PFAS · Arkansas
PFAS in Arkansas drinking water: EPA’s final survey results
EPA’s national PFAS survey (UCMR 5) tested 172 of the community water systems that serve homes in Arkansas. 10 found at least one of 29 PFAS above the laboratory reporting level, and 0 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 February 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
PFBA was the compound Arkansas community systems found most often: 8 of 172 tested systems measured it above the reporting level. Across the country, 35% of surveyed community systems found at least one PFAS; in Arkansas the share is 6%. The largest Arkansas system with a detection, Bentonville Water Utilities, serves 51,250 people and found 1 of the 29 compounds.
Which PFAS were found most often in Arkansas
Each row counts the Arkansas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| PFBA | 8 | 172 | 5% |
| 6:2 FTS | 1 | 172 | 1% |
| PFBS | 1 | 172 | 1% |
| PFHxA | 1 | 172 | 1% |
| PFHxS | 1 | 172 | 1% |
| PFOS | 1 | 172 | 1% |
| PFPeA | 1 | 172 | 1% |
Arkansas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Siloam Springs Waterworks AR0000056 | 21,430 | 3 | — not detected above the reporting level | — not detected above the reporting level |
| Dardanelle Waterworks AR0000601 | 4,517 | 3 | — not detected above the reporting level | 2.2 ppt below the MCL |
| Bentonville Water Utilities AR0000041 | 51,250 | 1 | — not detected above the reporting level | — not detected above the reporting level |
| Beebe Waterworks AR0000592 | 8,451 | 1 | — not detected above the reporting level | — not detected above the reporting level |
| West Stone County Water Assn AR0000735 | 5,188 | 1 | — not detected above the reporting level | — not detected above the reporting level |
| Lakeview-Midway Public Water Authority AR0000027 | 4,383 | 1 | — not detected above the reporting level | — not detected above the reporting level |
| Nashville Waterworks AR0000244 | 4,153 | 1 | — not detected above the reporting level | — not detected above the reporting level |
| Crowleys Ridge Water Assoc AR0000180 | 3,873 | 1 | — not detected above the reporting level | — not detected above the reporting level |
| Flippin Waterworks AR0000351 | 3,870 | 1 | — not detected above the reporting level | — not detected above the reporting level |
| Hot Spring Co Water Assoc AR0000236 | 3,528 | 1 | — not detected above the reporting level | — not detected above the reporting level |
Counties with the most systems that found PFAS
- Benton County 2 of 14 surveyed systems
- Poinsett County 1 of 6 surveyed systems
- White County 1 of 6 surveyed systems
- Cleburne County 1 of 5 surveyed systems
- Hot Spring County 1 of 4 surveyed systems
- Van Buren County 1 of 4 surveyed systems
- Baxter County 1 of 4 surveyed systems
- Yell County 1 of 2 surveyed systems