Is Port Allegany Water Department water safe to drink?

Port Allegany Water Department (PWS ID: PA6420021) has 935 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. EPA SDWIS lists this system's service population as 2,591 people using Groundwater sources.

How many people does Port Allegany Water Department serve?

EPA SDWIS reports that Port Allegany Water Department serves 2,591 people (this public water system's service population, not the municipal population of Port Allegany or any other city). It is a Local-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 1,033 service connections. The operator address is listed in Port Allegany, Pennsylvania.

What type of violations does Port Allegany Water Department have?

Port Allegany Water Department has 935 total violations: 9 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 915 monitoring/reporting violations, and 7 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.

Has PFAS been detected in Port Allegany Water Department water?

No PFAS testing data is available for Port Allegany Water Department under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.

What water source does Port Allegany Water Department use?

Port Allegany Water Department uses Groundwater 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.

Where does Port Allegany Water Department sit among U.S. public water systems?

According to EPA SDWIS population_served among sitemap-advertised systems (serving 500+), Port Allegany Water Department ranks #11,637 of 29,740 by people served, and #447 of 1,340 in Pennsylvania. Ordinals use population_served DESC among systems serving 500+ (the sitemap cohort). See /methodology#corpus-placement.

How does Port Allegany Water Department's violation count compare nationally?

Port Allegany Water Department has 935 recorded EPA SDWIS violations, fewer than 1% of the 29,740 public water systems serving 500 or more people nationwide (the same sitemap cohort used for the corpus-placement ranking above). 99% of that cohort has fewer violations than Port Allegany Water Department. A system can have zero recorded violations and still be actively monitored, and a high violation count often reflects a system that reports thoroughly, not necessarily one with worse water.

States → Pennsylvania

Community Water System · PWS PA6420021

Port Allegany Water Department

Operator location Port Allegany, Pennsylvania - upper-third violation load (> 74 violations) with 935 EPA violations; groundwater source; 2,591 served (PWS-level, not municipal population).

Compiled by PlainWater · May 15, 2026

2,591
People served (this PWS) Middle third of systems: 935
EPA violations (this PWS) Upper third of systems: 9
Health-based (this PWS) Middle third by health-based share: Untested
UCMR5 (this PWS) No UCMR5 result

Follow published updates (RSS)

Port Allegany Water Department standing, high SDWIS violation third

935 EPA SDWIS violations on record - upper-third violation load (> 74 violations). Corpus terciles use 29,740 systems serving 500+ (the sitemap cohort). Health-based share 1% is middle-third health share (≤ 23%). Population rank #11,637 of 29,740 among systems serving 500+.

The verdict

Port Allegany Water Department sits in the upper third of the sitemap cohort by violation count (935), so the tables below sample a dense compliance trail rather than a near-clean ledger. Population served is mid-pack at 2,591 (mid served population (≤ 3,309)). Health-based share is 1% (middle-third health share (≤ 23%)). No UCMR5 PFAS test appears for this system in this extract.

#11,637 of 29,740
Population · /systems: #447 of 1,340
Population · PA: 935
Total EPA violations on record: 1%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)

Population ordinals match the sitemap cohort (systems serving 500+, population_served DESC). See methodology · corpus placement.

Water Safety Score

15/100

Port Allegany Water Department

Based on EPA SDWIS violation history and UCMR5 PFAS testing only, not water taste, odor, infrastructure age, or contaminants outside the federally tracked set.

Health-based violations F

EPA SDWIS health-based violations on record (MCL, MRDL, treatment technique)

Monitoring & reporting violations F

926

Non-health SDWIS violations (monitoring, reporting, and other compliance)

PFAS contamination N/A

Not UCMR5-tested

Highest PFAS compound level detected in UCMR5 testing

System Details

System Type: Community
Owner Type: Local
Connections: 1,033
County: McKean
School/Daycare: No
MCL Violations: 2
Monitoring Violations: 915
Treatment Tech Violations: 7

