PFAS ("forever chemicals") · 2024
PFOA in Columbia, SC tap water
Columbia, SC's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report shows PFOA at or above the federal limit (4 ng/L MCL). Measured value is 1.4× the threshold.
The measurement
| Statistic | Value | Federal limit |
|---|---|---|
Range System-wide | 4.8–6.1000000000000005 ng/L | 4 ng/L MCL |
Average System-wide | 5.5 ng/L | 4 ng/L MCL |
Range System-wide | 4.2–4.5 ng/L | 4 ng/L MCL |
Average System-wide | 4.4 ng/L | 4 ng/L MCL |
Verbatim from Columbia, SC's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report — source document ↗
About PFOA
Perfluorooctanoic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical' once used in nonstick and stain-resistant products.
Linked to cancer, liver damage, and immune effects; the EPA set an enforceable limit of 4 parts per trillion.
How Columbia, SC compares
2 of the 3 SC systems measuring PFOA on The Water Map have it at or above the federal limit:
Nearby systems also reporting PFOA:
People also ask
+Is there PFOA in Columbia, SC tap water?
Yes — Columbia, SC's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report lists PFOA at 5.5 ng/L. Columbia, SC's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report shows PFOA at or above the federal limit (4 ng/L MCL). Measured value is 1.4× the threshold.
+What's the federal limit for PFOA in drinking water?
The federal MCL for PFOA is 4 ng/L. The EPA enforces this against the regulated reporting statistic (running annual average or 90th percentile), not a single-sample spike.
+What is PFOA?
Perfluorooctanoic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical' once used in nonstick and stain-resistant products. Linked to cancer, liver damage, and immune effects; the EPA set an enforceable limit of 4 parts per trillion.
+Which other U.S. cities have PFOA over the federal limit?
2 of the 3 SC systems on The Water Map measuring PFOA report it at or above the federal limit. Examples include Charleston, SC, North Charleston, SC.
+Where does this PFOA measurement come from?
This page reproduces the PFOA entry from the 2024 Consumer Confidence Report published by the Columbia, SC 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/sc/columbia/2024/source.