Is there PFAS in Seattle Public Utilities water?
No PFAS were detected in any of the 8 samples EPA's program collected.
Seattle Public Utilities is a public water system drawing on surface water, based in Seattle, Washington, serving about 1.2 million people. Under EPA's Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule it was tested for 29 PFAS and lithium 8 times across 2 sampling points between Mar 2023 and Dec 2023.
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: PFHpA, 11Cl-PF3OUdS, PFUnA, PFHxA, PFDA, PFOA, PFOS, 9Cl-PF3ONS, PFHxS, PFDoA, PFBS, NMeFOSAA, PFMPA, PFNA, PFEESA, ADONA, NEtFOSAA, PFHpS, PFMBA, NFDHA, PFPeA, PFTrDA, PFTA, 8:2 FTS, 4:2 FTS, 6:2 FTS, PFBA, HFPO-DA, PFPeS.
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 Washington
- City of Tacoma Water Division 2 PFAS detected
- City of Vancouver above an EPA limit
- City of Spokane 4 PFAS detected
- City of Bellevue none detected
- Alderwood Water District none detected
- City of Everett Public Works Dept. none detected
All 248 tested systems in Washington
ZIP codes served
98101 98102 98103 98104 98105 98106 98107 98108 98109 98112 98115 98116 98117 98118 98119 98121 98122 98125 98126 98133 98134 98136 98144 98146 98155 98166 98177 98178 98199
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 Seattle Public Utilities water: EPA UCMR 5 results." Data: U.S. EPA Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, final release August 2026, PWSID WA5377050. https://wellandtap.com/pfas/washington/seattle-public-utilities/
About this data
Source: U.S. EPA, UCMR 5 occurrence data, final release August 2026 (PWSID WA5377050). Population: EPA SDWIS. Averages count results below the reporting level as zero, the same convention EPA uses for running annual averages. Full method.