We read 9 results from Chester Water Authority’s 2025 water quality report. No results over a legal limit; 1 above a health goal or guideline.
Serves about 140,437 people · Water system ID PA1230004 · Read the district’s 2025 report (opens in a new tab)
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lead90th percentile of homes tested, 1 over the action level · listed as a violation in the report · Customer taps · 2025 report, page 10 | 5 ppb | 0.2 ppb | 15 ppb (action level) | Above the health goal25x the health goal |
| Bariumhighest measured · range 0.03 to 0.04 · listed as a violation in the report · Entry point · 2025 report, page 10 | 0.04 ppm | 2 ppm | 2 ppm | Below the health goal |
| Chloraminehighest measured · range 2.3 to 3.1 · listed as a violation in the report · Distribution system · 2025 report, page 11 | 3.1 ppm | None set | 4 ppm | Below the legal limit |
| Copper90th percentile of homes tested, 0 over the action level · listed as a violation in the report · Customer taps · 2025 report, page 10 | 0.22 ppm | 0.3 ppm | 1.3 ppm (action level) | Below the health goal |
| Disinfection byproducts (HAA5)highest running annual average · range 19 to 88 · listed as a violation in the report · Distribution system · 2025 report, page 11 | 42 ppb | None set | 60 ppb | Below the legal limit |
| Disinfection byproducts (TTHM)highest running annual average · range 21 to 81 · listed as a violation in the report · Distribution system · 2025 report, page 11 | 51 ppb | None set | 80 ppb | Below the legal limit |
| Fluoridehighest measured · range 0.4 to 0.8 · listed as a violation in the report · Entry point · 2025 report, page 10 | 0.8 ppm | 1 ppm | 4 ppm | Below the health goal |
| Nitrate (as N)highest measured · range 2 to 7 · listed as a violation in the report · Entry point · 2025 report, page 10 | 7 ppm | 10 ppm | 10 ppm | Below the health goal |
| Turbidity (cloudiness)highest measured · listed as a violation in the report · Treatment plant · 2025 report, page 10 | 0.08 NTU | None set | 1 NTU | Below the legal 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 Chester Water Authority’s water between Feb 2024 and Nov 2024. These are EPA lab results, separate from the district’s report. Anything not listed was not detected.
- PFOA5.1 pptFound in 2 of 4 samples · highest resultAbove the federal limit that takes effect in 2029 (4 ppt)
- PFBS4.5 pptFound in 3 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.
Lead
Found: Lead
What removes it: Certified carbon block or RO.
PFAS ("forever chemicals")
Found: PFOA (EPA testing)
What removes it: Reverse osmosis.
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