PFAS · Ohio

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

EPA’s national PFAS survey (UCMR 5) tested 332 of the community water systems that serve homes in Ohio. 138 found at least one of 29 PFAS above the laboratory reporting level, and 35 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.

In focus42%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

332

Ohio community systems in EPA’s survey

serving about 9,834,784 people

138

found at least one PFAS

42% of surveyed systems; about 5,593,851 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

PFBA was the compound Ohio community systems found most often: 65 of 332 tested systems measured it above the reporting level. Across the country, 35% of surveyed community systems found at least one PFAS; in Ohio the share is 42%. The largest Ohio system with a detection, Columbus Public Water System, serves 1,305,946 people and found 6 of the 29 compounds.

Which PFAS were found most often in Ohio

Each row counts the Ohio 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	65	332	20%
PFBS	55	332	17%
PFPeA	53	332	16%
PFHxA	42	332	13%
PFOA	37	332	11%
PFHxS	30	332	9%
PFOS	30	332	9%
PFHpA	7	332	2%
HFPO-DA (GenX)	3	332	1%
PFNA	3	332	1%
6:2 FTS	2	332	1%

Ohio 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
Wright-Patterson Afb Area a PWS OH2903412	16,551	7	— not detected above the reporting level	4.9 ppt at or above the MCL
Milford City PWS OH1301012	6,700	7	2.1 ppt below the MCL	7.8 ppt at or above the MCL
Newton Falls City OH7802311	6,109	7	4.2 ppt at or above the MCL	1.4 ppt below the MCL
Columbus Public Water System OH2504412	1,305,946	6	1.3 ppt below the MCL	— not detected above the reporting level
Wooster City PWS OH8504512	26,618	6	2.4 ppt below the MCL	— not detected above the reporting level
Wilmington City PWS OH1401211	12,401	6	— not detected above the reporting level	1.8 ppt below the MCL
Trumbull Co. - Southeast PWS OH7803203	9,931	6	1.0 ppt below the MCL	6.4 ppt at or above the MCL
Sanitary District #4 OH2501003	8,575	6	1.8 ppt below the MCL	— not detected above the reporting level
Trumbull Co. - Howland TWP PWS OH7806303	6,396	6	1.1 ppt below the MCL	10.6 ppt at or above the MCL
Jackson/Milton Metro Water District PWS OH5054212	3,728	6	1.2 ppt below the MCL	7.2 ppt at or above the MCL

Counties with the most systems that found PFAS

Trumbull County 11 of 12 surveyed systems
Montgomery County 9 of 15 surveyed systems
Butler County 7 of 9 surveyed systems
Franklin County 5 of 13 surveyed systems
Warren County 5 of 9 surveyed systems
Clermont County 5 of 6 surveyed systems
Belmont County 5 of 6 surveyed systems
Washington County 5 of 6 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 Ohio’s PFAS results

Find your system. Then read its report.

State recordsAll Ohio 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

Ohio 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.