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Community Water System · PWS MD0100015

City of Frederick

Frederick, Maryland 21701 - drinking water served from surface water sources to 54,000 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

54,000
People served
11
EPA violations
5
Health-based
1 PFAS
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 11 drinking-water violations at City of Frederick, 45% of them health-based - below the Maryland per-system average, and UCMR5 testing detected 1 PFAS compound.

11
Total EPA violations on record
45%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
54,000
People served by this system
1
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: City of Frederick

City of Frederick is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 54,000 residents in Frederick, Maryland (Frederick County) through 16,600 service connections. Its water is drawn from surface water sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 11 total violations for this system , of which 5 (45%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 2 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2013.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Consumer Confidence Rule, recorded in 3 violations (Other). Under EPA's UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program, 1 PFAS compound was detected in samples collected from this system, with a maximum reported concentration of 3.1 ppt (parts per trillion). PFAS are persistent synthetic chemicals linked to health effects at very low exposure levels.

Across Maryland, EPA tracks 3,215 public water systems serving 6,070,211 people, with 60,496 cumulative violations and 18,132 health-based violations on record. About 80% of systems in the state carry at least one violation, and state-wide the average per system is 18.8 violations. Statewide, 50 of 83 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (60.2%).

City of Frederick's 11 violations sit below the Maryland 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

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

Population Served
54,000
Total Violations
11
Health-Based Violations
5
Water Source
Surface Water

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
16,600
County
Frederick
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
3
Monitoring Violations
2
Treatment Tech Violations
2

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Consumer Confidence Rule Other 3 2008
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MCL 3 2013
Cryptosporidium MR 2 2008
Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 2 2009

PFAS Testing Results (UCMR5)

Results from EPA's Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule. 1 of 464 samples detected PFAS.

Contaminant Date Result MRL Status
PFOA 9/5/2024 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
ADONA 9/5/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
11Cl-PF3OUdS 9/5/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxA 9/5/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDoA 9/5/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDA 9/5/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOS 9/5/2024 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFNA 9/5/2024 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxS 9/5/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
HFPO-DA 9/5/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBS 9/5/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
9Cl-PF3ONS 9/5/2024 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpA 9/5/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
NEtFOSAA 9/5/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFUnA 9/5/2024 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
NMeFOSAA 9/5/2024 <6.00 ppt 6.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBA 9/5/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTrDA 9/5/2024 <7.00 ppt 7.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTA 9/5/2024 <8.00 ppt 8.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpS 9/5/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeS 9/5/2024 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
NFDHA 9/5/2024 <20.00 ppt 20.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMBA 9/5/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeA 9/5/2024 3.10 ppt 3.00 ppt Detected
PFMPA 9/5/2024 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
8:2 FTS 9/5/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
4:2 FTS 9/5/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
6:2 FTS 9/5/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFEESA 9/5/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
ADONA 9/5/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
4:2 FTS 9/5/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
9Cl-PF3ONS 9/5/2024 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
11Cl-PF3OUdS 9/5/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxA 9/5/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDoA 9/5/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
HFPO-DA 9/5/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFNA 9/5/2024 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
6:2 FTS 9/5/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
8:2 FTS 9/5/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpS 9/5/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDA 9/5/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
NFDHA 9/5/2024 <20.00 ppt 20.00 ppt Not Detected
NMeFOSAA 9/5/2024 <6.00 ppt 6.00 ppt Not Detected
PFEESA 9/5/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMBA 9/5/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMPA 9/5/2024 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBA 9/5/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeA 9/5/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOS 9/5/2024 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTrDA 9/5/2024 <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 City of Frederick.

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 MD0100015 on SDWIS

Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search

State Regulator

Maryland Drinking Water Authority

Maryland'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 MD 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
2013 Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MCL 3 SDWIS / MD0100015 / 2456
2009 Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 2 SDWIS / MD0100015 / 0800
2008 Consumer Confidence Rule Other 3 SDWIS / MD0100015 / 7000
2008 Cryptosporidium MR 2 SDWIS / MD0100015 / 3015

How City of Frederick Compares

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

Metric City of Frederick Maryland avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 11 18.8 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 5 5.6 Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL
PFAS detection 1 compound 60.2% EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt
Population served 54,000 1,888 Sizing context for compliance burden

Sources: EPA SDWIS and EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR Part 141). State averages computed across 3,215 regulated public water systems in Maryland.

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 City of Frederick water safe to drink?
City of Frederick (PWS ID: MD0100015) has 11 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. PFAS contamination has been detected in UCMR5 testing, with 1 PFAS compound found. This system serves 54,000 people using Surface Water sources.
How many people does City of Frederick serve?
City of Frederick serves 54,000 people in Frederick, Maryland. It is a Local-owned system using Surface Water water sources with 16,600 service connections.
What type of violations does City of Frederick have?
City of Frederick has 11 total violations: 5 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 2 monitoring/reporting violations, and 2 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in City of Frederick water?
Yes. UCMR5 testing detected 1 PFAS compound in City of Frederick's water supply: PFPeA. PFAS are persistent "forever chemicals" that do not break down in the environment.
What water source does City of Frederick use?
City of Frederick 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.
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.