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant	Category	Count	Latest
Chlorine	MR	37	2008
DICHLOROMETHANE	MR	32	2014
cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene	MR	28	2012
1,1-Dichloroethylene	MR	28	2012
Xylenes, Total	MR	27	2006
p-Dichlorobenzene	MR	26	2006
trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene	MR	26	2006
1,2-Dichloroethane	MR	26	2006
1,1,1-Trichloroethane	MR	26	2006
Carbon tetrachloride	MR	26	2006
1,1,2-Trichloroethane	MR	26	2006
Tetrachloroethylene	MR	26	2006
Benzene	MR	26	2006
Toluene	MR	26	2006
Styrene	MR	26	2006
1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene	MR	26	2006
o-Dichlorobenzene	MR	26	2006
1,2-Dichloropropane	MR	26	2006
CHLOROBENZENE	MR	26	2006
Ethylbenzene	MR	26	2006
Trichloroethylene	MR	26	2006
Coliform (TCR)	MR	18	2010
1,2-DIBROMO-3-CHLOROPROPANE	MR	17	2023
ETHYLENE DIBROMIDE	MR	17	2023
Benzo(a)pyrene	MR	12	2019
Heptachlor epoxide	MR	10	2011
Endrin	MR	9	2011
Methoxychlor	MR	9	2011
2,4-D	MR	9	2011
2,4,5-TP	MR	9	2011

Violation Count vs. the National Corpus

Port Allegany Water Department has 935 recorded EPA violations, 99% of the 29,740 public water systems serving 500+ people nationwide carry fewer, and 1% carry more. 1% of this system's own violations are health-based (9 of 935), and it ranks #11,637 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)

935 Higher than most more violations than 99% 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

How many violations vs. how serious, among peer systems

Port Allegany Water Department plotted against 29 peer public water systems (500+ people served), by total violation count (x) and the share of those violations that are health-based (y). The crosshair sits at this sample's own median on each axis. A high violation count does not automatically mean a serious record: most monitoring and reporting violations are minor, not health-based.

30 public water systems (500+ people served), EPA SDWIS current release.

How to read this

Each dot is one public water system; the highlighted dot is Port Allegany Water Department. A system to the right has more recorded violations; a system higher up has a larger share of those violations classified health-based rather than monitoring or reporting.

Rare but serious: few violations, but most of them are health-based.
Frequent, mostly paperwork: many violations, but mostly monitoring or reporting, not health-based.
Clean record: below-median on both counts, the tinted corner.

View all 30 systems as a list

City of Ballinger: 372 violations, 85% health-based
Nooksack Valley Water Association: 16 violations, 31% health-based
Montgomery Co RWD 12: 7 violations, 29% health-based
Irvin Water District #6: 11 violations, 27% health-based
Ticonderoga WD: 47 violations, 26% health-based
Pine Valley Plantation: 37 violations, 24% health-based
McLouth, City Of: 29 violations, 17% health-based
Kipling Oaks 1: 25 violations, 16% health-based
South Deerfield Water Supply District: 96 violations, 16% health-based
Sunset Ridge Water District: 82 violations, 15% health-based
Orange Water Dept: 136 violations, 14% health-based
Mount Pleasant Water Sys #1: 167 violations, 11% health-based
Lake Gibson Estates: 42 violations, 2% health-based
Benson Culinary Improvement District: 212 violations, 1% health-based
Conemaugh Twp Muni Auth: 567 violations, 1% health-based
Port Allegany Water Department: 935 violations, 1% health-based (this system)
Miccosukee Service Plaza: 0 violations, 0% health-based
Brazoria - Fort Bend Counties MUD 3: 0 violations, 0% health-based
Tanglewilde Thompson Place 600: 2 violations, 0% health-based
Center Water Co: 5 violations, 0% health-based
Spring Mills Elem School/Hvs: 9 violations, 0% health-based
Great Bend Industrial Park: 14 violations, 0% health-based
Glen Park Village: 19 violations, 0% health-based
Camp Is-Sho-Da: 22 violations, 0% health-based
Hamilton: 33 violations, 0% health-based
Town of Welaka: 54 violations, 0% health-based
Township of Blairstown Dpw: 61 violations, 0% health-based
McIntosh Water & Fire Pro Authority: 71 violations, 0% health-based
Clarkdale Municipal Water System: 114 violations, 0% health-based
Eureka Water Association: 273 violations, 0% health-based

SDWIS compliance record for Port Allegany Water Department

935 violations on record for PA6420021; use EPA SDWIS to confirm return-to-compliance dates and monitoring categories.

EPA SDWIS · PWS PA6420021 PA primacy agency

Sources: EPA SDWIS · Pennsylvania DEP, Bureau of Safe Drinking Water

Nationwide peers

935 violations · 2,591 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.

4 peers

Cross-state systems near this population served

Nearest cross-state systems by EPA SDWIS population_served (same 500+ sitemap gate).

4 peers

What to do with Port Allegany Water Department

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.

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

Compiled by PlainWater, Drinking Water Quality Editorial Process · May 15, 2026

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