PFAS · Alaska
PFAS in Alaska drinking water: EPA’s final survey results
EPA’s national PFAS survey (UCMR 5) tested 28 of the community water systems that serve homes in Alaska. 9 found at least one of 29 PFAS above the laboratory reporting level, and 2 had a PFOA or PFOS sampling-location yearly average at or above EPA’s 4.0 ppt limit. Samples were collected from January 2023 to March 2026.
Data as of EPA UCMR 5 final release, August 2026 (file dated Aug 28, 2026) · EPA SDWIS 2026Q2 (file dated Jul 9, 2026). How we build these pages
PFHxS was the compound Alaska community systems found most often: 7 of 28 tested systems measured it above the reporting level. Across the country, 35% of surveyed community systems found at least one PFAS; in Alaska the share is 32%. The largest Alaska system with a detection, Moa Municipality of Anchorage, serves 221,351 people and found 2 of the 29 compounds.
Which PFAS were found most often in Alaska
Each row counts the Alaska community water systems where that compound was measured above the reporting level at least once. A detection is a measurement, not a violation: most of these compounds have no federal limit.
| Compound | Systems where found | Systems tested | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| PFHxS | 7 | 28 | 25% |
| PFHxA | 4 | 28 | 14% |
| PFPeA | 4 | 28 | 14% |
| PFOA | 3 | 28 | 11% |
| PFBA | 2 | 28 | 7% |
| PFHpA | 1 | 28 | 4% |
| PFOS | 1 | 28 | 4% |
Alaska systems with the most PFAS found
The 9 surveyed community water systems that found the most different PFAS, with PFOA and PFOS compared to EPA’s 4.0 ppt limits on the yearly average at the highest sampling location. Larger systems come first when counts tie.
| Water system | People served | PFAS found (of 29) | PFOA | PFOS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barrow Utilities & Elec. Coop., INC. (Bu AK2320078 | 4,900 | 6 | — not detected above the reporting level | 44.1 ppt at or above the MCL |
| Golden Heart Utilities AK2310730 | 78,324 | 4 | 2.7 ppt below the MCL | — not detected above the reporting level |
| College Utilities Corporation AK2310900 | 27,000 | 4 | 3.2 ppt below the MCL | — not detected above the reporting level |
| Moa Municipality of Anchorage AK2210906 | 221,351 | 2 | 4.6 ppt at or above the MCL | — not detected above the reporting level |
| University of Alaska - Fairbanks AK2310683 | 6,200 | 2 | — not detected above the reporting level | — not detected above the reporting level |
| Ft Wainwright - Main Post AK2310918 | 20,076 | 1 | — not detected above the reporting level | — not detected above the reporting level |
| Wasilla Water System AK2224646 | 18,492 | 1 | — not detected above the reporting level | — not detected above the reporting level |
| Eielson - Air Force Base AK2370625 | 11,870 | 1 | — not detected above the reporting level | — not detected above the reporting level |
| Cordova City Water AK2293205 | 2,700 | 1 | — not detected above the reporting level | — not detected above the reporting level |
Counties with the most systems that found PFAS
- Fairbanks North Star Borough 5 of 6 surveyed systems
- Anchorage Municipality 1 of 5 surveyed systems
- Matanuska-Susitna Borough 1 of 2 surveyed systems
- North Slope Borough 1 of 1 surveyed systems