We read 9 results from Frederick Water’s 2025 water quality report. No results over a legal limit; 2 above a health goal or guideline.
Serves about 46,206 people · Water system ID VA2069250 · 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross alpha (radioactivity)highest measured · range ND to 1.19 · Treatment plants · 2025 report, page 5 | 1.19 pCi/L | 0 pCi/L | 15 pCi/L | Above the health goalThe health goal is zero |
| Radium (combined 226 + 228)highest measured · sampled 2021 · Treatment plants · 2025 report, page 5 | 0.9 pCi/L | 0 pCi/L | 5 pCi/L | Above the health goalThe health goal is zero |
| Bariumhighest measured · range 0.06 to 0.07 · Treatment plants · 2025 report, page 5 | 0.07 ppm | 2 ppm | 2 ppm | Below the health goal |
| Chlorinehighest running annual average · range 1.5 to 2.4 · listed as a violation in the report · Distribution system · 2025 report, page 6 | 1.9 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 7 | 0.08 ppm | 0.3 ppm | 1.3 ppm (action level) | Below the health goal |
| Disinfection byproducts (HAA5)highest running annual average · range 5.6 to 27 · listed as a violation in the report · Distribution system · 2025 report, page 6 | 18 ppb | None set | 60 ppb | Below the legal limit |
| Disinfection byproducts (TTHM)highest running annual average · range 8.4 to 38 · listed as a violation in the report · Distribution system · 2025 report, page 6 | 24 ppb | None set | 80 ppb | Below the legal limit |
| Fluoridehighest measured · Treatment plants · 2025 report, page 5 | 0.76 ppm | 1 ppm | 4 ppm | Below the health goal |
| Nitrate (as N)highest measured · Treatment plants · 2025 report, page 5 | 3.23 ppm | 10 ppm | 10 ppm | Below the health goal |
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 Frederick Water’s water between Nov 2024 and Aug 2025. These are EPA lab results, separate from the district’s report. Anything not listed was not detected.
- PFBS6.9 pptFound in 5 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.
Radium and uranium
Found: Gross alpha (radioactivity), Radium (combined 226 + 228)
What removes it: Reverse osmosis.
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