Ask for EPA Method 533 or 537.1
These are the methods behind the federal results. Ask which compounds are on the panel, so PFBS is included, and keep the reporting limit with your result.
Find a certified lab in Tennessee ↗ (opens in a new tab)Athens, TN · PFAS · forever chemicals
Is There PFAS in Athens Tap Water?
One PFAS was detected; it has no federal limit.PFBS 11.6 ng/L was detected in Athens water in 2023–2024. The five PFAS with federal limits were not detected.
- ATHENS UTILITIES BOARD · PWSID TN0000024
- Purity Score 99 · Excellent
- Confidence: moderate
The measurements · EPA UCMR 5EPA has proposed rescinding the PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and Hazard Index limits; they apply until a final rule. Bars run to 2× each limit; the dashed line is the limit. ND = below the lab’s reporting limit, not zero. “Not on record” = the record carries no result for it.
Every PFAS with a federal limit, for this system- PFOAlimit 4 ng/LNDNot detected
- PFOSlimit 4 ng/LNDNot detected
- PFHxSlimit 10 ng/Llimit under EPA reviewNDNot detected
- PFNAlimit 10 ng/Llimit under EPA reviewNDNot detected
- HFPO-DA (GenX)limit 10 ng/Llimit under EPA reviewNDNot detected
- Hazard indexlimit 1 (mixture)limit under EPA reviewNot on recordNot on record
Also detected · no federal limit
- PFBS 11.6 ng/L
How Athens compares3,396 more were below the lab’s 4 ng/L reporting limit and aren’t plotted, and 34 have no result on record. 66 cities above 25 ng/L are grouped in the last bar. A position here is not a verdict on the water.
PFOS across 764 cities with a detected value4 ng/L MCL
Not on the chart: Athens’s PFOS result was below the lab’s reporting limit, so it can’t be placed among the cities that detected it.
In Tennessee, 24 of 146 city reports have a regulated PFAS above the federal limit. PFAS across Tennessee →
City water and your tap
PFAS come with the water, not from your pipes.
Your tap usually reflects the system’s water, but results vary between samples and sources. Only a certified lab test tells you what reaches your glass today.
How to test for PFAS- Source waterWhere PFAS enter
- Athens treatmentIn the record
- DistributionLittle change
- Building plumbingDoesn’t add PFAS
- Your tapLab test confirms
In order of priority
What can you do about PFAS?
- Read what was tested29 compounds were measured. Check whether the compounds you care about are on the list.What this record covers →Test your tapA certified lab using EPA Method 533 or 537.1 gives a number for your glass.PFAS testing →
- Reduce if it’s a concernChoose a filter whose certification names the compound your test found.Treatment options →Follow new resultsPFAS limits and sampling are changing. Get one email when Athens’ record does.Follow Athens →
What this record covers
- ATHENS UTILITIES BOARD’s water system as a whole, as reported to EPA UCMR 5.
- 29 PFAS compounds, each with its own result.
- Samples taken 2023-09-26 to 2024-06-19.
What is unknown
- The water at your tap today.
- PFAS not listed in the 29 above were not reported in these records.
- Levels since the last sample have not been published.
Test your own tap
PFAS testing needs a lab
PFAS are measured in parts per trillion. Home strips can’t read that low, so a certified lab is the only way to get a number for your tap.
Why we don’t list a PFAS test strip
No home strip has been shown to detect PFAS at the levels federal limits use. A mail-in lab kit is the closest at-home option; check that its lab is accredited and that its panel names the compounds you need.
Read your lab results →Commercial · treatment for the PFAS found
Treatment options for PFBS in Athens
We may earn a commissionPurityMap earns a commission from these links. "Best choice" and "Budget pick" go to certified products first; commission never decides them. A product that is not independently certified carries a plain “Brand lab-tested, not independently certified” label. Affiliate disclosure- PFBS
- Source-water pathway
- RO · carbon · anion exchange
- Listing names the compound
- Product
- Product
- Compounds
- PFBS 11.6 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal limit
- Regulated PFAS
- 0 of 5 detected
- Household concern
- Depends on a tap test
Matching technologyReverse osmosis, activated carbon or anion exchange
Why: these are the technologies certified to reduce PFAS. Certification is compound by compound, so check that a listing names the compound you need to reduce.
- NSF/ANSI 58 · RO
- NSF/ANSI 53 · carbon
- Listing-specific · anion exchange
★ Best available: Waterdrop G3P600 Reverse Osmosis System, the best fit here; nothing in this group is certified yet.
| Pick | Product | Details and price | Certification | Why it’s listed | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★ Best available | Reverse osmosisWaterdrop G3P600 Reverse Osmosis System | TechnologyReverse osmosisPrice$$$ | Brand lab-tested, not independently certified for PFAS | See the evidence | Check price at Waterdrop |
| $ Budget pick | Reverse osmosisiSpring RCC7AK Alkaline Reverse Osmosis SystemUse code REFISPRING at checkout: 10% off your first iSpring order. | TechnologyReverse osmosisPrice$$ | Brand lab-tested, not independently certified for PFAS | See the evidence | Check price at iSpring |
| Also good | Reverse osmosisiSpring RO5004F Tankless Reverse Osmosis System with UVUse code REFISPRING at checkout: 10% off your first iSpring order. | TechnologyReverse osmosisPrice$$$ | Brand lab-tested, not independently certified for PFAS | See the evidence | Check price at iSpring |
| Also good | Reverse osmosisWaterdrop G3P800 Tankless Reverse Osmosis System | TechnologyReverse osmosisPrice$$$ | Brand lab-tested, not independently certified for PFAS | See the evidence | Check price at Waterdrop |
See all 5 drinking-water options for PFAS
| Pick | Product | Details and price | Certification | Why it’s listed | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also good | Reverse osmosisWaterdrop X12 Reverse Osmosis System | TechnologyReverse osmosisPrice$$$$ | Brand lab-tested, not independently certified for PFAS | See the evidence | Check price at Waterdrop |
★ Best available: iSpring WGB32B-PFKS PFAS & Heavy Metals Whole House Filter, the best fit here; nothing in this group is certified yet.
