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PFAS in City of Atwater drinking water

EPA UCMR 5 results for public water system CA2410001 serving Atwater (California). 10 of 29 PFAS detected.

PFOA (highest result)
33 ppt above 4.0 ppt
PFOS (highest result)
45 ppt above 4.0 ppt
PFAS detected
10 of 29 tested
Water system
CITY OF ATWATER (PWSID CA2410001)
System size
Large (serves more than 10,000 people)
Samples
16 sample event(s) at 8 sampling point(s), 2023-10-31 to 2024-05-07
Areas served (SDWIS)
Atwater
Counties
Merced
ZIP codes (UCMR 5)
95301
Source
EPA UCMR 5 final occurrence data (EPA page last updated 2026-08-28; samples collected January 2023 – December 2025) ↗

UCMR 5 is a one-time EPA monitoring program, not a compliance determination. The values shown are the highest single sample result at any of the system's sampling points; one result above 4.0 ppt does not mean the system violates the PFAS rule, which is judged on running annual averages under separate compliance monitoring. Results describe the public water system, not an individual home.

All PFAS detected

PFASHighest result (ppt)Samples with detectionEPA limit (2024 rule)
PFHxS (perfluorohexane sulfonic acid)598 of 1610 ppt (2024 rule; proposed for rescission)
PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonic acid)453 of 164.0 ppt (MCL, 2024 rule)
PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid)333 of 164.0 ppt (MCL, 2024 rule)
PFPeA (perfluoropentanoic acid)278 of 16—
PFHxA (perfluorohexanoic acid)255 of 16—
6:2 FTS131 of 16—
PFHpA (perfluoroheptanoic acid)123 of 16—
PFBA (perfluorobutanoic acid)112 of 16—
PFPeS8.22 of 16—
PFBS (perfluorobutane sulfonic acid)7.83 of 16Hazard Index component (2024 rule; proposed for rescission)

ppt = parts per trillion (ng/L). EPA reports UCMR 5 results in µg/L; we multiply by 1,000. “Samples with detection” counts results at or above the UCMR 5 minimum reporting level.

What the limits mean

In April 2024 EPA set enforceable limits (MCLs) of 4.0 ppt each for PFOA and PFOS, plus 10 ppt for PFHxS, PFNA and HFPO-DA (GenX) and a Hazard Index for mixtures, with compliance based on a running annual average at each sampling point and due in 2029 (EPA ↗). In May 2026 EPA proposed letting systems request two more years for PFOA/PFOS (to April 2031) and rescinding the PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and Hazard Index limits (EPA: extension proposal ↗ · EPA: rescission proposal ↗). These are proposals, not final rules, as of the date this page was built.

What you can do

Other tested systems in the same area

PFAS disclaimer: PFAS results are copied from EPA's UCMR 5 dataset and describe samples taken at a public water system's entry points between 2023 and 2025, not water at any specific address. Levels may have changed since sampling (for example, after new treatment). “Not detected” means below EPA's UCMR 5 minimum reporting level, not zero. This is not a compliance determination or a water test. Contact your water utility for current information.