Water quality by water company
What's in the tap water from 25 water companies across Berks, Lancaster and Chester counties, taken from each one's latest annual drinking water report and EPA records. Pick your water company for the full breakdown and what it means for your home.
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PFAS are shown in parts per trillion (ppt). Pennsylvania's limits are 14 ppt for PFOA and 18 ppt for PFOS; EPA's federal limit is 4 ppt for each. Hardness is in grains per gallon (gpg): above about 7 is hard enough to leave scale. "(EPA)" means the number comes from EPA's UCMR 5 sampling because the company's own report doesn't list it.
Berks County
| Water company | Areas served | Disinfectant | Hardness | PFOA / PFOS (ppt) | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PA American Water – Penn District | Sinking Spring, parts of Cumru & Spring Twps, Wyomissing Hills | Chlorine | 18.6 gpg | 7.9 / 18.4 | 2025 |
| Reading Area Water Authority | Reading, Bern, Kenhorst, Lower Alsace, Ontelaunee, parts of Cumru & Muhlenberg | Chlorine | Not listed | 8.53 / 3.28 | 2025 |
| Western Berks Water Authority (Wyomissing, Shillington, West Reading) | Wyomissing, West Reading, Shillington, Mohnton, Spring Twp, Lower Heidelberg | Chloramine | Not listed | 3.69 / 1.82 | 2025 |
| PA American Water – Glen Alsace | Exeter, Amity, St. Lawrence, Lower Alsace, parts of Earl | Chlorine | 15.9 gpg | 5.8 / 11.1 | 2025 |
| Muhlenberg Township Authority | Muhlenberg Twp, Temple, parts of Laureldale | Chlorine | Not listed | 9.3 / 13 | 2024 |
| Kutztown Borough | Kutztown | Chlorine | Not listed | 2.2 / not listed | 2025 |
| Hamburg Municipal Authority | Hamburg | Chlorine | Not listed | not detected / not detected | 2025 |
Lancaster County
| Water company | Areas served | Disinfectant | Hardness | PFOA / PFOS (ppt) | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Lancaster Water | Lancaster City and nearby townships (Manheim Twp, Lancaster Twp and others) | Chlorine | 10 gpg | 22.3 / 3.55 | 2025 |
| Lititz Borough | Lititz | Latest report not reviewed yet. We test your water free. | |||
| East Hempfield Water Authority | East Hempfield Twp, Landisville, Rohrerstown | Latest report not reviewed yet. We test your water free. | |||
| Ephrata Area Joint Authority | Ephrata and surrounding area | Chlorine | Not listed | 5.8 / 4.6 (EPA) | 2024 |
| Elizabethtown Area Water Authority | Elizabethtown area | Chlorine | Not listed | 4.56 / 4.81 | 2025 |
| Mount Joy Borough Authority | Mount Joy and nearby | Chlorine | Not listed | 2.81 / 2.95 | 2025 |
| Columbia Water Company | Columbia, Mountville, West Hempfield, Manor, Marietta | Chlorine | 5.3 gpg | not listed / 2.35 | 2024 |
| New Holland Borough Authority | New Holland | Chlorine | Not listed | 4.59 / 8.27 | 2024 |
Chester County
| Water company | Areas served | Disinfectant | Hardness | PFOA / PFOS (ppt) | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aqua PA – Main System | Main Line: Malvern, Paoli, Berwyn, Tredyffrin, Easttown and more | Chloramine | Not listed | 13 / 7.9 | 2025 |
| Aqua PA – West Chester | West Chester area | Chlorine | Not listed | 5.9 / not detected | 2025 |
| Aqua PA – Uwchlan | Uwchlan, Exton, Lionville area | Chloramine | Not listed | 10 / 6.2 | 2025 |
| Aqua PA – Spring Run | West Bradford Twp | Chlorine | Not listed | 8.9 / 3.9 | 2025 |
| Chester Water Authority | Southern Chester County (Oxford, Kennett area and more) | Chloramine | 7 gpg | 5.1 / not detected (EPA) | 2025 |
| PA American Water – Coatesville | Coatesville area | Chloramine | 4.2 gpg | not detected / not detected | 2025 |
| PA American Water – Royersford | Spring City, Royersford, parts of East & West Vincent | Chloramine | 9.1 gpg | 15.4 / 10.9 | 2025 |
| Phoenixville Borough | Phoenixville | Chloramine | 8.8 gpg | 4.76 / 3.9 | 2025 |
| Downingtown Municipal Water Authority | Downingtown area | Chlorine | Not listed | 4.2 / not detected (EPA) | 2023 |
| Kennett Square Borough | Kennett Square | Chlorine | Not listed | 2.1 / not listed | 2024 |
On a private well?
No utility tests your well. Here's what to test for and how we do it free.
Berks County water guide
Towns, water companies and well water across Berks.
Lancaster County water guide
Limestone, nitrate and hard water across Lancaster.
Chester County water guide
Chloramine, PFAS and acidic wells across Chester.
Local water quality: common questions
How do I find out who my water company is?
Check your water bill, or enter your address in our free water report and it will match your home to the right water system using EPA service-area maps.
What are the PFAS limits?
Pennsylvania limits PFOA to 14 parts per trillion and PFOS to 18 ppt, measured as a running annual average. EPA's federal limit is 4 ppt for each; EPA has proposed giving water systems until 2031 to meet it.
What's the difference between chlorine and chloramine?
Both disinfect water on its way to your home. Chloramine lasts longer in the pipes and is harder to filter: it takes catalytic carbon and more contact time than chlorine.
Why does it say 'Not listed' for hardness?
Many water reports don't publish hardness. We don't guess at it. Our free in-home test measures it in a few minutes.
I'm on a private well. Where do I look?
Well water isn't covered by any utility report. See our well water testing page and county guides, or get a free water report for your address, which uses nearby USGS well samples.
Compiled by Sam Beiler, co-founder of Willow Springs Water Company, Sinking Spring, PA, from each water company's annual drinking water quality report and U.S. EPA records (ECHO and UCMR 5). Last updated November 2026. Willow Springs is not affiliated with any water company listed.