We read 22 results from Decatur, Municipal Utilities Board of’s 2025 water quality report. No results over a legal limit; 4 above a health goal or guideline.
Serves about 77,103 people · Water system ID AL0001084 · Read the district’s 2025 report (opens in a new tab)
Open this district in the water lookupCompare with your own test results, see the district map and get matched filters.
Results from the 2025 report
Each number is copied from the district’s report and links to the page it’s printed on. Where the report lists several plants, wells or purchased water, the highest is shown.
| Contaminant | Result | Health goal | Legal limit | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross alpha (radioactivity)single sample · listed as a violation in the report · sampled 2021 · Treatment plant · 2025 report, page 2 | 0.11 pCi/L | 0 pCi/L | 15 pCi/L | Above the health goalThe health goal is zero |
| PFOA (a PFAS)highest measured · range 1.44 to 2.94 · Treatment plant · 2025 report, page 2 | 2.94 ppt | 0.007 ppt | 4 ppt from 2029 | Above the health goal420x the health goal |
| PFOS (a PFAS)highest measured · range 1.61 to 3.31 · Treatment plant · 2025 report, page 2 | 3.31 ppt | 1 ppt | 4 ppt from 2029 | Above the health goal3.3x the health goal |
| Radium-228single sample · listed as a violation in the report · sampled 2021 · Treatment plant · 2025 report, page 2 | 0.62 pCi/L | 0.02 pCi/L | 5 pCi/L | Above the health goal33x the health goal |
| Bariumsingle sample · listed as a violation in the report · Treatment plant · 2025 report, page 2 | 0.02 ppm | 2 ppm | 2 ppm | Below the health goal |
| Chloridesingle sample · Treatment plant · 2025 report, page 2 | 14.1 ppm | — | 250 ppm guideline | Within the guideline |
| Chlorinehighest running annual average · range 1.65 to 2.13 · listed as a violation in the report · Distribution system · 2025 report, page 2 | 1.89 ppm | None set | 4 ppm | Below the legal limit |
| Copper90th percentile of homes tested · listed as a violation in the report · sampled 2024 · Customer taps · 2025 report, page 2 | 0.24 ppm | 0.3 ppm | 1.3 ppm (action level) | Below the health goal |
| Disinfection byproducts (HAA5)highest running annual average · range 10.3 to 39.8 · listed as a violation in the report · Distribution system · 2025 report, page 2 | 28.7 ppb | None set | 60 ppb | Below the legal limit |
| Disinfection byproducts (TTHM)highest running annual average · range 10.7 to 47 · listed as a violation in the report · Distribution system · 2025 report, page 2 | 34.5 ppb | None set | 80 ppb | Below the legal limit |
| Fluoridehighest measured · range 0.08 to 0.92 · listed as a violation in the report · Treatment plant · 2025 report, page 2 | 0.92 ppm | 1 ppm | 4 ppm | Below the health goal |
| Lead90th percentile of homes tested · listed as a violation in the report · sampled 2024 · Customer taps · 2025 report, page 2 | Not detected | 0.2 ppb | 15 ppb (action level) | Not detected |
| Nitrate (as N)single sample · listed as a violation in the report · Treatment plant · 2025 report, page 2 | 0.44 ppm | 10 ppm | 10 ppm | Below the health goal |
| PFHxS (a PFAS)highest measured · Treatment plant · 2025 report, page 2 | 0.71 ppt | None set | 10 ppt from 2029 | Below the legal limit |
| Total dissolved solidssingle sample · Treatment plant · 2025 report, page 2 | 91 ppm | — | 500 ppm guideline | Within the guideline |
| Turbidity (cloudiness)highest measured · range 0.03 to 0.14 · listed as a violation in the report · Treatment plant · 2025 report, page 2 | 0.14 NTU | None set | 1 NTU | Below the legal limit |
| Hardnesssingle sample · Treatment plant · 2025 report, page 2 | 4.65 gpg (79.5 ppm) | — | — | Moderately hard |
| PFBA (a PFAS)average · range ND to 13 · sampled 2024 · Entry point (UCMR5) · 2025 report, page 2 | 7.15 ppt | None set | None | No health limit |
| PFBS (a PFAS)highest measured · range 2.02 to 3.71 · Treatment plant · 2025 report, page 2 | 3.71 ppt | None set | None | No health limit |
| PFHpA (a PFAS)highest measured · range 0.62 to 1.2 · Treatment plant · 2025 report, page 2 | 1.2 ppt | None set | None | No health limit |
| PFHxA (a PFAS)highest measured · range 1.23 to 1.93 · Treatment plant · 2025 report, page 2 | 1.93 ppt | None set | None | No health limit |
| Sodiumsingle sample · Treatment plant · 2025 report, page 2 | 5.8 ppm | None set | None | No health limit |
Utility results describe the whole system, measured where water enters the pipes, not your tap. Your home’s plumbing can add lead or copper.
EPA testing for PFAS and lithium
EPA’s own nationwide testing (UCMR 5) found these in Decatur, Municipal Utilities Board of’s water between Aug 2023 and Mar 2024. These are EPA lab results, separate from the district’s report. Anything not listed was not detected.
- PFBS3.4 pptFound in 2 of 4 samples · highest resultNo federal limit in force for this one
Source: EPA UCMR 5 occurrence data. The highest single result is shown; one high sample doesn’t mean every glass is that high.
What you can do
Nothing here is an emergency notice: if the district has a violation, it must tell customers directly. If you’d like to lower these at your tap, these are the treatments that remove them, and the catalog shows the models certified for each. Ranking is by certified removal; commissions never change the order.
Radium and uranium
Found: Gross alpha (radioactivity), Radium-228
What removes it: Reverse osmosis.
PFAS ("forever chemicals")
Found: PFOA (a PFAS), PFOS (a PFAS)
What removes it: Reverse osmosis.
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