PFAS ("forever chemicals") · 2023

PFOS in Washington Dc, DC tap water

Over the federal limit· 1.1× the limit

Washington Dc, DC's 2023 Consumer Confidence Report shows PFOS at or above the federal limit (1.9 MCL). Measured value is 1.1× the threshold.

The measurement

StatisticValue
Range
System-wide
3.8
Average
System-wide
2.1

Verbatim from Washington Dc, DC's 2023 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 Washington Dc, DC 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 Washington Dc, DC tap water?

Yes — Washington Dc, DC's 2023 Consumer Confidence Report lists PFOS at 2.1. Washington Dc, DC's 2023 Consumer Confidence Report shows PFOS at or above the federal limit (1.9 MCL). Measured value is 1.1× the threshold.

+What's the federal limit for PFOS in drinking water?

The federal MCL for PFOS is 1.9 . 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 2023 Consumer Confidence Report published by the Washington Dc, DC 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/dc/washington-dc/2023/source.

Full report
All Washington Dc, DC water-quality data →
Every contaminant measured in the 2023 report.
Contaminant pillar
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Every public water system measuring PFOS, ranked.