171 public water systems in Virginia were sampled in EPA's UCMR 5 programme (2023–2025); we show six PFAS and lithium. Read 2026-10-31.
20 of 171 systems had at least one sample above a 2024 federal limit; 46 had at least one PFAS found above the reporting level; 125 had none found above the reporting level.
A single sample above a 2024 limit is a measurement, not a violation. Compliance is judged on running yearly averages, and water systems have until 2029 to meet the limits. On 20 May 2026 EPA proposed giving qualifying systems until 2031 for PFOA and PFOS and removing the limits for PFHxS, PFNA and HFPO-DA; those proposals were not final when we last checked (5 Nov 2026). Counts are per system, not per person; population figures are available only for systems serving more than 25,000 people (about 6,054,223 people across those systems here). UCMR 5 was a one-time national monitoring programme (2023–2025). The results are a snapshot at the system's entry points or taps on the sample dates, not a continuous measurement and not a compliance record.
| System | People served | UCMR 5 result |
|---|---|---|
| Fairfax County Water Authority Fairfax County Water Authority | 1,121,613 | Above the 2024 limit in at least one sample |
| Virginia Beach Virginia Beach, City of | 437,994 | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Newport News Newport News, City of | 407,300 | Above the 2024 limit in at least one sample |
| Chesterfield Chesterfield Co Central Water System | 389,897 | None detected (below the reporting level) |
Pages for these are being added in stages. The data for all 171 systems is in the public dataset.
| System | People served | UCMR 5 result |
|---|---|---|
| Loudoun Water - Central System Loudoun Water - Central System | 334,808 | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Henrico County Water System Henrico County Water System | 330,000 | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Norfolk Va, City of Norfolk Va, City of | 234,220 | Above the 2024 limit in at least one sample |
| Richmond Va City of Richmond Va City of | 233,655 | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Arlington County Arlington County | 215,000 | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Western Virginia Water Authority Western Virginia Water Authority | 182,700 | Above the 2024 limit in at least one sample |
| Pwcsa - East Pwcsa - East | 168,747 | Above the 2024 limit in at least one sample |
| City of Chesapeake - Northwest River Sys City of Chesapeake - Northwest River Sys | 165,240 | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Alexandria, City of Alexandria, City of | 159,200 | Detected, below the 2024 limit |
| Pwcsa - West Pwcsa - West | 136,409 | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Stafford County Utilities Stafford County Utilities | 123,684 | Above the 2024 limit in at least one sample |
| Portsmouth, City of Portsmouth, City of | 97,915 | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Spotsylvania County Utilities Spotsylvania County Utilities | 96,846 | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Lynchburg, City of Lynchburg, City of | 80,995 | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Acsa Urban Area Acsa Urban Area | 77,408 | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Dale City Dale City | 72,062 | Above the 2024 limit in at least one sample |
| Suffolk, City of Suffolk, City of | 69,822 | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Leesburg, Town of Leesburg, Town of | 65,028 | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Harrisonburg, City of Harrisonburg, City of | 61,000 | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Hanover Suburban Water System Hanover Suburban Water System | 57,931 | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Jcsa - Central System Jcsa - Central System | 57,726 | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Norfolk Naval Base Norfolk Naval Base | 48,826 | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Washington County Service Authority Washington County Service Authority | 47,574 | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Charlottesville, City of Charlottesville, City of | 46,553 | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Frederick Water Frederick Water | 46,206 | Detected, below the 2024 limit |