Not on the chart: Watertown’s PFOS result was below the lab’s reporting limit, so it can’t be placed among the cities that detected it.
In New York, 28 of 145 city reports had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit. PFAS across New York →
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 PFASPFAS 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.
These are the methods behind the federal results. Ask which compounds are on the panel, so PFOA and PFHxS are included, and keep the reporting limit with your result.
Find a certified lab in New York ↗ (opens in a new tab)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 →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.
★ Best choice: Aquasana Claryum 2-Stage Under-Sink Filter (AQ-5200), certified for PFOA and lead.
| Pick | Product | Details and price | Certification | Why it’s listed | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★ Best choice | Under-sinkAquasana Claryum 2-Stage Under-Sink Filter (AQ-5200) | TreatsPFOA and leadPrice$$ | Certified for PFOA (NSF/ANSI 53, WQA) | Why it’s listed: its current certification names PFOA, found in Watertown’s record.See the evidence | Check price on Amazon |
| Also good | Under-sinkAquasana Claryum 3-Stage Max Flow Under-Sink Filter (AQ-6300M) | TreatsPFOA and leadPrice$$ | Certified for PFOA (NSF/ANSI 53, WQA) | Why it’s listed: its current certification names PFOA, found in Watertown’s record.See the evidence | Check price at Aquasana |
| Also good | CountertopAquasana Clean Water Machine Countertop Filter (AQ-CWM2) | TreatsPFOA and leadPrice$$ | Certified for PFOA (NSF/ANSI 53, WQA) | Why it’s listed: its current certification names PFOA, found in Watertown’s record.See the evidence | Check price at Aquasana |
| Pick | Product | Details and price | Certification | Why it’s listed | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also good | Reverse osmosisSmartFlow® Reverse Osmosis | TreatsPFOA and leadTechnologyReverse osmosisPrice$$$ | Certified for PFOA (NSF/ANSI 53 (includes P473), WQA) | Why it’s listed: its current certification names PFOA, found in Watertown’s record.See the evidence | Check price at Aquasana |
| Also good | Under-sinkWaterdrop G3P600 Tankless Reverse-Osmosis System | TreatsPFOA and leadPrice$$$ | Certified for PFOA (NSF/ANSI 53, IAPMO) | Why it’s listed: its current certification names PFOA, found in Watertown’s record.See the evidence | Check price at Waterdrop |
| Also good | Under-sinkWaterdrop G3P800 Tankless Reverse-Osmosis System | TreatsPFOA and leadPrice$$$ | Certified for PFOA (NSF/ANSI 53, IAPMO) | Why it’s listed: its current certification names PFOA, found in Watertown’s record.See the evidence | Check price at Waterdrop |
| Also good | CountertopAquaTru Carafe Countertop Reverse-Osmosis Purifier (AT100) | TreatsPFOA and leadPrice$$$ | Certified for PFOA (NSF/ANSI 53, IAPMO) | Why it’s listed: its current certification names PFOA, found in Watertown’s record.See the evidence | Check price on Amazon |
| Also good | CountertopAquaTru Classic Countertop Reverse-Osmosis Purifier (AT2000) | TreatsPFOA and leadPrice$$$ | Certified for PFOA (NSF/ANSI 53, IAPMO) | Why it’s listed: its current certification names PFOA, found in Watertown’s record.See the evidence | Check price on Amazon |
| Also good | CountertopPatriot Pure Ultimate Water Filtration System | TreatsPFOA and leadPrice$$ | Certified for PFOA (NSF/ANSI 53, NSF, IAPMO) | Why it’s listed: its current certification names PFOA, found in Watertown’s record.See the evidence | Check price on Amazon |
| Also good | Reverse osmosisiSpring RCC7AK Alkaline Reverse Osmosis SystemUse code REFISPRING at checkout: 10% off your first iSpring order. | TechnologyReverse osmosisPrice$$ | Brand lab-tested for PFAS, not independently certified for PFOA and PFHxS | 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$$$ | Brand lab-tested for PFAS, not independently certified for PFOA and PFHxS | See the evidence | Check price at iSpring |
| Also good | Reverse osmosisWaterdrop X12 Reverse Osmosis System | TechnologyReverse osmosisPrice$$$$ | Brand lab-tested for PFAS, not independently certified for PFOA and PFHxS | See the evidence | Check price at Waterdrop |
★ Best choice: HealthShield™, certified for PFOA and PFHxS.
| Pick | Product | Details and price | Certification | Why it’s listed | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★ Best choice | Whole-houseHealthShield™ | TreatsPFOA and PFHxSPrice$$$$ | Certified for PFOA and PFHxS (NSF/ANSI 53, WQA) | Why it’s listed: its current certification names PFOA and PFHxS, found in Watertown’s record.See the evidence | Check price at Aquasana |
| $ Budget pick | Whole-houseiSpring WGB32B-PFKS PFAS & Heavy Metals Whole House FilterUse code REFISPRING at checkout: 10% off your first iSpring order. | Price$$$ | Brand lab-tested for PFAS, not independently certified for PFOA and PFHxS | See the evidence | Check price at iSpring |
Also: lead picks →
PurityMap earns a commission from these links. "Best choice" and "Budget pick" go to certified products first; commission never decides them. As an Amazon Associate, PurityMap earns from qualifying purchases. Affiliate disclosure.
These results describe WATERTOWN CITY’s water system, not the water in your glass. 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). The 27 compounds not detected 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.
One PFAS had a sample above a 2024 EPA limit. In EPA UCMR 5 testing of WATERTOWN CITY (2024-08-12 to 2025-06-24): PFOA 7.3 ng/L (limit 4), PFHxS 3.9 ng/L (limit 10) and the other 27 PFAS tested not detected. "Not detected" means below the lab's reporting limit, not proven zero.
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.
No. "Not detected" (ND) means the result was below the lab's reporting limit, not that the compound is absent. In Watertown's record, 27 of the 29 PFAS tested were not detected. Their reporting limits run from 2 to 20 ng/L.
29 PFAS compounds in EPA UCMR 5 testing of WATERTOWN CITY (2024-08-12 to 2025-06-24), including the five with federal limits. PFOA and PFHxS were detected. PFAS not on that list have no result here.
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.
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 PFOA and PFHxS are 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.
Reverse osmosis, activated carbon and anion exchange can reduce PFAS, but certification is compound by compound. Look for NSF/ANSI 53 or 58 naming the compound; RO systems often carry it under 53. Choose a model whose current listing names the compound you need to reduce, here PFOA and PFHxS, check it in the certifier's listing (NSF, WQA or IAPMO), and replace cartridges on schedule.
Look for PFOA and PFHxS 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 PFHxS.
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.