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Updated 2026-10-15
County water report

Jefferson County Water Quality: 3 Cities Ranked by the Records

Jefferson County, Alabama: 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 Jefferson 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 1 system of 3 tested4.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024) · US EPAHighest5.9 ng/L
LithiumDetected in 1 system of 3 tested10 µg/L EPA health reference level (screening, not a legal limit) · US EPAHighest11.4 µg/L
Lead (90th percentile)Detected in 2 systems of 3 tested15 µg/L federal action level · US EPAHighest1.2 µg/L
Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS)Detected in 2 systems of 3 tested2,000 ng/L EPA health advisory (screening, not a legal limit) · US EPAHighest7.9 ng/L
Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA)Detected in 2 systems of 3 tested400,000 ng/L Michigan EGLE state MCL (strictest US state) · Michigan EGLEHighest8.5 ng/L
1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (6:2 FTS)Detected in 1 system of 3 testedNo federal or state limit; shown for transparencyHighest5.8 ng/L
Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA)Detected in 2 systems of 3 testedNo federal or state limit; shown for transparencyHighest6.1 ng/L
Perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA)Detected in 2 systems of 3 testedNo federal or state limit; shown for transparencyHighest11.3 ng/L
23 PFAS tested, none detected in any systemShow

Tested in these 3 systems: BESSEMER WATER SERVICE, CENTRAL ALABAMA WATER, LEEDS WATER WORKS BOARD

  • 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)
  • 4,8-Dioxa-3H-perfluorononanoic acid (ADONA)
  • 9-Chlorohexadecafluoro-3-oxanone-1-sulfonic acid (9Cl-PF3ONS)
  • Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA) (GenX chemicals)
  • 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)
  • Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA)
  • Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS)
  • Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA)
  • Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)
  • 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 Jefferson County1 of 3 city reports had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit
  1. Bessemer5.9 ng/L
4.0 ng/L federal MCL · PFOS, ng/LPFAS in Alabama
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 Alabama
Who supplies the county

Largest water systems

  1. BirminghamCENTRAL ALABAMA WATER · AL0000738
    653,322 served
  2. BessemerBESSEMER WATER SERVICE · AL0000737
    86,091 served
  3. LeedsLEEDS WATER WORKS BOARD · AL0000753
    21,300 served
Questions

Frequently asked

How does Jefferson County tap water compare across cities?

PurityMap ranks 3 cities in Jefferson 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 Leeds's main water system: LEEDS WATER WORKS BOARD · PWSID AL0000753 · 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 Jefferson County cities had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit?

1 of 3 Jefferson County city reports had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit in EPA's UCMR 5 testing, including Bessemer (PFOS 5.9 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 Jefferson County tap water?

Utilities report lead as a 90th-percentile result from home taps. 2 of 3 Jefferson 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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