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Community Water System · PWS AL0000816

Opelika, Ww Bd. of the City Of

Opelika, Alabama 36083 - drinking water served from surface water sources to 45,621 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

45,621
People served
67
EPA violations
28
Health-based
4 PFAS
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 67 drinking-water violations at Opelika, Ww Bd. of the City Of, 42% of them health-based - below the Alabama per-system average, and UCMR5 testing detected 4 PFAS compounds.

67
Total EPA violations on record
42%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
45,621
People served by this system
4
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Opelika, Ww Bd. of the City Of

Opelika, Ww Bd. of the City Of is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 45,621 residents in Opelika, Alabama (Lee County) through 15,207 service connections. Its water is drawn from surface water sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 67 total violations for this system , of which 28 (42%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 38 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2018.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is TTHM, recorded in 28 violations (MCL, health-based). Under EPA's UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program, 4 PFAS compounds were detected in samples collected from this system, with a maximum reported concentration of 11 ppt (parts per trillion). PFAS are persistent synthetic chemicals linked to health effects at very low exposure levels.

Across Alabama, EPA tracks 562 public water systems serving 6,193,356 people, with 40,486 cumulative violations and 3,786 health-based violations on record. About 99% of systems in the state carry at least one violation, and state-wide the average per system is 72 violations. Statewide, 157 of 306 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (51.3%).

Opelika, Ww Bd. of the City Of's 67 violations sit below the Alabama average.

All figures above are sourced directly from EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 public data releases and are updated as EPA publishes new reporting cycles.

PFAS Detected

4 PFAS "forever chemicals" detected in testing under EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.

Population Served
45,621
Total Violations
67
Health-Based Violations
28
Water Source
Surface Water

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
15,207
County
Lee
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
28
Monitoring Violations
38
Treatment Tech Violations
0

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
TTHM MCL 28 2018
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 16 2016
TTHM MR 16 2016
Dalapon MR 2 2000
1,2-DIBROMO-3-CHLOROPROPANE MR 2 1997
2,4-D MR 1 2000
Simazine MR 1 2000

PFAS Testing Results (UCMR5)

Results from EPA's Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule. 18 of 232 samples detected PFAS.

Contaminant Date Result MRL Status
NFDHA 8/30/2023 <20.00 ppt 20.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeS 8/30/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFNA 8/30/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFUnA 8/30/2023 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxS 8/30/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpA 8/30/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBS 8/30/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOS 8/30/2023 5.30 ppt 4.00 ppt Detected
PFHpS 8/30/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFEESA 8/30/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDA 8/30/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxA 8/30/2023 3.80 ppt 3.00 ppt Detected
PFOA 8/30/2023 5.80 ppt 4.00 ppt Detected
PFBA 8/30/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMBA 8/30/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeA 8/30/2023 4.60 ppt 3.00 ppt Detected
PFMPA 8/30/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
8:2 FTS 8/30/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
4:2 FTS 8/30/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDoA 8/30/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
6:2 FTS 8/30/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
11Cl-PF3OUdS 8/30/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
HFPO-DA 8/30/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
ADONA 8/30/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
9Cl-PF3ONS 8/30/2023 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
4:2 FTS 7/18/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpA 7/18/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxS 7/18/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFNA 7/18/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOA 7/18/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDoA 7/18/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxA 7/18/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
11Cl-PF3OUdS 7/18/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
9Cl-PF3ONS 7/18/2023 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
ADONA 7/18/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
HFPO-DA 7/18/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBS 7/18/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
6:2 FTS 7/18/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOS 7/18/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
8:2 FTS 7/18/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMPA 7/18/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeA 7/18/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMBA 7/18/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFEESA 7/18/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
NFDHA 7/18/2023 <20.00 ppt 20.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeS 7/18/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpS 7/18/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
NMeFOSAA 7/18/2023 <6.00 ppt 6.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTA 7/18/2023 <8.00 ppt 8.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTrDA 7/18/2023 <7.00 ppt 7.00 ppt Not Detected

Verify This Water System

The figures above are aggregated from EPA's public databases. To verify the underlying records, or to file a complaint, request a Consumer Confidence Report, or check current monitoring status, go directly to the federal and state regulators that enforce the Safe Drinking Water Act for Opelika, Ww Bd. of the City Of.

