Search city, ZIP, contaminant⌘KFind my water
Updated 2026-10-15
County water report

Berks County Water Quality: 3 Cities Ranked by the Records

Berks County, Pennsylvania: 3 city reports built from EPA and utility records. A county has many suppliers; each city shows the system that serves it.

Find my systemOpen on the mapPrivate wells in Berks County
Across the county's systems

Highest result for each contaminant

One row per contaminant: the highest result any system in the county reported, against its limit. Open a row for the systems behind it.

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)Detected in 2 systems of 3 tested4.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024) · US EPAHighest6.6 ng/L
Lead (90th percentile)Detected in 2 systems of 3 tested15 µg/L federal action level · US EPAHighest3 µg/L
Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS)Detected in 2 systems of 3 tested2,000 ng/L EPA health advisory (screening, not a legal limit) · US EPAHighest5.6 ng/L
Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA)Detected in 2 systems of 3 tested400,000 ng/L Michigan EGLE state MCL (strictest US state) · Michigan EGLEHighest4.4 ng/L
Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA)Detected in 1 system of 3 testedNo federal or state limit; shown for transparencyHighest20.8 ng/L
Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA)Detected in 1 system of 3 testedNo federal or state limit; shown for transparencyHighest3 ng/L
Perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA)Detected in 2 systems of 3 testedNo federal or state limit; shown for transparencyHighest5.4 ng/L
24 substances tested, none detected in any systemShow

Tested in these 3 systems: KUTZTOWN BOROUGH WATER, READING AREA WATER AUTHORITY, WYOMISSING BORO WATER SYSTEM

  • 11-Chloroeicosafluoro-3-oxaundecane-1-sulfonic acid (11Cl-PF3OUdS)
  • 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorodecane sulfonic acid (8:2 FTS)
  • 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (4:2 FTS)
  • 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (6:2 FTS)
  • 4,8-Dioxa-3H-perfluorononanoic acid (ADONA)
  • 9-Chlorohexadecafluoro-3-oxanone-1-sulfonic acid (9Cl-PF3ONS)
  • Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA) (GenX chemicals)
  • Lithium
  • N-ethyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid (NEtFOSAA)
  • N-methyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid (NMeFOSAA)
  • Nonafluoro-3,6-dioxaheptanoic acid (NFDHA)
  • Perfluoro (2-ethoxyethane) sulfonic acid (PFEESA)
  • Perfluoro-3-methoxypropanoic acid (PFMPA)
  • Perfluoro-4-methoxybutanoic acid (PFMBA)
  • Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA)
  • Perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA)
  • Perfluoroheptanesulfonic acid (PFHpS)
  • Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS)
  • Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA)
  • Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)
  • Perfluoropentanesulfonic acid (PFPeS)
  • Perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTA)
  • Perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA)
  • Perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA)
3 cities

Cities ranked by the records

Showing 3 of 3 cities · scores are system-level, not tap tests

Ranked by the Purity Score of each city's main water system, highest first. Scores belong to water systems; there is no county score. The score is computed only from contaminants measured in the published EPA record, so this ranks the record, not which city's water is safest. How the score works.

PFAS in Berks County2 of 3 city reports had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit
4.0 ng/L federal MCL · PFOS, ng/LPFAS in Pennsylvania
Lead

0of 3 cities above the 15 µg/L action level

Based on each system's 90th-percentile result. Lead from household plumbing isn't in this record.

Lead in Pennsylvania
Who supplies the county

Largest water systems

  1. ReadingREADING AREA WATER AUTHORITY · PA3060059
    95,100 served
  2. KutztownKUTZTOWN BOROUGH WATER · PA3060041
    14,200 served
  3. WyomissingWYOMISSING BORO WATER SYSTEM · PA3060083
    8,500 served
Questions

Frequently asked

How does Berks County tap water compare across cities?

PurityMap ranks 3 cities in Berks County by the Purity Score of each city's main water system, computed only from contaminants measured in the published EPA record. Scores belong to water systems, not to cities. The highest published score is Kutztown's main water system: KUTZTOWN BOROUGH WATER · PWSID PA3060041 · Purity Score 97 (Excellent) · Confidence: moderate · Assessed at the water-system level. The ranking compares the records, not which city's water is safest, and your own tap can differ with household plumbing.

How many Berks County cities had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit?

2 of 3 Berks County city reports had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit in EPA's UCMR 5 testing, including Reading (PFOA 6.6 ng/L), Wyomissing (PFOA 4.7 ng/L). That limit is judged on a yearly average, and water systems have until 2029 to meet it, so a single sample is not a violation. PFAS were detected at any level in 2.

Is there lead in Berks County tap water?

Utilities report lead as a 90th-percentile result from home taps. 2 of 3 Berks County cities reported a value above zero, and none was above the 15 µg/L federal action level. Lead usually comes from a building's own pipes and fixtures, so only a test at your tap tells you what you drink.

Have Berks County water systems had drinking-water violations?

1 city in Berks County has a health-based violation in the federal SDWIS record within about the last ten years. Each city report lists the contaminant, year and whether it was resolved.

Next step

Follow Berks County's water

Get an email when a city record in the county changes. Or go straight to the filters certified for what was found here.

Filters certified for PFAS
FOLLOW THIS COUNTY

Record changes only

We email when places in Berks County get new results. Unsubscribe any time.

Follow Berks County's water →