Community Water System · PWS PA3060059
Reading Area Water Authority
Operator location Reading, Pennsylvania - UCMR5 detected 5 PFAS compounds (upper-third PFAS panel (> 4 compounds)) on this PWS; SDWIS lists 124 violations and 95,100 people served.
- 95,100
- People served (this PWS)
- 124
- EPA violations (this PWS)
- 25
- Health-based (this PWS)
- 5 PFAS
- UCMR5 (this PWS)
Reading Area Water Authority standing, high SDWIS violation third
UCMR5 detected 5 PFAS compounds - upper-third PFAS panel (> 4 compounds). Corpus terciles use 29,740 systems serving 500+ (the sitemap cohort). Health-based share 20% is middle-third health share (≤ 23%). UCMR5: upper-third PFAS panel (> 4 compounds). Population rank #525 of 29,740 among systems serving 500+.
The verdict
Reading Area Water Authority sits in the upper third of the sitemap cohort by violation count (124), so the tables below sample a dense compliance trail rather than a near-clean ledger. Population served is large (95,100; larger served population (> 3,309)), so household exposure scale sits behind the violation mix. Health-based share is 20% (middle-third health share (≤ 23%)). UCMR5 detected 5 PFAS compounds (upper-third PFAS panel (> 4 compounds)).
- #525 of 29,740
- Population · /systems
- #19 of 1,340
- Population · PA
- 124
- Total EPA violations on record
- 20%
- Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
Population ordinals match the sitemap cohort (systems serving 500+, population_served DESC). See methodology · corpus placement.
5 PFAS "forever chemicals" detected in testing under EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
System Details
- System Type
- Community
- Owner Type
- Local
- Connections
- 28,500
- County
- Berks
- School/Daycare
- No
- MCL Violations
- 14
- Monitoring Violations
- 93
- Treatment Tech Violations
- 11
Violation History
Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.
| Contaminant | Category | Count | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revised Total Coliform Rule | MCL | 10 | 2018 |
| Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule | MR | 8 | 2013 |
| Surface Water Treatment Rule | TT | 7 | 2006 |
| Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule | TT | 4 | 2025 |
| cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene | MR | 4 | 1994 |
| Xylenes, Total | MR | 4 | 1994 |
| p-Dichlorobenzene | MR | 4 | 1994 |
| trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene | MR | 4 | 1994 |
| 1,2-Dichloroethane | MR | 4 | 1994 |
| 1,1,1-Trichloroethane | MR | 4 | 1994 |
| 1,2-Dichloropropane | MR | 4 | 1994 |
| Tetrachloroethylene | MR | 4 | 1994 |
| Toluene | MR | 4 | 1994 |
| Styrene | MR | 4 | 1994 |
| DICHLOROMETHANE | MR | 4 | 1994 |
| o-Dichlorobenzene | MR | 4 | 1994 |
| Trichloroethylene | MR | 4 | 1994 |
| CHLOROBENZENE | MR | 4 | 1994 |
| Benzene | MR | 4 | 1994 |
| Carbon tetrachloride | MR | 4 | 1994 |
| 1,1-Dichloroethylene | MR | 4 | 1994 |
| 1,1,2-Trichloroethane | MR | 4 | 1994 |
| Ethylbenzene | MR | 4 | 1994 |
| Coliform (TCR) | MR | 3 | 2005 |
| Consumer Confidence Rule | Other | 2 | 2006 |
| Surface Water Treatment Rule | MR | 2 | 2018 |
| 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene | MR | 2 | 1994 |
| Thallium, Total | MR | 2 | 2018 |
| Toxaphene | MCL | 1 | 1984 |
| 2,4,5-TP | MCL | 1 | 1984 |
Violation Count vs. the National Corpus
Reading Area Water Authority has 124 recorded EPA violations, 77% of the 29,740 public water systems serving 500+ people nationwide carry fewer, and 22% carry more. 20% of this system's own violations are health-based (25 of 124), and it ranks #525 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)
124 Higher than most more violations than 77% 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. 17 of 116 samples detected PFAS.
| Contaminant | Date | Result | MRL | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PFEESA | 7/8/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 11Cl-PF3OUdS | 7/8/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHpS | 7/8/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 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 |
| 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 |
| 4:2 FTS | 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 |
| PFMPA | 7/8/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFPeA | 7/8/2024 | 5.40 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Detected |
| PFPeS | 7/8/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFMBA | 7/8/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHxA | 7/8/2024 | 4.20 ppt | 3.00 ppt | 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 |
| PFDA | 7/8/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFOA | 7/8/2024 | 6.30 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Detected |
| PFOS | 7/8/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFNA | 7/8/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHxS | 7/8/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHpA | 7/8/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFBS | 7/8/2024 | 5.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Detected |
| PFTrDA | 7/8/2024 | <7.00 ppt | 7.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFTA | 7/8/2024 | <8.00 ppt | 8.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFUnA | 7/8/2024 | <2.00 ppt | 2.00 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 |
| PFPeS | 4/8/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| NMeFOSAA | 4/8/2024 | <6.00 ppt | 6.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| NEtFOSAA | 4/8/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFTrDA | 4/8/2024 | <7.00 ppt | 7.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFTA | 4/8/2024 | <8.00 ppt | 8.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFBA | 4/8/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFNA | 4/8/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHpS | 4/8/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| NFDHA | 4/8/2024 | <20.00 ppt | 20.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFEESA | 4/8/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFMBA | 4/8/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFPeA | 4/8/2024 | 4.10 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Detected |
| PFMPA | 4/8/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 8:2 FTS | 4/8/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 6:2 FTS | 4/8/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| HFPO-DA | 4/8/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| ADONA | 4/8/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 9Cl-PF3ONS | 4/8/2024 | <2.00 ppt | 2.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 11Cl-PF3OUdS | 4/8/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHxS | 4/8/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 4:2 FTS | 4/8/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
UCMR5 PFAS record for Reading Area Water Authority
Open EPA SDWIS federal reports for PWS PA3060059 to cross-check UCMR5 detections and violation codes; state primacy agencies enforce the Safe Drinking Water Act locally.
Sources: EPA SDWIS · Pennsylvania DEP, Bureau of Safe Drinking Water
Nationwide peers
124 violations · 95,100 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 Reading Area 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.