PFAS ("forever chemicals") · 2024
PFOS in Birmingham, AL tap water
Birmingham, AL's 2024 PFOS level is between 80% and 100% of the federal limit (0.004 MCL) — measured but not in violation.
The measurement
| Statistic | Value | Federal limit |
|---|---|---|
Range System-wide | 0.0025–0.0036 | 0.004 MCL |
Highest single sample System-wide | 0.0036 | 0.004 MCL |
Verbatim from Birmingham, AL's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report — source document ↗
About PFOS
Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical' once used in firefighting foam and coatings.
Linked to cancer, thyroid disease, and immune effects; the EPA set an enforceable limit of 4 parts per trillion.
How Birmingham, AL compares
5 of the 147 systems measuring PFOS on The Water Map have it at or above the federal limit:
Nearby systems also reporting PFOS:
People also ask
+Is there PFOS in Birmingham, AL tap water?
Yes — Birmingham, AL's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report lists PFOS at 0.0025–0.0036. Birmingham, AL's 2024 PFOS level is between 80% and 100% of the federal limit (0.004 MCL) — measured but not in violation.
+What's the federal limit for PFOS in drinking water?
The federal MCL for PFOS is 0.004 . The EPA enforces this against the regulated reporting statistic (running annual average or 90th percentile), not a single-sample spike.
+What is PFOS?
Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical' once used in firefighting foam and coatings. Linked to cancer, thyroid disease, and immune effects; the EPA set an enforceable limit of 4 parts per trillion.
+Which other U.S. cities have PFOS over the federal limit?
5 of the 147 systems on The Water Map measuring PFOS report it at or above the federal limit. Examples include Charleston, SC, North Charleston, SC, City of Hialeah, FL.
+Where does this PFOS measurement come from?
This page reproduces the PFOS entry from the 2024 Consumer Confidence Report published by the Birmingham, AL water utility — the annual drinking-water report every U.S. utility is required by federal law to publish. The original source document is archived at /water/al/birmingham/2024/source.