Federal Source of Truth

EPA SDWIS, Federal Reports

EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) holds the federal compliance record for every regulated public water system. Open the system-level report by PWS ID:

View PWS ID AL0000816 on SDWIS

Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search

State Regulator

Alabama Drinking Water Authority

Alabama's primacy agency administers the Safe Drinking Water Act locally. Search EPA SDWIS for the current state contact, or use the state's public health or environment department portal.

Find AL regulator via EPA SDWIS

Violation Timeline

Each row links to the EPA SDWIS public record for verification. Cross-reference the contaminant code on EPA's federal report to see violation dates, return-to-compliance status, and enforcement actions.

Year (latest) Contaminant Category Count EPA Record
2018 TTHM MCL 28 SDWIS / AL0000816 / 2950
2016 Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 16 SDWIS / AL0000816 / 2456
2016 TTHM MR 16 SDWIS / AL0000816 / 2950
2000 Dalapon MR 2 SDWIS / AL0000816 / 2031
2000 2,4-D MR 1 SDWIS / AL0000816 / 2105
2000 Simazine MR 1 SDWIS / AL0000816 / 2037
1997 1,2-DIBROMO-3-CHLOROPROPANE MR 2 SDWIS / AL0000816 / 2931

How Opelika, Ww Bd. of the City Of Compares

Cross-reference this system's record against state averages and the federal MCL framework for context.

Metric Opelika, Ww Bd. of the City Of Alabama avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 67 72 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 28 6.7 Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL
PFAS detection 4 compounds 51.3% EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt
Population served 45,621 11,020 Sizing context for compliance burden

Sources: EPA SDWIS and EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR Part 141). State averages computed across 562 regulated public water systems in Alabama.

Federal MCL reference, Safe Drinking Water Act thresholds ▼
Contaminant Federal MCL / Action Level Note
Lead 0 mg/L (Action Level: 0.015 mg/L) Lead and Copper Rule treatment technique
Arsenic 0.010 mg/L (10 ppb) Health-based MCL since 2006
Total Coliform Treatment technique (RTCR) Indicator organism, monitoring trigger
PFOA / PFOS (PFAS) 4.0 ppt each (final 2024 rule) Compliance deadline 2029 (EPA proposed extending to 2031, not yet final as of May 2026)
Nitrate (as N) 10 mg/L Acute health risk for infants

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Opelika, Ww Bd. of the City Of water safe to drink? ▼
Opelika, Ww Bd. of the City Of (PWS ID: AL0000816) has 67 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. PFAS contamination has been detected in UCMR5 testing, with 4 PFAS compounds found. This system serves 45,621 people using Surface Water sources.
How many people does Opelika, Ww Bd. of the City Of serve? ▼
Opelika, Ww Bd. of the City Of serves 45,621 people in Opelika, Alabama. It is a Local-owned system using Surface Water water sources with 15,207 service connections.
What type of violations does Opelika, Ww Bd. of the City Of have? ▼
Opelika, Ww Bd. of the City Of has 67 total violations: 28 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 38 monitoring/reporting violations, and 0 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Opelika, Ww Bd. of the City Of water? ▼
Yes. UCMR5 testing detected 4 PFAS compounds in Opelika, Ww Bd. of the City Of's water supply: PFOS, PFHxA, PFOA, PFPeA. PFAS are persistent "forever chemicals" that do not break down in the environment.
What water source does Opelika, Ww Bd. of the City Of use? ▼
Opelika, Ww Bd. of the City Of uses Surface Water as its primary water source. It is classified as a Community Water System (CWS), serving residential populations year-round.
Where does this data come from? ▼
All data comes from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and the UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program. SDWIS tracks compliance for all public water systems regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Data Sources: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), Q4 2025. PFAS data from EPA UCMR5 monitoring program (2023-2025). This data is provided for informational purposes only.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Data sourced from EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 PFAS monitoring data. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainWater Editorial

Every figure on PlainWater is rendered directly from EPA SDWIS drinking-water data, no number is typed in by an editor. This system's figures are rendered directly from EPA SDWIS data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.