Is there PFAS in City of Alexandria water?
Yes, at low levels. 3 PFAS were detected, all below EPA's 2024 limits.
City of Alexandria
Serves 159,200 people · 4 PFOA samples from 1 sampling point · Sep 2023 to Jun 2024
PFAS found, below EPA limits
PFOA Perfluorooctanoic acid
not detected
PFOS Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid
not detected
Hazard index GenX, PFBS, PFNA, PFHxS combined
not detected
Also detected, no federal limit: PFPeA, PFHxA, PFBS.
City of Alexandria is a public water system drawing on surface water, based in Hopewell, Virginia, serving about 159,200 people. Under EPA's Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule it was tested for 29 PFAS and lithium 4 times across 1 sampling point between Sep 2023 and Jun 2024.
Every PFAS detected
Not detected: NMeFOSAA, 8:2 FTS, PFMPA, PFMBA, NFDHA, PFBA, NEtFOSAA, PFTrDA, PFTA, PFHpS, PFPeS, 6:2 FTS, HFPO-DA, ADONA, 9Cl-PF3ONS, 11Cl-PF3OUdS, PFUnA, PFDoA, PFDA, PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, PFHxS, PFHpA, 4:2 FTS, PFEESA.
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
Levels here are under EPA's limits, so no treatment is required. If you want them lower anyway, a certified reverse osmosis system under the sink handles drinking water, and a whole-house carbon filter also takes out the chlorine or chloramine your utility adds.
Other systems in Virginia
All 171 tested systems in Virginia
ZIP codes served
22301 22302 22303 22304 22305 22306 22307 22308 22309 22310 22311 22312 22313 22314 22315 22320 22331 22332 22334
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 City of Alexandria water: EPA UCMR 5 results." Data: U.S. EPA Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, final release August 2026, PWSID VA6510010. https://wellandtap.com/pfas/virginia/city-of-alexandria/
About this data
Source: U.S. EPA, UCMR 5 occurrence data, final release August 2026 (PWSID VA6510010). Population: EPA SDWIS. Averages count results below the reporting level as zero, the same convention EPA uses for running annual averages. Full method.
