. 11, 2023 to June 11, 2024. Each tick under a result’s line is one sample where it was found, dated when you point at it.

    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.

  2. PFOA

    Above the legal limit

    8.9ppt

    Highest of 38 samples; found in one

    Above the 4.0 ppt legal limit in at least one sample. Compliance is judged on a running annual average, not one sample.

    • NSF/ANSI 53 · Look for: PFOA ReductionSame claim, other certifiers’ wording: Total PFAS Reduction; Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA)

    • NSF/ANSI 58 · Look for: Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA)

  3. PFOS

    Above the legal limit

    6.3ppt

    Highest of 38 samples; found in six

    Above the 4.0 ppt legal limit in at least one sample. Compliance is judged on a running annual average, not one sample.

    • NSF/ANSI 53 · Look for: PFOS ReductionSame claim, other certifiers’ wording: Total PFAS Reduction; Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS)

    • NSF/ANSI 58 · Look for: Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS)

  4. Lithium

    Above EPA’s health benchmark

    22.8ppb

    Highest of 38 samples; found in 22

    Above EPA’s health reference level of 10 ppb, a screening level rather than an enforceable limit.

    What handles it: No certification claim covers this compound yet.

  5. HFPO-DA (GenX)

    Below the health goal

    6.0ppt

    Highest of 38 samples; found in one

    Detected, below the legal limit and the health goal.

    What handles it: No certification claim covers this compound yet.

  6. 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.

    CompoundHighest sampleFound inCertification claim
    PFPeA6.2 ppt1 of 38None covers it
    PFHxA4.3 ppt1 of 38None covers it

  7. In treatment

    No federal results for this stop. Disinfection byproduct, chlorine and fluoride levels are in Western Virginia Water Authority’s own annual report, which it must send you every year.

  8. In the pipes

    No lead and copper results on file with EPA for this utility.

  9. At your tap

    The last stretch is your own plumbing. A certified lab test is the only way to know what reaches your glass. Lead in your water: what to do

Tested and not found

Below EPA’s minimum reporting level in every sample taken from Sept. 11, 2023 to June 11, 2024. Not found means not measured above that level, which is not the same as zero.

All 25 compounds tested and not found
  • 11Cl-PF3OUdS
  • 4:2 FTS
  • 6:2 FTS
  • 8:2 FTS
  • 9Cl-PF3ONS
  • ADONA
  • Lead
  • NEtFOSAA
  • NFDHA
  • NMeFOSAA
  • PFBA
  • PFBS
  • PFDA
  • PFDoA
  • PFEESA
  • PFHpA
  • PFHpS
  • PFHxS
  • PFMBA
  • PFMPA
  • PFNA
  • PFPeS
  • PFTA
  • PFTrDA
  • PFUnA

Violations since 2016

Contaminant or ruleTypePeriodMeasuredStatus
TTHMThe running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, AverageJan. 1, 2020 to March 31, 20200.081 MG/LResolved
TTHMThe running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, AverageJuly 1, 2019 to Sept. 30, 201991 UG/LResolved
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, AverageJuly 1, 2017 to Sept. 30, 201762 UG/LResolved
Health-based violations only. Resolved and archived mean the utility returned to compliance or the state closed the record.

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: PFOA Reduction, PFOS Reduction

    For: PFOA, PFOS

  • NSF/ANSI 58

    Claims: Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA), Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS)

    For: PFOA, PFOS

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.

Compare five-year costs

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

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 Western Virginia Water Authority’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 Sept. 11, 2023 to June 11, 2024.

Other Virginia utilities

All Virginia utilities

Sources

What to do next

  1. Start with PFOA

    What each marked result does to health, where it comes from, and the certification claim that addresses it.

  2. Read the utility’s own report

    Western Virginia Water Authority must send you a water quality report every year. It lists nitrate, arsenic and byproduct levels this page cannot.

  3. Test your own tap for lead

    Your service line, solder and fixtures decide the lead at your faucet, not the utility’s average.

  4. Compare five-year costs

    What the filters certified for these results cost over five years, cartridges included.