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Updated 2026-10-15
County water report

Franklin County Water Quality: 3 Cities Ranked by the Records

Franklin County, Ohio: 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 Franklin 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 1 system of 3 tested4.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024) · US EPAHighest5.3 ng/L
Lead (90th percentile)Detected in 3 systems15 µg/L federal action level · US EPAHighest2.1 µg/L
Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS)Detected in 1 system of 3 tested2,000 ng/L EPA health advisory (screening, not a legal limit) · US EPAHighest11.1 ng/L
Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA)Detected in 1 system of 3 tested400,000 ng/L Michigan EGLE state MCL (strictest US state) · Michigan EGLEHighest18.2 ng/L
Water hardnessDetected in 1 systemAesthetic, no federal health limit · USGSHighest6.7 gpg
Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA)Detected in 3 systemsNo federal or state limit; shown for transparencyHighest17 ng/L
Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA)Detected in 1 system of 3 testedNo federal or state limit; shown for transparencyHighest4.3 ng/L
Perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA)Detected in 1 system of 3 testedNo federal or state limit; shown for transparencyHighest14.2 ng/L
24 substances tested, none detected in any systemShow

Tested in these 3 systems: COLUMBUS PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM, REYNOLDSBURG CITY PWS, WESTERVILLE CITY PWS

  • 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 Franklin County1 of 3 city reports had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit
4.0 ng/L federal MCL · PFOS, ng/LPFAS in Ohio
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 Ohio
Hard water

1city reports hardness · Columbus, 6.7 gpg

None above 7 gpg, the USGS threshold for hard water. An aesthetic measure with no federal health limit.

Hard water explained
Who supplies the county

Largest water systems

  1. ColumbusCOLUMBUS PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM · OH2504412
    1,309,468 served
  2. WestervilleWESTERVILLE CITY PWS · OH2503411
    39,000 served
  3. ReynoldsburgREYNOLDSBURG CITY PWS · OH2503203
    37,847 served
Questions

Frequently asked

How does Franklin County tap water compare across cities?

PurityMap ranks 3 cities in Franklin 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 Westerville's main water system: WESTERVILLE CITY PWS · PWSID OH2503411 · Purity Score 99 (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 Franklin County cities had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit?

1 of 3 Franklin County city reports had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit in EPA's UCMR 5 testing, including Columbus (PFOA 5.3 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 3.

Is there lead in Franklin County tap water?

Utilities report lead as a 90th-percentile result from home taps. 3 of 3 Franklin 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.

Does Franklin County have hard water?

Hardness is published in utility water-quality reports for 1 Franklin County city on record; the hardest is Columbus at 6.7 grains per gallon. Hardness affects scale and appliances; it is not a health finding.

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