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Community Water System · PWS PA3390062

Salisbury Twp Water System

Allentown, Pennsylvania 18103 - drinking water served from surface water sources to 8,522 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

8,522
People served
13
EPA violations
0
Health-based
5 PFAS
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 13 drinking-water violations at Salisbury Twp Water System - below the Pennsylvania per-system average, and UCMR5 testing detected 5 PFAS compounds.

13
Total EPA violations on record
0%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
8,522
People served by this system
5
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Salisbury Twp Water System

Salisbury Twp Water System is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 8,522 residents in Allentown, Pennsylvania (Lehigh County) through 3,297 service connections. Its water is drawn from surface water sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 13 total violations for this system , of which 0 (0%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 9 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2019.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is TTHM, recorded in 5 violations (MR). Under EPA's UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program, 5 PFAS compounds were detected in samples collected from this system, with a maximum reported concentration of 5.6 ppt (parts per trillion). PFAS are persistent synthetic chemicals linked to health effects at very low exposure levels.

Across Pennsylvania, EPA tracks 7,701 public water systems serving 12,630,061 people, with 1,159,868 cumulative violations and 68,517 health-based violations on record. About 97% of systems in the state carry at least one violation, and state-wide the average per system is 150.6 violations. Statewide, 224 of 389 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (57.6%).

Salisbury Twp Water System's 13 violations sit below the Pennsylvania 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

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

Population Served
8,522
Total Violations
13
Health-Based Violations
0
Water Source
Surface Water

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
3,297
County
Lehigh
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
0
Monitoring Violations
9
Treatment Tech Violations
0

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
TTHM MR 5 2016
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 4 2016
Consumer Confidence Rule Other 3 2019

PFAS Testing Results (UCMR5)

Results from EPA's Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule. 12 of 116 samples detected PFAS.

Contaminant Date Result MRL Status
NFDHA 7/21/2025 <20.00 ppt 20.00 ppt Not Detected
6:2 FTS 7/21/2025 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
4:2 FTS 7/21/2025 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpS 7/21/2025 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBS 7/21/2025 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpA 7/21/2025 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMPA 7/21/2025 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBA 7/21/2025 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFEESA 7/21/2025 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
8:2 FTS 7/21/2025 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeS 7/21/2025 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
NEtFOSAA 7/21/2025 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTrDA 7/21/2025 <7.00 ppt 7.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTA 7/21/2025 <8.00 ppt 8.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMBA 7/21/2025 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOA 7/21/2025 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
NMeFOSAA 7/21/2025 <6.00 ppt 6.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeA 7/21/2025 4.50 ppt 3.00 ppt Detected
HFPO-DA 7/21/2025 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOS 7/21/2025 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxS 7/21/2025 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDA 7/21/2025 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDoA 7/21/2025 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxA 7/21/2025 3.30 ppt 3.00 ppt Detected
PFUnA 7/21/2025 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
11Cl-PF3OUdS 7/21/2025 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
9Cl-PF3ONS 7/21/2025 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
ADONA 7/21/2025 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFNA 7/21/2025 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeS 4/22/2025 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBA 4/22/2025 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
6:2 FTS 4/22/2025 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
4:2 FTS 4/22/2025 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
8:2 FTS 4/22/2025 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMPA 4/22/2025 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeA 4/22/2025 4.30 ppt 3.00 ppt Detected
PFMBA 4/22/2025 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
NFDHA 4/22/2025 <20.00 ppt 20.00 ppt Not Detected
HFPO-DA 4/22/2025 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpS 4/22/2025 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTA 4/22/2025 <8.00 ppt 8.00 ppt Not Detected
PFEESA 4/22/2025 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
9Cl-PF3ONS 4/22/2025 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
PFUnA 4/22/2025 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxA 4/22/2025 3.20 ppt 3.00 ppt Detected
PFDoA 4/22/2025 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDA 4/22/2025 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOA 4/22/2025 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOS 4/22/2025 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFNA 4/22/2025 <4.00 ppt 4.00 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 Salisbury Twp Water System.

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 PA3390062 on SDWIS

Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search

State Regulator

Pennsylvania Drinking Water Authority

Pennsylvania DEP, Bureau of Safe Drinking Water is the primacy agency that licenses and inspects Salisbury Twp Water System under EPA-delegated authority.

Open PA regulator portal

Source: Pennsylvania DEP, Bureau of Safe Drinking Water

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
2019 Consumer Confidence Rule Other 3 SDWIS / PA3390062 / 7000
2016 TTHM MR 5 SDWIS / PA3390062 / 2950
2016 Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 4 SDWIS / PA3390062 / 2456

How Salisbury Twp Water System Compares

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

Metric Salisbury Twp Water System Pennsylvania avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 13 150.6 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 0 8.9 Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL
PFAS detection 5 compounds 57.6% EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt
Population served 8,522 1,640 Sizing context for compliance burden

Sources: EPA SDWIS and EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR Part 141). State averages computed across 7,701 regulated public water systems in Pennsylvania.

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 Salisbury Twp Water System water safe to drink?
Salisbury Twp Water System (PWS ID: PA3390062) has 13 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. PFAS contamination has been detected in UCMR5 testing, with 5 PFAS compounds found. This system serves 8,522 people using Surface Water sources.
How many people does Salisbury Twp Water System serve?
Salisbury Twp Water System serves 8,522 people in Allentown, Pennsylvania. It is a Local-owned system using Surface Water water sources with 3,297 service connections.
What type of violations does Salisbury Twp Water System have?
Salisbury Twp Water System has 13 total violations: 0 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 9 monitoring/reporting violations, and 0 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Salisbury Twp Water System water?
Yes. UCMR5 testing detected 5 PFAS compounds in Salisbury Twp Water System's water supply: PFPeA, PFHxA, PFOS, PFOA, PFBS. PFAS are persistent "forever chemicals" that do not break down in the environment.
What water source does Salisbury Twp Water System use?
Salisbury Twp Water System 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.