We read 11 results from Shelby County Commission-Water Services’s 2023 water quality report. No results over a legal limit; 3 above a health goal or guideline.
Serves about 40,101 people · Water system ID AL0001671 · Read the district’s 2023 report (opens in a new tab)
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Results from the 2023 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chloritehighest measured · range ND to 0.45 · printed as 450 ppb · TSWTP · 2023 report, page 6 | 0.45 ppm | 0.05 ppm | 1 ppm | Above the health goal9x the health goal |
| PFOA (a PFAS)highest measured · printed as 0.022 ppb · SWTP · 2023 report, page 6 | 22 ppt | 0.007 ppt | 4 ppt from 2029 | Above the federal limit that takes effect in 20295.5x the 4 ppt federal limit that takes effect in 2029Not a violation yet: EPA's 4 ppt limit is final, but water systems don't have to meet it until 2029. |
| PFOS (a PFAS)highest measured · printed as 0.027 ppb · SWTP · 2023 report, page 6 | 27 ppt | 1 ppt | 4 ppt from 2029 | Above the federal limit that takes effect in 20296.8x the 4 ppt federal limit that takes effect in 2029Not a violation yet: EPA's 4 ppt limit is final, but water systems don't have to meet it until 2029. |
| Bariumhighest measured · SWTP · 2023 report, page 6 | 0.09 ppm | 2 ppm | 2 ppm | Below the health goal |
| Chlorinehighest measured · range 1.27 to 2.22 · SWTP · 2023 report, page 6 | 2.22 ppm | None set | 4 ppm | Below the legal limit |
| Chlorine dioxidehighest measured · range ND to 750 · TSWTP · 2023 report, page 6 | 750 ppb | None set | 800 ppb | Below the legal limit |
| Disinfection byproducts (HAA5)highest running annual average · range 7 to 36 · SWTP, highest of 2 sources · 2023 report, page 6 | 36 ppb | None set | 60 ppb | Below the legal limit |
| Disinfection byproducts (TTHM)highest running annual average · range 17 to 54 · SWTP, highest of 2 sources · 2023 report, page 6 | 54 ppb | None set | 80 ppb | Below the legal limit |
| Nitrate (as N)highest measured · TSWTP · 2023 report, page 6 | 0.12 ppm | 10 ppm | 10 ppm | Below the health goal |
| PFHxS (a PFAS)highest measured · printed as 0.0028 ppb · SWTP · 2023 report, page 6 | 2.8 ppt | None set | 10 ppt from 2029 | Below the legal limit |
| PFBS (a PFAS)highest measured · printed as 0.084 ppb · SWTP · 2023 report, page 6 | 84 ppt | 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 Shelby County Commission-Water Services’s water between Mar 2024 and Dec 2024. These are EPA lab results, separate from the district’s report. Anything not listed was not detected.
- PFOA26.1 pptFound in 8 of 8 samples · highest resultAbove the federal limit that takes effect in 2029 (4 ppt)
- PFOS27.7 pptFound in 7 of 8 samples · highest resultAbove the federal limit that takes effect in 2029 (4 ppt)
- PFHxS3.4 pptFound in 3 of 8 samples · highest resultNo federal limit in force for this one
- PFBS114 pptFound in 8 of 8 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.
PFAS ("forever chemicals")
Found: PFOA (a PFAS), PFOS (a PFAS), PFOA (EPA testing), PFOS (EPA testing)
What removes it: Reverse osmosis.
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