Community Water System · PWS PA1150026
Downingtown Water Authority
Operator location Downingtown, Pennsylvania - larger served population (> 3,309) at 9,900 people served; 248 SDWIS violations on record from surface water sources.
- 9,900
- People served (this PWS)
- 248
- EPA violations (this PWS)
- 26
- Health-based (this PWS)
- 4 PFAS
- UCMR5 (this PWS)
Downingtown Water Authority standing, high SDWIS violation third
9,900 people served (SDWIS) - larger served population (> 3,309). Corpus terciles use 29,740 systems serving 500+ (the sitemap cohort). Health-based share 10% is middle-third health share (≤ 23%). UCMR5: middle-third PFAS panel (≤ 4 compounds). Population rank #4,739 of 29,740 among systems serving 500+.
The verdict
Downingtown Water Authority sits in the upper third of the sitemap cohort by violation count (248), so the tables below sample a dense compliance trail rather than a near-clean ledger. Population served is large (9,900; larger served population (> 3,309)), so household exposure scale sits behind the violation mix. Health-based share is 10% (middle-third health share (≤ 23%)). UCMR5 detected 4 PFAS compounds (middle-third PFAS panel (≤ 4 compounds)).
- #4,739 of 29,740
- Population · /systems
- #150 of 1,340
- Population · PA
- 248
- Total EPA violations on record
- 10%
- Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
Population ordinals match the sitemap cohort (systems serving 500+, population_served DESC). See methodology · corpus placement.
4 PFAS "forever chemicals" detected in testing under EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
System Details
- System Type
- Community
- Owner Type
- Local
- Connections
- 3,681
- County
- Chester
- School/Daycare
- No
- MCL Violations
- 10
- Monitoring Violations
- 199
- Treatment Tech Violations
- 16
Violation History
Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.
| Contaminant | Category | Count | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| CARBON, TOTAL | MR | 27 | 2018 |
| Public Notice | Other | 15 | 2014 |
| CARBON, TOTAL | TT | 12 | 2014 |
| Coliform (TCR) | MR | 10 | 2015 |
| Fluoride | MR | 9 | 2014 |
| Surface Water Treatment Rule | MR | 9 | 2014 |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | MR | 8 | 2022 |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | MCL | 7 | 2013 |
| Cadmium | MR | 7 | 2014 |
| TTHM | MR | 6 | 2025 |
| Barium | MR | 5 | 2014 |
| Selenium | MR | 5 | 2014 |
| Antimony, Total | MR | 5 | 2014 |
| Beryllium, Total | MR | 5 | 2014 |
| Thallium, Total | MR | 5 | 2014 |
| Nitrate | MR | 5 | 1994 |
| Nickel | MR | 5 | 2014 |
| Nitrite | MR | 4 | 2013 |
| Chlorine | MR | 4 | 2014 |
| 1,1-Dichloroethylene | MR | 4 | 2023 |
| Carbon tetrachloride | MR | 4 | 2023 |
| Trichloroethylene | MR | 4 | 2023 |
| Benzene | MR | 4 | 2023 |
| Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule | MR | 4 | 2025 |
| p-Dichlorobenzene | MR | 4 | 2023 |
| 1,2-Dichloroethane | MR | 4 | 2023 |
| 1,1,1-Trichloroethane | MR | 4 | 2023 |
| Surface Water Treatment Rule | TT | 4 | 1998 |
| Lead and Copper Rule | MR | 4 | 2013 |
| Chromium | MR | 3 | 2014 |
Violation Count vs. the National Corpus
Downingtown Water Authority has 248 recorded EPA violations, 88% of the 29,740 public water systems serving 500+ people nationwide carry fewer, and 12% carry more. 10% of this system's own violations are health-based (26 of 248), and it ranks #4,739 of 29,740 by population served among that same cohort.
EPA violations vs. the national water-system corpus
Public water systems serving 500+ people (EPA SDWIS)
248 Higher than most more violations than 88% of 29,740 water systems
the national water-system corpus, bucketed by value
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more water systems. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source EPA SDWIS · 2026-05-15
PFAS Testing Results (UCMR5)
Results from EPA's Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule. 6 of 116 samples detected PFAS.
| Contaminant | Date | Result | MRL | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PFMPA | 7/8/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFEESA | 7/8/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHxS | 7/8/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFMBA | 7/8/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 8:2 FTS | 7/8/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFBS | 7/8/2024 | 3.70 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Detected |
| PFHpA | 7/8/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFPeA | 7/8/2024 | 3.40 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Detected |
| PFNA | 7/8/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFOS | 7/8/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFDA | 7/8/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFDoA | 7/8/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| NFDHA | 7/8/2024 | <20.00 ppt | 20.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFPeS | 7/8/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHpS | 7/8/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHxA | 7/8/2024 | 3.10 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Detected |
| 4:2 FTS | 7/8/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFUnA | 7/8/2024 | <2.00 ppt | 2.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFOA | 7/8/2024 | 4.20 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Detected |
| PFTrDA | 7/8/2024 | <7.00 ppt | 7.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 6:2 FTS | 7/8/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 9Cl-PF3ONS | 7/8/2024 | <2.00 ppt | 2.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFTA | 7/8/2024 | <8.00 ppt | 8.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| NEtFOSAA | 7/8/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| NMeFOSAA | 7/8/2024 | <6.00 ppt | 6.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 11Cl-PF3OUdS | 7/8/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| ADONA | 7/8/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| HFPO-DA | 7/8/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFBA | 7/8/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| NEtFOSAA | 4/24/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 9Cl-PF3ONS | 4/24/2024 | <2.00 ppt | 2.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| ADONA | 4/24/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 4:2 FTS | 4/24/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFMPA | 4/24/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFPeA | 4/24/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFMBA | 4/24/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 11Cl-PF3OUdS | 4/24/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFTrDA | 4/24/2024 | <7.00 ppt | 7.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| HFPO-DA | 4/24/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 6:2 FTS | 4/24/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFBA | 4/24/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHpS | 4/24/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFPeS | 4/24/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| NFDHA | 4/24/2024 | <20.00 ppt | 20.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFEESA | 4/24/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHxS | 4/24/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFTA | 4/24/2024 | <8.00 ppt | 8.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFNA | 4/24/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 8:2 FTS | 4/24/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFUnA | 4/24/2024 | <2.00 ppt | 2.00 ppt | Not Detected |
Population served record for Downingtown Water Authority
EPA SDWIS lists 9,900 people served and 3,681 connections for this PWS, confirm the service-area footprint on the federal report before comparing to municipal census totals.
Sources: EPA SDWIS · Pennsylvania DEP, Bureau of Safe Drinking Water
Nationwide peers
248 violations · 9,900 served: nearest cross-state SDWIS matches.
Cross-state systems with comparable violation load
Nearest cross-state community systems (500+ served) by total SDWIS violations on record.
Cross-state systems with similar served population
Nearest cross-state systems by EPA SDWIS population_served (same 500+ sitemap gate).
What to do with Downingtown Water Authority
Use this system's EPA-reported record as a starting filter, not a final verdict.
- See how every tracked system in Pennsylvania compares on the same EPA violation measures. Pennsylvania systems
- Check whether PFAS was detected at this system under UCMR5 testing. PFAS guide
- Find and compare another public water system by name or PWSID. Search systems
EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 figures are informational only, not a substitute for a certified lab test of your own tap water.