Lee County Water Quality: 3 Cities Ranked by the Records
Lee County, Alabama: 3 city reports built from EPA and utility records. A county has many suppliers; each city shows the system that serves it.
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 3 systems4.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024) · US EPAHighest16 ng/L
- LOACHAPOKA WATER AUTHORITY16 ng/LSample date: 2024-07-10 to 2025-04-07
- AUBURN, THE WW BOARD OF THE CITY OF12 ng/LSample date: 2025-02-17 to 2025-11-03
- OPELIKA, WW BD. OF THE CITY OF11 ng/LSample date: 2023-03-23 to 2024-01-17
Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)Detected in 1 system of 3 tested4.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024) · US EPAHighest6.4 ng/L
- OPELIKA, WW BD. OF THE CITY OF6.4 ng/LSample date: 2023-03-23 to 2024-01-17
- AUBURN, THE WW BOARD OF THE CITY OFNot detected · below 4.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2025-02-17 to 2025-11-03
- LOACHAPOKA WATER AUTHORITYNot detected · below 4.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2024-07-10 to 2025-04-07
Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS)Detected in 1 system of 3 tested10 ng/L federal MCL (2024) · US EPAHighest3 ng/L
- LOACHAPOKA WATER AUTHORITY3 ng/LSample date: 2024-07-10 to 2025-04-07
- AUBURN, THE WW BOARD OF THE CITY OFNot detected · below 3.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2025-02-17 to 2025-11-03
- OPELIKA, WW BD. OF THE CITY OFNot detected · below 3.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2023-03-23 to 2024-01-17
Lead (90th percentile)Detected in 2 systems of 3 tested15 µg/L federal action level · US EPAHighest0.52 µg/L
- OPELIKA, WW BD. OF THE CITY OF0.52 µg/LMonitoring period: 2023–2025
- AUBURN, THE WW BOARD OF THE CITY OF0.47 µg/LMonitoring period: 2023–2025
- LOACHAPOKA WATER AUTHORITYNot detectedMonitoring period: 2024–2026 (still open)
Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS)Detected in 1 system of 3 tested2,000 ng/L EPA health advisory (screening, not a legal limit) · US EPAHighest3.2 ng/L
- LOACHAPOKA WATER AUTHORITY3.2 ng/LSample date: 2024-07-10 to 2025-04-07
- AUBURN, THE WW BOARD OF THE CITY OFNot detected · below 3.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2025-02-17 to 2025-11-03
- OPELIKA, WW BD. OF THE CITY OFNot detected · below 3.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2023-03-23 to 2024-01-17
Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA)Detected in 2 systems of 3 tested400,000 ng/L Michigan EGLE state MCL (strictest US state) · Michigan EGLEHighest5.6 ng/L
- OPELIKA, WW BD. OF THE CITY OF5.6 ng/LSample date: 2023-03-23 to 2024-01-17
- LOACHAPOKA WATER AUTHORITY4.5 ng/LSample date: 2024-07-10 to 2025-04-07
- AUBURN, THE WW BOARD OF THE CITY OFNot detected · below 3.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2025-02-17 to 2025-11-03
Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA)Detected in 2 systems of 3 testedNo federal or state limit; shown for transparencyHighest4.6 ng/L
- LOACHAPOKA WATER AUTHORITY4.6 ng/LSample date: 2024-07-10 to 2025-04-07
- AUBURN, THE WW BOARD OF THE CITY OF3 ng/LSample date: 2025-02-17 to 2025-11-03
- OPELIKA, WW BD. OF THE CITY OFNot detected · below 3.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2023-03-23 to 2024-01-17
Perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA)Detected in 2 systems of 3 testedNo federal or state limit; shown for transparencyHighest6.4 ng/L
- OPELIKA, WW BD. OF THE CITY OF6.4 ng/LSample date: 2023-03-23 to 2024-01-17
- LOACHAPOKA WATER AUTHORITY5.3 ng/LSample date: 2024-07-10 to 2025-04-07
- AUBURN, THE WW BOARD OF THE CITY OFNot detected · below 3.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2025-02-17 to 2025-11-03
23 substances tested, none detected in any systemShow
Tested in these 3 systems: AUBURN, THE WW BOARD OF THE CITY OF, LOACHAPOKA WATER AUTHORITY, OPELIKA, WW BD. OF THE CITY OF
- 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)
- Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA)
- Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA)
- Perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA)
- Perfluoroheptanesulfonic acid (PFHpS)
- Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA)
- Perfluoropentanesulfonic acid (PFPeS)
- Perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTA)
- Perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA)
- Perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA)
Cities ranked by the records
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.
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 AlabamaLargest water systems
- AuburnAUBURN, THE WW BOARD OF THE CITY OF · AL000080474,292 served
- OpelikaOPELIKA, WW BD. OF THE CITY OF · AL000081656,520 served
- LoachapokaLOACHAPOKA WATER AUTHORITY · AL000081414,964 served
Frequently asked
How does Lee County tap water compare across cities?
PurityMap ranks 3 cities in Lee 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 Auburn's main water system: AUBURN, THE WW BOARD OF THE CITY OF · PWSID AL0000804 · Purity Score 57 (Fair) · 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 Lee County cities had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit?
3 of 3 Lee County city reports had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit in EPA's UCMR 5 testing, including Loachapoka (PFOA 16 ng/L), Auburn (PFOA 12 ng/L), Opelika (PFOA 11 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 Lee County tap water?
Utilities report lead as a 90th-percentile result from home taps. 2 of 3 Lee 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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