PFAS · Alabama

PFAS in Alabama drinking water: EPA’s final survey results

EPA’s national PFAS survey (UCMR 5) tested 307 of the community water systems that serve homes in Alabama. 117 found at least one of 29 PFAS above the laboratory reporting level, and 56 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 April 2026.

In focus38%of surveyed systems found PFAS

Public records. Clearer context.

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

307

Alabama community systems in EPA’s survey

serving about 6,020,716 people

117

found at least one PFAS

38% of surveyed systems; about 3,282,650 people served

PFOA or PFOS yearly average at or above the MCL

compared the way EPA does: the average of a complete sampling set

lithium at or above EPA’s health reference level

lithium was part of the same survey

PFBS was the compound Alabama community systems found most often: 85 of 307 tested systems measured it above the reporting level. Across the country, 35% of surveyed community systems found at least one PFAS; in Alabama the share is 38%. The largest Alabama system with a detection, Central Alabama Water System, serves 585,000 people and found 5 of the 29 compounds.

Which PFAS were found most often in Alabama

Each row counts the Alabama 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
PFBS	85	307	28%
PFBA	81	307	26%
PFOS	72	307	23%
PFHxA	69	307	22%
PFOA	69	307	22%
PFPeA	65	307	21%
PFHpA	41	307	13%
PFHxS	23	307	7%
6:2 FTS	7	307	2%

Alabama systems with the most PFAS found

The 10 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
Gadsden, the Wwsb of the City of AL0000577	44,637	8	23.5 ppt at or above the MCL	22.7 ppt at or above the MCL
Alabaster Water Department, City of AL0001148	40,986	8	12.2 ppt at or above the MCL	8.0 ppt at or above the MCL
Shelby County Commission-Water Services AL0001671	40,101	8	23.0 ppt at or above the MCL	21.7 ppt at or above the MCL
Clanton, the Ww & Sb of the City of AL0000213	13,500	8	19.5 ppt at or above the MCL	21.5 ppt at or above the MCL
Colbert County Rural Water System AL0000314	13,395	8	11.4 ppt at or above the MCL	18.3 ppt at or above the MCL
Rogersville Water Works & Sewer Board AL0000789	5,271	8	9.3 ppt at or above the MCL	11.5 ppt at or above the MCL
Northeast Etowah County Water Co-Op AL0000587	4,275	8	12.8 ppt at or above the MCL	10.6 ppt at or above the MCL
Highland Water Authority AL0000580	3,963	8	14.7 ppt at or above the MCL	11.0 ppt at or above the MCL
Limestone County Water & Sewer Auth. AL0000833	90,900	7	0.0 ppt below the MCL	0.0 ppt below the MCL
Northeast Alabama Water Sewer and Fpd AL0001422	47,070	7	6.1 ppt at or above the MCL	2.7 ppt below the MCL

Counties with the most systems that found PFAS

Madison County 7 of 8 surveyed systems
Jackson County 7 of 7 surveyed systems
Elmore County 7 of 9 surveyed systems
Colbert County 7 of 7 surveyed systems
Shelby County 6 of 9 surveyed systems
Marshall County 6 of 7 surveyed systems
Etowah County 6 of 12 surveyed systems
Jefferson County 5 of 8 surveyed systems

How to read these numbers

UCMR 5 asked every community and non-transient non-community water system serving 3,300 or more people, and a sample of smaller ones, to test for 29 PFAS and lithium. EPA published the final data in August 2026; its samples were collected from January 2023 to June 2026. A system that was not in the survey has no result here; that is not the same as having no PFAS.

UCMR 5 is a one-time national monitoring survey. Its results do not indicate compliance or non-compliance with the PFAS Maximum Contaminant Levels, which are enforced on running annual averages and take effect in 2029 (EPA has proposed allowing extensions to 2031). A single result above a limit on this page is a measurement, not a violation.

See how to read UCMR 5 results and our methodology for how systems are matched to places.

After Alabama’s PFAS results

Find your system. Then read its report.

State recordsAll Alabama water recordsCounties, ZIP reports, lead results and violations for the whole state.FiltersChoosing a PFAS filterHow to check a filter’s certified PFAS reduction before you buy.Your utilityFind your annual water reportYour utility’s Consumer Confidence Report will list its own PFAS results and any treatment plans.

County pages

Alabama water records

Sources

EPA UCMR 5 occurrence data, samples collected 2023-01-03 – 2026-06-17, final release, August 2026 (file dated Aug 28, 2026); EPA SDWIS via ECHO, 2026Q2 extract (file dated Jul 9, 2026); EPA service-area boundaries v3.0; Census 2020 ZCTAs. Database prepared 2026-09-03.