Columbia, TN · PFAS · forever chemicals
Is There PFAS in Columbia Tap Water?
Columbia, TN: PFHxA 3.2 ng/L detected, below the 400,000 ng/L state limit, in 2024 testing. Every PFAS result and filter certifications per compound.
The measurements · EPA UCMR 5
1 of 29 PFAS detected
Each result is read against its own reference. None of the detected compounds has a federal limit.
- PFHxAState MCL · MichiganPerfluorohexanoic acid3.2ng/LDetected, below its state limit · sampled 2023-01-25 to 2024-01-30Evidence
All 29 compounds in this record
- PFOAMCLNot detected
- PFOSMCLNot detected
- PFHxSMCLNot detected
- PFNAMCLNot detected
- HFPO-DA (GenX)MCLNot detected
- PFHxA3.2 ng/L
- 11Cl-PF3OUdSNot detected
- 4:2 FTSNot detected
- 6:2 FTSNot detected
- 8:2 FTSNot detected
- 9Cl-PF3ONSNot detected
- ADONANot detected
- NEtFOSAANot detected
- NFDHANot detected
- NMeFOSAANot detected
- PFBANot detected
- PFBSNot detected
- PFDANot detected
- PFDoANot detected
- PFEESANot detected
- PFHpANot detected
- PFHpSNot detected
- PFMBANot detected
- PFMPANot detected
- PFPeANot detected
- PFPeSNot detected
- PFTANot detected
- PFTrDANot detected
- PFUnANot detected
MCL marks the 5 PFAS given a federal limit in EPA's 2024 rule. EPA has proposed rescinding three of those limits; they apply until a final rule.
Results as a table29 results with limit, status, sample date and source
| Contaminant | Result | Limit | Status | Sampled | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) | 3.2 ng/L | 400,000 ng/L Michigan EGLE state MCL (strictest US state) | Within a historical reference; current applicability unverified | 2023-01-25 to 2024-01-30 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: COLUMBIA POWER AND WATER SYSTEMS (TN0000128) |
| 11-Chloroeicosafluoro-3-oxaundecane-1-sulfonic acid (11Cl-PF3OUdS) | < 5 ng/L | No federal or state limit; shown for transparency | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2023-01-25 to 2024-01-30 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: COLUMBIA POWER AND WATER SYSTEMS (TN0000128) |
| 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorodecane sulfonic acid (8:2 FTS) | < 5 ng/L | No federal or state limit; shown for transparency | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2023-01-25 to 2024-01-30 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: COLUMBIA POWER AND WATER SYSTEMS (TN0000128) |
| 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (4:2 FTS) | < 3 ng/L | No federal or state limit; shown for transparency | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2023-01-25 to 2024-01-30 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: COLUMBIA POWER AND WATER SYSTEMS (TN0000128) |
| 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (6:2 FTS) | < 5 ng/L | No federal or state limit; shown for transparency | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2023-01-25 to 2024-01-30 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: COLUMBIA POWER AND WATER SYSTEMS (TN0000128) |
| 4,8-Dioxa-3H-perfluorononanoic acid (ADONA) | < 3 ng/L | No federal or state limit; shown for transparency | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2023-01-25 to 2024-01-30 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: COLUMBIA POWER AND WATER SYSTEMS (TN0000128) |
| 9-Chlorohexadecafluoro-3-oxanone-1-sulfonic acid (9Cl-PF3ONS) | < 2 ng/L | No federal or state limit; shown for transparency | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2023-01-25 to 2024-01-30 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: COLUMBIA POWER AND WATER SYSTEMS (TN0000128) |
| Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA) (GenX chemicals) | < 5 ng/L | 10 ng/L federal MCL (2024) | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2023-01-25 to 2024-01-30 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: COLUMBIA POWER AND WATER SYSTEMS (TN0000128) |
| N-ethyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid (NEtFOSAA) | < 5 ng/L | No federal or state limit; shown for transparency | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2023-01-25 to 2023-10-18 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: COLUMBIA POWER AND WATER SYSTEMS (TN0000128) |
| N-methyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid (NMeFOSAA) | < 6 ng/L | No federal or state limit; shown for transparency | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2023-01-25 to 2023-10-18 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: COLUMBIA POWER AND WATER SYSTEMS (TN0000128) |
| Nonafluoro-3,6-dioxaheptanoic acid (NFDHA) | < 20 ng/L | No federal or state limit; shown for transparency | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2023-01-25 to 2024-01-30 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: COLUMBIA POWER AND WATER SYSTEMS (TN0000128) |
| Perfluoro (2-ethoxyethane) sulfonic acid (PFEESA) | < 3 ng/L | No federal or state limit; shown for transparency | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2023-01-25 to 2024-01-30 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: COLUMBIA POWER AND WATER SYSTEMS (TN0000128) |
| Perfluoro-3-methoxypropanoic acid (PFMPA) | < 4 ng/L | No federal or state limit; shown for transparency | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2023-01-25 to 2024-01-30 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: COLUMBIA POWER AND WATER SYSTEMS (TN0000128) |
| Perfluoro-4-methoxybutanoic acid (PFMBA) | < 3 ng/L | No federal or state limit; shown for transparency | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2023-01-25 to 2024-01-30 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: COLUMBIA POWER AND WATER SYSTEMS (TN0000128) |
| Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS) | < 3 ng/L | 2,000 ng/L EPA health advisory (screening, not a legal limit)Screening level, not a legal limit | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2023-01-25 to 2024-01-30 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: COLUMBIA POWER AND WATER SYSTEMS (TN0000128) |
| Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) | < 5 ng/L | No federal or state limit; shown for transparency | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2023-01-25 to 2024-01-30 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: COLUMBIA POWER AND WATER SYSTEMS (TN0000128) |
| Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) | < 3 ng/L | No federal or state limit; shown for transparency | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2023-01-25 to 2024-01-30 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: COLUMBIA POWER AND WATER SYSTEMS (TN0000128) |
| Perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA) | < 3 ng/L | No federal or state limit; shown for transparency | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2023-01-25 to 2024-01-30 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: COLUMBIA POWER AND WATER SYSTEMS (TN0000128) |
| Perfluoroheptanesulfonic acid (PFHpS) | < 3 ng/L | No federal or state limit; shown for transparency | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2023-01-25 to 2024-01-30 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: COLUMBIA POWER AND WATER SYSTEMS (TN0000128) |
| Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA) | < 3 ng/L | No federal or state limit; shown for transparency | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2023-01-25 to 2024-01-30 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: COLUMBIA POWER AND WATER SYSTEMS (TN0000128) |
| Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) | < 3 ng/L | 10 ng/L federal MCL (2024) | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2023-01-25 to 2024-01-30 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: COLUMBIA POWER AND WATER SYSTEMS (TN0000128) |
| Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) | < 4 ng/L | 10 ng/L federal MCL (2024) | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2023-01-25 to 2024-01-30 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: COLUMBIA POWER AND WATER SYSTEMS (TN0000128) |
| Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) | < 4 ng/L | 4.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024) | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2023-01-25 to 2024-01-30 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: COLUMBIA POWER AND WATER SYSTEMS (TN0000128) |
| Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) | < 4 ng/L | 4.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024) | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2023-01-25 to 2024-01-30 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: COLUMBIA POWER AND WATER SYSTEMS (TN0000128) |
| Perfluoropentanesulfonic acid (PFPeS) | < 4 ng/L | No federal or state limit; shown for transparency | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2023-01-25 to 2024-01-30 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: COLUMBIA POWER AND WATER SYSTEMS (TN0000128) |
| Perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA) | < 3 ng/L | No federal or state limit; shown for transparency | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2023-01-25 to 2024-01-30 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: COLUMBIA POWER AND WATER SYSTEMS (TN0000128) |
| Perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTA) | < 8 ng/L | No federal or state limit; shown for transparency | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2023-01-25 to 2023-10-18 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: COLUMBIA POWER AND WATER SYSTEMS (TN0000128) |
| Perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA) | < 7 ng/L | No federal or state limit; shown for transparency | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2023-01-25 to 2023-10-18 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: COLUMBIA POWER AND WATER SYSTEMS (TN0000128) |
| Perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA) | < 2 ng/L | No federal or state limit; shown for transparency | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2023-01-25 to 2024-01-30 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: COLUMBIA POWER AND WATER SYSTEMS (TN0000128) |
How this compares
PFOS across 764 cities with a detected value
4 ng/L federal MCL (2024)
3,396 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.
Where Columbia sitsNot on the stripColumbia’s PFOS result was below the lab’s reporting limit.
In Tennessee
24of 146 city reports
have a regulated PFAS above the federal limit.
PFAS across Tennessee →What this record covers
- COLUMBIA POWER AND WATER SYSTEMS's water system as a whole, as reported to EPA UCMR 5.
- 29 PFAS compounds, each with its own result.
- Samples taken 2023-01-25 to 2024-01-30.
What is unknown
- The water at your tap. Building plumbing isn't in this record.
- PFAS not listed in the 29 above were not reported in these records.
- Levels since the last sample have not been published.
Treatment capabilities that apply
Test first, then match a certified method.
A tap test can confirm levels at your home before you choose treatment.
Identified concerns
- PFHxA · detected below the limit
- Reverse osmosisOpen the method →
- Activated carbon (GAC)Open the method →
- Anion exchangeOpen the method →
No product in our catalogue has verified certification for these concerns yet.
Questions
Frequently asked
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Is there PFAS in Columbia tap water?
In EPA's UCMR 5 testing of COLUMBIA POWER AND WATER SYSTEMS (2023-01-25 to 2024-01-30): PFHxA 3.2 ng/L (state limit 400,000) 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. Results above them today are above the limits in force.
How do I remove PFAS from my tap water?
Reverse-osmosis systems and filters certified to NSF/ANSI 53 or 58 for PFOA/PFOS reduction are the proven options at the tap. Check the certifier's listing (NSF, WQA or IAPMO) for the exact model, and replace cartridges on schedule.
- UCMR5 Analytical ResultsUCMR5 Analytical Results: COLUMBIA POWER AND WATER SYSTEMS (TN0000128)US EPA · 2026-01-15View source ↗
- State SDWIS Compliance RecordLead & Copper Rule 90th-percentile: COLUMBIA POWER AND WATER SYSTEMS (TN0000128)US EPA SDWIS · 2026-07-09View source ↗