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Community Water System · PWS PA7280038

Guilford Water Auth

Chambersburg, Pennsylvania 17201 - drinking water served from groundwater sources to 28,135 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

28,135
People served
669
EPA violations
51
Health-based
No PFAS
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 669 drinking-water violations at Guilford Water Auth, 8% of them health-based - above the Pennsylvania per-system average.

669
Total EPA violations on record
8%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
28,135
People served by this system
0
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Guilford Water Auth

Guilford Water Auth is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 28,135 residents in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania (Franklin County) through 11,668 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 669 total violations for this system , of which 51 (8%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 404 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2025.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Public Notice, recorded in 201 violations (Other). This system was sampled under EPA's UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program and no PFAS compounds were detected above the minimum reporting level.

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%).

Guilford Water Auth's 669 violations sit above 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.

Population Served
28,135
Total Violations
669
Health-Based Violations
51
Water Source
Groundwater

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
11,668
County
Franklin
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
7
Monitoring Violations
404
Treatment Tech Violations
44

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Public Notice Other 201 2022
Groundwater Rule TT 41 2017
Radium-226 MR 25 2018
Radium-228 MR 25 2018
Chlorine MR 23 2015
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 16 2022
1,1-Dichloroethylene MR 14 2020
1,2-Dichloroethane MR 14 2020
1,1,1-Trichloroethane MR 14 2020
Carbon tetrachloride MR 14 2020
Trichloroethylene MR 14 2020
p-Dichlorobenzene MR 14 2020
Benzene MR 14 2020
Nitrate MR 11 2012
Groundwater Rule MR 11 2025
Coliform (TCR) MR 10 2012
DICHLOROMETHANE MR 10 2020
1,2-Dichloropropane MR 10 2020
1,1,2-Trichloroethane MR 10 2020
CHLOROBENZENE MR 10 2020
Toluene MR 10 2020
Styrene MR 10 2020
Xylenes, Total MR 10 2020
o-Dichlorobenzene MR 10 2020
Ethylbenzene MR 10 2020
Tetrachloroethylene MR 10 2020
1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene MR 10 2020
trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 10 2020
cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 10 2020
Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon and U MR 9 2018

PFAS Testing Results (UCMR5)

Results from EPA's Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule. 0 of 166 samples detected PFAS.

Contaminant Date Result MRL Status
4:2 FTS 6/13/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMPA 6/13/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBA 6/13/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpS 6/13/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeS 6/13/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
NFDHA 6/13/2023 <20.00 ppt 20.00 ppt Not Detected
PFEESA 6/13/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeA 6/13/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
8:2 FTS 6/13/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
6:2 FTS 6/13/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
HFPO-DA 6/13/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
ADONA 6/13/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
9Cl-PF3ONS 6/13/2023 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
11Cl-PF3OUdS 6/13/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxS 6/13/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMBA 6/13/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFUnA 6/13/2023 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpA 6/13/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFNA 6/13/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOS 6/13/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOA 6/13/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDA 6/13/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDoA 6/13/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxA 6/13/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBS 6/13/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
ADONA 4/20/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpA 4/20/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxS 4/20/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFNA 4/20/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOS 4/20/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOA 4/20/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDA 4/20/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDoA 4/20/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxA 4/20/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFUnA 4/20/2023 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBS 4/20/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
9Cl-PF3ONS 4/20/2023 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeA 4/20/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
HFPO-DA 4/20/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBA 4/20/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
6:2 FTS 4/20/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
4:2 FTS 4/20/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
8:2 FTS 4/20/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMPA 4/20/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMBA 4/20/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
NFDHA 4/20/2023 <20.00 ppt 20.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeS 4/20/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpS 4/20/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
11Cl-PF3OUdS 4/20/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFEESA 4/20/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 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 Guilford Water Auth.

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 PA7280038 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 Guilford Water Auth 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
2025 Groundwater Rule MR 11 SDWIS / PA7280038 / 0700
2024 Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate MR 4 SDWIS / PA7280038 / 2039
2022 Public Notice Other 201 SDWIS / PA7280038 / 7500
2022 Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 16 SDWIS / PA7280038 / 2456
2022 TTHM MR 5 SDWIS / PA7280038 / 2950
2020 1,1-Dichloroethylene MR 14 SDWIS / PA7280038 / 2977
2020 1,2-Dichloroethane MR 14 SDWIS / PA7280038 / 2980
2020 1,1,1-Trichloroethane MR 14 SDWIS / PA7280038 / 2981
2020 Carbon tetrachloride MR 14 SDWIS / PA7280038 / 2982
2020 Trichloroethylene MR 14 SDWIS / PA7280038 / 2984
2020 p-Dichlorobenzene MR 14 SDWIS / PA7280038 / 2969
2020 Benzene MR 14 SDWIS / PA7280038 / 2990
2020 DICHLOROMETHANE MR 10 SDWIS / PA7280038 / 2964
2020 1,2-Dichloropropane MR 10 SDWIS / PA7280038 / 2983
2020 1,1,2-Trichloroethane MR 10 SDWIS / PA7280038 / 2985

How Guilford Water Auth Compares

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

Metric Guilford Water Auth Pennsylvania avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 669 150.6 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 51 8.9 Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL
PFAS detection None 57.6% EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt
Population served 28,135 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 Guilford Water Auth water safe to drink? ▼
Guilford Water Auth (PWS ID: PA7280038) has 669 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 28,135 people using Groundwater sources.
How many people does Guilford Water Auth serve? ▼
Guilford Water Auth serves 28,135 people in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. It is a Local-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 11,668 service connections.
What type of violations does Guilford Water Auth have? ▼
Guilford Water Auth has 669 total violations: 51 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 404 monitoring/reporting violations, and 44 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Guilford Water Auth water? ▼
No. Guilford Water Auth was tested for PFAS under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program and no PFAS contamination was detected.
What water source does Guilford Water Auth use? ▼
Guilford Water Auth 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.
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.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

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.