Is there PFAS in Northern Ohio Rural Water water?
No PFAS were detected in any of the 16 samples EPA's program collected.
Northern Ohio Rural Water is a public water system drawing on surface water, based in Norwalk, Ohio, serving about 18,224 people, including Amherst, Vermilion, Berlin Heights, Collins, Huron, Milan. Under EPA's Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule it was tested for 29 PFAS and lithium 16 times across 4 sampling points between Nov 2023 and Jul 2024.
Every PFAS detected
None of the 29 PFAS were found at or above EPA's minimum reporting levels (2 to 20 ppt depending on the compound).
Not detected: PFDoA, PFDA, PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, PFHxS, PFHpA, PFHpS, PFHxA, HFPO-DA, PFBS, PFMPA, PFPeS, NFDHA, PFEESA, PFMBA, PFTA, PFTrDA, NEtFOSAA, NMeFOSAA, 9Cl-PF3ONS, PFPeA, PFUnA, 8:2 FTS, 4:2 FTS, 6:2 FTS, PFBA, ADONA, 11Cl-PF3OUdS.
Lithium, tested in the same program: not detected.
What the EPA limits mean here
In April 2024 EPA set enforceable limits of 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS, 10 ppt each for PFHxS, PFNA and GenX, and a hazard index of 1 for mixtures. Utilities were given until 2029 to comply. In May 2026 EPA proposed keeping only the PFOA and PFOS limits and moving that deadline to 2031. Until that proposal is final, the 2024 limits stand.
Compliance is judged on a running annual average at each entry point, so we show the average at this system's worst sampling point next to its single highest result. UCMR 5 results do not by themselves put a utility in or out of compliance.
What you can do at home
No PFAS action is needed on these results. If your water tastes or smells of chlorine, a whole-house city water filter is the usual fix.
Other systems in Ohio
- Fremont City none detected
- Tallmadge City Pws none detected
- Southwest Licking Community Water none detected
- Marietta City Pws above an EPA limit
- Berea City Pws none detected
- Norwalk City 1 PFAS detected
All 347 tested systems in Ohio
ZIP codes served
44001 44089 44814 44826 44839 44846 44847 44851 44855 44857 44889
As reported by the utility to EPA. Neighbouring ZIPs are often split between systems; your water bill names yours.
Cite this page
Well & Tap. "PFAS in Northern Ohio Rural Water water: EPA UCMR 5 results." Data: U.S. EPA Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, final release August 2026, PWSID OH3902403. https://wellandtap.com/pfas/ohio/northern-ohio-rural-water/
About this data
Source: U.S. EPA, UCMR 5 occurrence data, final release August 2026 (PWSID OH3902403). Population: EPA SDWIS. Averages count results below the reporting level as zero, the same convention EPA uses for running annual averages. Full method.