| Pick | Product | Details and price | Certification | Why it’s listed | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★ Best available | Whole-houseiSpring WGB32B-PFKS PFAS & Heavy Metals Whole House FilterUse code REFISPRING at checkout: 10% off your first iSpring order. | Price$$$ | Brand lab-tested, not independently certified for PFAS | See the evidence | Check price at iSpring |
Looking for regulated PFAS? Filters certified for PFOA and PFOS →
Also: lead picks →
PurityMap earns a commission from these links. "Best choice" and "Budget pick" go to certified products first; commission never decides them. Affiliate disclosure.
Don’t misread this“No federal limit” is not “no concern”, and ND is not zero
PFBS was found, but no federal limit exists to compare it with. The five regulated PFAS were below the lab’s reporting limit, which is not the same as zero. And 29 compounds were tested; PFAS not on that list have no result here.
Want a number for your tap?Test for PFAS →
Results as a table29 results with limit, status, sample date and source
Questions
PFAS in Athens, answered
Sources used for this analysis2 sources
UCMR5 Analytical Results: ATHENS UTILITIES BOARD (TN0000024)View ↗ UCMR5 Analytical Results: ATHENS UTILITIES BOARD (TN0000024) (opens in a new tab)
- Publisher: US EPA
- Record: UCMR5 Analytical Results
- Date: 2026-01-15
- Measurement: PFBS 11.6 ng/L
- Benchmark: 2024 federal MCLs
Lead & Copper Rule 90th-percentile: ATHENS UTILITIES BOARD (TN0000024)View ↗ Lead & Copper Rule 90th-percentile: ATHENS UTILITIES BOARD (TN0000024) (opens in a new tab)
- Publisher: US EPA SDWIS
- Record: State SDWIS Compliance Record
- Date: 2026-07-09
- Measurement: not on record
- Benchmark: not on record
Is there PFAS in Athens tap water?
One PFAS was detected; it has no federal limit. In EPA UCMR 5 testing of ATHENS UTILITIES BOARD (2023-09-26 to 2024-06-19): PFBS 11.6 ng/L (EPA health advisory 2,000) and the other 28 PFAS tested not detected. "Not detected" means below the lab's reporting limit, not proven zero.
What are the federal PFAS limits?
EPA's 2024 drinking-water rule set maximum contaminant levels of 4.0 ng/L for PFOA and for PFOS, and 10 ng/L for PFHxS, PFNA and HFPO-DA (GenX). In May 2026 EPA proposed keeping the PFOA and PFOS limits, with the option of until 2031 to comply, and rescinding the other three. Until a final rule, all five limits apply. The 2024 rule also set a Hazard Index of 1 for mixtures of two or more of PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and PFBS; EPA has proposed rescinding it, and it applies until a final rule.
Are PFBS regulated?
No. PFBS has no federal drinking-water limit (MCL); the 2024 rule sets limits only for PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFNA and HFPO-DA (GenX). PFBS has no limit of its own; the 2024 rule counts it only inside the Hazard Index for mixtures, which EPA has proposed rescinding. PFBS has an EPA health advisory of 2,000 ng/L, a screening level, not a legal limit. Athens's results: PFBS 11.6 ng/L.
Does "not detected" mean zero PFAS?
No. "Not detected" (ND) means the result was below the lab's reporting limit, not that the compound is absent. In Athens's record, 28 of the 29 PFAS tested were not detected. Their reporting limits run from 2 to 20 ng/L.
Which PFAS were tested in Athens?
29 PFAS compounds in EPA UCMR 5 testing of ATHENS UTILITIES BOARD (2023-09-26 to 2024-06-19), including the five with federal limits. PFBS was detected. PFAS not on that list have no result here.
Can my tap have different PFAS levels than the city report?
Yes. These results describe the water system as a whole, and levels vary between samples and sources over time. PFAS come with the water rather than from home plumbing, so your tap usually reflects the system's water, but only a certified lab test of your own tap gives a number for your glass.
How do I test my tap for PFAS?
Use a state-certified lab that runs EPA Method 533 or 537.1, the methods behind the federal results. Ask which compounds are on the panel, so PFBS is included, and keep the reporting limit with your result. No home test strip has been shown to detect PFAS at the levels federal limits use.
What filter removes PFAS from Athens water?
Reverse osmosis (NSF/ANSI 58), activated carbon (NSF/ANSI 53) and anion exchange can reduce PFAS, but certification is compound by compound. Choose a model whose current listing names the compound you need to reduce, here PFBS, check it in the certifier's listing (NSF, WQA or IAPMO), and replace cartridges on schedule.
Is there a filter certified for PFBS?
Look for PFBS by name in the certifier's listing (NSF, WQA or IAPMO) for the exact model: NSF/ANSI 53 and 58 listings name each PFAS a filter was tested to reduce. A listing for PFOA and PFOS alone does not cover PFBS.
When must Athens meet the PFAS limits?
Compliance with the 2024 limits is judged on a running annual average, with a compliance date of 2029 (EPA has proposed allowing until 2031 for PFOA and PFOS). EPA has proposed rescinding the PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and Hazard Index limits; they apply until a final rule.