PFAS "forever chemicals" contaminate drinking water across the country. The government data exists — we make it readable.
The Basics
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — "forever chemicals" — don't break down in the environment or in your body.
PFAS are a family of over 12,000 synthetic chemicals used since the 1940s in nonstick cookware, water-resistant clothing, food packaging, firefighting foam, and hundreds of industrial processes. Their carbon-fluorine bonds are among the strongest in chemistry — which is why they persist indefinitely in the environment and in the human body.
Contamination spreads through soil and groundwater from industrial discharge sites, military bases that used PFAS-containing firefighting foam, and landfills accepting PFAS-laden waste. Over decades, these chemicals migrated into the water supplies that communities — and their water utilities — draw from.
Water utilities did not create this problem. In most cases, local water systems are downstream victims of contamination that originated elsewhere — at manufacturing plants, military installations, and industrial facilities that released PFAS into the environment over many years, often before the risks were publicly known or regulated. The utilities now bear the cost of detecting and removing chemicals they did not put there.
Health effects linked to PFAS exposure include thyroid disruption, immune suppression, certain cancers, and developmental impacts in children. The EPA finalized maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for six PFAS in drinking water in April 2024 — though the regulatory landscape continues to evolve.
The challenge isn't that data doesn't exist. It's that the data is spread across EPA databases, state agencies, and scientific studies in formats most people can't easily use. PFASData.com is built to change that.
Contamination Lookup
Enter your zip code to see public water systems, PFAS detection data, and the elected officials responsible for fixing it.
Data from EPA ECHO & UCMR 5 · No information stored · Government sources only
Enter a zip code above to see PFAS detection data for public water systems in your area.
Your elected officials will appear here after you look up your zip code
The Full Picture
Most conversations about PFAS focus on drinking water — and for good reason. But water is not your primary source of PFAS exposure. Research consistently shows that the majority of PFAS accumulating in the average American body enters through everyday household products, food packaging, and consumer goods — items most people handle daily without a second thought.
This doesn't make water data less important. It means the problem is bigger than water. We focus on water because it's where the best public data exists and where regulation is most advanced. But understanding where else PFAS comes from is essential to understanding your actual exposure.
PTFE-coated pans, pots, and bakeware release PFAS — especially when scratched or overheated. Older cookware carries the highest risk.
Grease-resistant wrappers, microwave popcorn bags, fast food containers, and pizza boxes are treated with PFAS that leach into food on contact.
PFAS-contaminated soil and irrigation water mean PFAS can be present in fruits, vegetables, meat, and fish — particularly near industrial or military sites.
Some cosmetics, shampoos, moisturizers, dental floss, and sunscreens contain PFAS as a smoothing or water-resistant ingredient. Labels rarely say so explicitly.
Water-resistant outerwear, stain-repellent carpets, upholstery, and outdoor gear are treated with PFAS. Washing these releases PFAS into wastewater.
PFAS shed from treated products accumulate in household dust. Children who crawl on carpets and put hands in mouths face disproportionate exposure through this route.
Some plastic containers and resealable bags contain or shed PFAS. Transfer of PFAS into food is greatest with fatty foods, heat, and prolonged contact.
Workers in firefighting, semiconductor manufacturing, chemical production, and certain military roles face far higher exposure than the general public.
Why this site focuses on water data — Water is where the best standardized, publicly available data exists. The EPA's monitoring programs, UCMR testing, and facility discharge records give us something concrete to measure and map. Exposure through food, products, and dust is real and significant, but far harder to quantify at a community level.
A low PFAS reading in your water supply does not mean low PFAS exposure overall. And a high reading in your water does not mean water is your only concern. We present this data as one piece of the exposure picture — not the whole picture.
Where the Data Comes From
All data is sourced directly from official government databases. Nothing is estimated or inferred.
Enforcement and Compliance History Online. Covers over 1 million regulated facilities — drinking water systems, discharge sites, and Superfund locations.
Integrates data from the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI), Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), and Superfund records.
The Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule. Requires testing of 29 PFAS compounds across all large public water systems (2023–2025).
A multi-agency portal (EPA + USGS) covering surface water and groundwater sampling. Supports geographic queries by county and watershed.
Bulk downloads covering 12 data categories: discharge monitoring, spills, federal sites, greenhouse gas data, industry sectors, and more.
States like NJ, CA, and MI have richer local datasets not captured in federal systems. We're working to integrate these where APIs or bulk files are available.
What We Don't Know
Understanding where data is missing is as important as the data itself. Here's where gaps are largest — and what they mean for you.
An estimated 43 million Americans rely on private wells. Federal monitoring programs cover only public water systems — private wells are almost entirely absent from these datasets.
Most results in federal databases are 1–3 years old. Many water providers have since taken action to reduce PFAS. This data shows past conditions, not necessarily today's.
Systems serving fewer than 3,300 people were not required to test under UCMR 5. This creates a significant blind spot in rural and semi-rural communities.
Several states maintain PFAS databases with richer local data not reflected in federal systems. Integration is ongoing and uneven.
The EPA finalized MCLs for six PFAS in April 2024 but has since signaled revisions. Health thresholds on this site will update as regulations change.
Food, food packaging, consumer products, and indoor air are significant exposure sources not covered here. This site focuses on water and soil data only.
Take Action
Knowing what's in your water is step one. Step two is making sure the people responsible for fixing it actually do. PFAS contamination persists partly because the public hasn't yet made it politically costly to ignore. That's changing — and you can be part of why.
