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Updated 2026-10-15
County water report

Hartford County Water Quality: 6 Cities Ranked by the Records

Hartford County, Connecticut: 6 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 Hartford 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.

Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)Detected in 3 systems of 6 tested4.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024) · US EPAHighest16 ng/L
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)Detected in 4 systems of 6 tested4.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024) · US EPAHighest13 ng/L
LithiumDetected in 2 systems of 6 tested10 µg/L EPA health reference level (screening, not a legal limit) · US EPAHighest19.8 µg/L
Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS)Detected in 2 systems of 6 tested10 ng/L federal MCL (2024) · US EPAHighest3.8 ng/L
Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS)Detected in 3 systems of 6 tested2,000 ng/L EPA health advisory (screening, not a legal limit) · US EPAHighest15 ng/L
Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA)Detected in 3 systems of 6 tested400,000 ng/L Michigan EGLE state MCL (strictest US state) · Michigan EGLEHighest4.7 ng/L
Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA)Detected in 2 systems of 6 testedNo federal or state limit; shown for transparencyHighest5 ng/L
Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA)Detected in 2 systems of 6 testedNo federal or state limit; shown for transparencyHighest3.5 ng/L
1 more contaminant detectedShow
Perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA)Detected in 4 systems of 6 testedNo federal or state limit; shown for transparencyHighest4.7 ng/L
22 substances tested, none detected in any systemShow

Tested in these 6 systems: BRISTOL WATER DEPARTMENT, CTWC - NORTHERN REG-WESTERN SYSTEM, MANCHESTER WATER DEPARTMENT, METROPOLITAN DISTRICT COMMISSION, NEW BRITAIN WATER DEPARTMENT, SOUTHINGTON WATER DEPARTMENT

  • 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)
  • Lead (90th percentile)
  • 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)
  • Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA)
  • Perfluoropentanesulfonic acid (PFPeS)
  • Perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTA)
  • Perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA)
  • Perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA)
6 cities

Cities ranked by the records

Showing 6 of 6 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 Hartford County4 of 6 city reports had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit
  1. Manchester16 ng/L
  2. Windsor Locks6 ng/L
  3. Southington6 ng/L
4.0 ng/L federal MCL · PFOS, ng/LPFAS in Connecticut
Lead

0of 6 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 Connecticut
Who supplies the county

Largest water systems

  1. HartfordMETROPOLITAN DISTRICT COMMISSION · CT0640011
    390,887 served
  2. Windsor LocksCTWC - NORTHERN REG-WESTERN SYSTEM · CT0473011
    101,313 served
  3. New BritainNEW BRITAIN WATER DEPARTMENT · CT0890011
    73,534 served
  4. BristolBRISTOL WATER DEPARTMENT · CT0170011
    52,079 served
  5. ManchesterMANCHESTER WATER DEPARTMENT · CT0770021
    51,198 served
  6. SouthingtonSOUTHINGTON WATER DEPARTMENT · CT1310011
    43,069 served
Questions

Frequently asked

How does Hartford County tap water compare across cities?

PurityMap ranks 6 cities in Hartford 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 Hartford's main water system: METROPOLITAN DISTRICT COMMISSION · PWSID CT0640011 · Purity Score 100 (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 Hartford County cities had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit?

4 of 6 Hartford County city reports had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit in EPA's UCMR 5 testing, including Manchester (PFOS 16 ng/L), Windsor Locks (PFOA 8 ng/L), Southington (PFOA 8 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 4.

Is there lead in Hartford County tap water?

Utilities report lead as a 90th-percentile result from home taps. 0 of 6 Hartford 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.

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