Memphis, TN · PFAS · forever chemicals
Is There PFAS in Memphis Tap Water?
Memphis, TN: none of 29 PFAS detected in EPA's 2024 testing. Every PFAS result and filter certifications per compound.
The measurements · EPA UCMR 5
0 of 29 PFAS detected
None of the 29 PFAS tested was detected. “Not detected” means below the lab’s reporting limit, not proven zero.
All 29 compounds in this record
- PFOAMCLNot detected
- PFOSMCLNot detected
- PFHxSMCLNot detected
- PFNAMCLNot detected
- HFPO-DA (GenX)MCLNot detected
- 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
- PFHxANot 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2024-04-22 to 2024-10-02 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: MEMPHIS LIGHT, GAS, & WATER (TN0000450) |
| 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 | 2024-04-22 to 2024-10-02 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: MEMPHIS LIGHT, GAS, & WATER (TN0000450) |
| 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 | 2024-04-22 to 2024-10-02 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: MEMPHIS LIGHT, GAS, & WATER (TN0000450) |
| 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 | 2024-04-22 to 2024-10-02 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: MEMPHIS LIGHT, GAS, & WATER (TN0000450) |
| 4,8-Dioxa-3H-perfluorononanoic acid (ADONA) | < 3 ng/L | No federal or state limit; shown for transparency | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2024-04-22 to 2024-10-02 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: MEMPHIS LIGHT, GAS, & WATER (TN0000450) |
| 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 | 2024-04-22 to 2024-10-02 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: MEMPHIS LIGHT, GAS, & WATER (TN0000450) |
| Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA) (GenX chemicals) | < 5 ng/L | 10 ng/L federal MCL (2024) | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2024-04-22 to 2024-10-02 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: MEMPHIS LIGHT, GAS, & WATER (TN0000450) |
| N-ethyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid (NEtFOSAA) | < 5 ng/L | No federal or state limit; shown for transparency | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2024-04-22 to 2024-10-02 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: MEMPHIS LIGHT, GAS, & WATER (TN0000450) |
| N-methyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid (NMeFOSAA) | < 6 ng/L | No federal or state limit; shown for transparency | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2024-04-22 to 2024-10-02 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: MEMPHIS LIGHT, GAS, & WATER (TN0000450) |
| Nonafluoro-3,6-dioxaheptanoic acid (NFDHA) | < 20 ng/L | No federal or state limit; shown for transparency | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2024-04-22 to 2024-10-02 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: MEMPHIS LIGHT, GAS, & WATER (TN0000450) |
| Perfluoro (2-ethoxyethane) sulfonic acid (PFEESA) | < 3 ng/L | No federal or state limit; shown for transparency | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2024-04-22 to 2024-10-02 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: MEMPHIS LIGHT, GAS, & WATER (TN0000450) |
| Perfluoro-3-methoxypropanoic acid (PFMPA) | < 4 ng/L | No federal or state limit; shown for transparency | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2024-04-22 to 2024-10-02 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: MEMPHIS LIGHT, GAS, & WATER (TN0000450) |
| Perfluoro-4-methoxybutanoic acid (PFMBA) | < 3 ng/L | No federal or state limit; shown for transparency | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2024-04-22 to 2024-10-02 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: MEMPHIS LIGHT, GAS, & WATER (TN0000450) |
| 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 | 2024-04-22 to 2024-10-02 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: MEMPHIS LIGHT, GAS, & WATER (TN0000450) |
| Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) | < 5 ng/L | No federal or state limit; shown for transparency | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2024-04-22 to 2024-10-02 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: MEMPHIS LIGHT, GAS, & WATER (TN0000450) |
| Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) | < 3 ng/L | No federal or state limit; shown for transparency | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2024-04-22 to 2024-10-02 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: MEMPHIS LIGHT, GAS, & WATER (TN0000450) |
| Perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA) | < 3 ng/L | No federal or state limit; shown for transparency | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2024-04-22 to 2024-10-02 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: MEMPHIS LIGHT, GAS, & WATER (TN0000450) |
| Perfluoroheptanesulfonic acid (PFHpS) | < 3 ng/L | No federal or state limit; shown for transparency | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2024-04-22 to 2024-10-02 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: MEMPHIS LIGHT, GAS, & WATER (TN0000450) |
| Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA) | < 3 ng/L | No federal or state limit; shown for transparency | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2024-04-22 to 2024-10-02 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: MEMPHIS LIGHT, GAS, & WATER (TN0000450) |
| Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) | < 3 ng/L | 10 ng/L federal MCL (2024) | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2024-04-22 to 2024-10-02 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: MEMPHIS LIGHT, GAS, & WATER (TN0000450) |
| Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) | < 3 ng/L | 400,000 ng/L Michigan EGLE state MCL (strictest US state) | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2024-04-22 to 2024-10-02 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: MEMPHIS LIGHT, GAS, & WATER (TN0000450) |
| Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) | < 4 ng/L | 10 ng/L federal MCL (2024) | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2024-04-22 to 2024-10-02 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: MEMPHIS LIGHT, GAS, & WATER (TN0000450) |
| Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) | < 4 ng/L | 4.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024) | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2024-04-22 to 2024-10-02 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: MEMPHIS LIGHT, GAS, & WATER (TN0000450) |
| Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) | < 4 ng/L | 4.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024) | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2024-04-22 to 2024-10-02 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: MEMPHIS LIGHT, GAS, & WATER (TN0000450) |
| Perfluoropentanesulfonic acid (PFPeS) | < 4 ng/L | No federal or state limit; shown for transparency | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2024-04-22 to 2024-10-02 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: MEMPHIS LIGHT, GAS, & WATER (TN0000450) |
| Perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA) | < 3 ng/L | No federal or state limit; shown for transparency | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2024-04-22 to 2024-10-02 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: MEMPHIS LIGHT, GAS, & WATER (TN0000450) |
| Perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTA) | < 8 ng/L | No federal or state limit; shown for transparency | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2024-04-22 to 2024-10-02 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: MEMPHIS LIGHT, GAS, & WATER (TN0000450) |
| Perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA) | < 7 ng/L | No federal or state limit; shown for transparency | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2024-04-22 to 2024-10-02 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: MEMPHIS LIGHT, GAS, & WATER (TN0000450) |
| Perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA) | < 2 ng/L | No federal or state limit; shown for transparency | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2024-04-22 to 2024-10-02 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: MEMPHIS LIGHT, GAS, & WATER (TN0000450) |
How this compares
PFOS across 681 cities with a detected value
4 ng/L federal MCL (2024)
3,077 more were below the lab's 4 ng/L reporting limit and aren't plotted, and 34 have no result on record. 63 cities above 25 ng/L are grouped in the last bar. A position here is not a verdict on the water.
Where Memphis sitsNot on the stripMemphis’s PFOS result was below the lab’s reporting limit.
In Tennessee
24of 143 city reports
have a regulated PFAS above the federal limit.
PFAS across Tennessee →What this record covers
- MEMPHIS LIGHT, GAS, & WATER's water system as a whole, as reported to EPA UCMR 5.
- 29 PFAS compounds, each with its own result.
- Samples taken 2024-04-22 to 2024-10-02.
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 tells you what reaches your glass before you choose treatment.
- Reverse osmosisOpen the method →
- Activated carbon (GAC)Open the method →
- Anion exchangeOpen the method →
Nothing in Memphis’s record is a PFAS concern, so no product is matched here.See PFAS filters, checked compound by compound ↓
Commercial · PFAS filters
PFAS filters
As an Amazon Associate, PurityMap earns from qualifying purchases. A product appears here only when a current certification record covers at least one identified concern; every concern stays listed. The retail offer is looked up afterwards and never changes which products appear or their order. Affiliate disclosure.
- Browse, not a match:
- Aquasana Claryum 2-Stage Under-Sink Filter (AQ-5200)
- Aquasana Claryum 3-Stage Max Flow Under-Sink Filter (AQ-6300M)
- Aquasana Clean Water Machine Countertop Filter (AQ-CWM2)
- AquaTru Carafe Countertop Reverse-Osmosis Purifier (AT100)
- AquaTru Classic Countertop Reverse-Osmosis Purifier (AT2000)
- Brita Elite Water Filter Pitcher
- Clearly Filtered Pitcher (lab-tested, not NSF 53 certified)
- Culligan ZeroWater 10-Cup Pitcher (ZEROP10)
- Frizzlife SP99 Under-Sink Filter
- Patriot Pure Ultimate Water Filtration System
- Waterdrop G3P600 Tankless Reverse-Osmosis System
- Waterdrop G3P800 Tankless Reverse-Osmosis System
- Whirlpool Filter 3 Refrigerator Water Filter (WHR3RXD1)
A tap test first tells you which PFAS reach your glass.
Questions
Frequently asked
Follow this water
Get Memphis updates
We'll email you when new PFAS results are published for Memphis.
Double opt-in: we email a confirmation link. Unsubscribe anytime. No spam.
Is there PFAS in Memphis tap water?
In EPA's UCMR 5 testing of MEMPHIS LIGHT, GAS, & WATER (2024-04-22 to 2024-10-02): none of the 29 PFAS tested 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: MEMPHIS LIGHT, GAS, & WATER (TN0000450)US EPA · 2026-01-15View source ↗
- State SDWIS Compliance RecordLead & Copper Rule 90th-percentile: MEMPHIS LIGHT, GAS, & WATER (TN0000450)US EPA SDWIS · 2026-07-09View source ↗
- Consumer Confidence Report (CCR)Memphis Light, Gas and Water (MLGW) 2025 Consumer Confidence Report (CCR)Memphis Light, Gas and Water (MLGW) · 2025-01-01View source ↗