Community Water System (CWS) · OH2504412
Surface Water · serves an estimated 1,305,946 people · across Columbus
No numeric score yet
5.3 ng/L · sampled 2024
f-columbus-pfoa
src-ucmr5-2024 · released 2026-01-15
The original published file, referenced from the source record.
Detected at up to 5.3 ng/L (above the 4.0 ng/L federal limit).
Why it matters. Studies associate PFOA exposure with effects on the immune system, cholesterol, liver, and developmental outcomes, and with certain cancers. Because it accumulates, the EPA has set the enforceable limit near the lowest reliably measurable level.
What you can do. Relevant treatment: Reverse osmosis, Activated carbon (GAC), Anion exchange.
Understand Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) →| Substance | Result | Reference | Sampled | Status | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) | 5.3 ng/L | 4.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024) | 2024 | Above guideline | View evidence |
| Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) | < 4 ng/L | 4.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024) | 2024 | Not detected | View evidence |
| Perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS) | < 10 ng/L | 10.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024) | 2024 | Not detected | View evidence |
| Lead (90th percentile) | 1.2 µg/L | 15 µg/L federal action level | 2021-2023 | Below limit | View evidence |
A federal limit (an MCL or action level) is an enforceable legal cap. A health goal (an MCLG or health benchmark) is a non-enforceable target, often stricter, sometimes zero. A system meeting the legal limit is a compliance fact; it is not a guarantee of no health concern. PurityMap publishes no overall compliance verdict for a system; read each finding against its own reference below.
COLUMBUS PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM (PWS ID OH2504412) is a public water system serving 1,305,946 people in Columbus, Ohio.
COLUMBUS PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM is on record as drawing from surface water. The source shapes which contaminants matter most for this system.
PurityMap's record for COLUMBUS PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM shows 1 finding measured above a benchmark and 3 within benchmark, from 4 evidence records. Every finding links to its source; a substance that was never monitored is shown as pending, not as a pass.
PurityMap does not issue a safety verdict. It publishes COLUMBUS PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM's measured results against each contaminant's benchmark so you can read them in context. Safety depends on the specific finding, your plumbing, and how the water reaches your tap.
The latest published record for COLUMBUS PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM is dated 2026-09-16. Utilities report on regulatory cycles, so results reflect the monitoring period rather than a live reading.