Look up your zip code above. Understand what was detected, what the levels mean, and whether your area has gaps in testing. You can't advocate effectively without the facts.
Federal and state lawmakers set the standards and the enforcement budgets. Most have heard little from constituents about PFAS. A constituent call or letter lands harder than you'd expect — especially in districts where contamination is documented.
Find your officials ↓Water utility board meetings, county commission sessions, and state agency public comment periods are often nearly empty. Showing up — or submitting written comments — creates a record and signals that constituents are paying attention.
EPA public participation guide ↗Forward your zip code results to neighbors, local reporters, parent groups, and community organizations. Many people don't know this data exists. Local media coverage of PFAS results has repeatedly triggered regulatory action.
When the EPA or your state agency opens a comment period on PFAS regulations, individual comments from affected residents matter. We'll flag open comment periods in our newsletter.
regulations.gov ↗Organizations actively litigating and lobbying on PFAS accountability include Earthjustice, the Environmental Working Group, Clean Water Action, and your state's attorney general office.
Officials Directory
Use your zip code to find your specific elected officials, or browse the key offices and committees with direct authority over PFAS regulation and enforcement.
Opens official government directory — no data stored here
All links open official government or nonpartisan directories. PFASData.com does not collect or store any information you enter above.
"Hello, my name is [your name] and I'm a constituent calling from [your city/zip]. I'm calling about PFAS contamination in our drinking water. According to EPA data, [your water system or county] has detected PFAS at levels I'm concerned about.
I'm asking the [Senator/Representative/official] to support stronger federal PFAS standards, full funding for the EPA's PFAS enforcement programs, and accountability for the industrial sources responsible for this contamination — not the water utilities working to clean it up.
Can you tell me the [Senator's/Representative's] current position on PFAS drinking water standards? And can you make a note of my call? Thank you."
Subject: PFAS contamination in [your city/county] — request for action
Dear [Official's name],
I am writing as a constituent from [your city/zip] to urge your attention to PFAS contamination in our community's drinking water. Federal data available at PFASData.com shows that [your water system] has detected [compound and level] in recent testing.
PFAS are persistent chemicals introduced into our environment by decades of industrial activity and military operations — not by our water utilities, which are themselves working to address contamination they did not cause. The communities served by these utilities deserve strong standards, robust enforcement, and accountability directed at the actual sources of contamination.
I am asking you to: support the EPA's PFAS drinking water standards; ensure adequate funding for PFAS testing and remediation; and push for the CERCLA hazardous substance designation that holds polluters — not ratepayers — responsible for cleanup costs.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. I would welcome a response.
Sincerely,
[Your name, address]
For public comment periods at regulations.gov or state agency portals:
I am a resident of [city, state, zip] submitting comments in support of strong PFAS drinking water standards.
PFAS contamination in my community is documented in federal databases and represents a serious, ongoing public health concern. These chemicals were introduced into our environment by industrial manufacturers and military operations over decades — my community did not choose this exposure, and our water utility did not cause it.
I urge the agency to: maintain and strengthen maximum contaminant level standards for all six regulated PFAS; expand testing requirements to cover smaller water systems and private wells currently excluded from federal monitoring; and ensure that the cost of remediation falls on the parties responsible for contamination, not on ratepayers or public utilities.
The public's right to safe drinking water must not be subordinated to the interests of those who profited from PFAS use while externalizing the cost of cleanup onto communities.
About This Site
The data to understand PFAS contamination in your community exists — it's collected by the EPA, USGS, and state agencies. But it lives in technical databases, uses specialized terminology, and requires tools most people don't have.
PFASData.com is an independent public resource that aggregates, normalizes, and presents that data in plain language. We are not a testing service, not affiliated with any regulatory agency, and do not sell data or advertising.
A note on water utilities: finding PFAS in your water system's data does not mean your utility caused the problem. In the vast majority of cases, utilities are working to treat water that was contaminated by industrial or military sources upstream — often chemicals that were discharged into the environment years or decades before current regulations existed. We present this data so communities can ask informed questions, not assign blame to the wrong parties.
All data is linked directly to its original government source. We encourage you to verify anything here against those primary sources before making health or legal decisions.
Questions, corrections, or data contributions? hello@pfasdata.com
Information on this site is for general educational purposes only. It is not medical advice, legal advice, or a substitute for professional consultation. PFAS health effects are an active area of research and regulatory change — thresholds and recommendations evolve.
Always consult your water utility, state health department, or a qualified professional before making decisions about your water supply.
Keep This Free
PFASData.com has no ads, no water filters for sale, and no industry funding. It exists because people like you think the public deserves clear, honest data. Here's how it stays alive.
A direct contribution keeps the site independent and pays for the writers, data engineers, and hosting that make it work.
A single clearly-labeled sponsor spot in our PFAS alerts email — available to nonprofits, law firms, and public health organizations. Never to filter companies or chemical manufacturers.
We actively pursue journalism and environmental health grants. If you work at a foundation aligned with water quality, transparency, or public health — we'd like to talk.
Law firms, academic researchers, and public health agencies can license our cleaned, normalized PFAS dataset. Priced to be accessible; structured to sustain the public site.
Detailed PDF reports on specific water systems or regions — useful for legal cases, real estate due diligence, or community organizing. Public data always stays free.
Developers and researchers can pay for higher-volume, structured API access to the same data that powers this site. Personal and nonprofit use stays free.
We will always disclose how the site is funded. Donor and sponsor lists will be published.