Forever Chemicals
Whether you're relocating to Arkansas, looking after your own long-term health, or simply wondering what's underground in your part of the state, this page is meant for you. The state office behind environmental rules is the Division of Environmental Quality, DEQ, within Arkansas's Department of Energy and Environment, working under the federal limits it helps administer. The numbers below come straight from federal testing rather than from us, and they don't pronounce any tap safe or unsafe. They're a record worth reviewing when you're evaluating an address — honest figures, no scare tactics.
EPA's UCMR 5 program (2021–2024) tested 52 public water systems in Arkansas for 29 PFAS compounds; 2 reported at least one detection and none exceeded the 2024 federal limit of 4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS (a 4% detection rate). Detections vary by water system — check the utility serving a specific Arkansas address.
In Arkansas, drinking-water oversight runs through the state's Division of Environmental Quality (DEQ), part of the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment, working with the Department of Health on the public water supply side. Arkansas has generally stayed within the federal framework rather than enacting its own enforceable PFAS drinking-water limits, so for most residents the figures that apply are the federal ones — including the April 2024 rule putting PFOA and PFOS at 4 parts per trillion. When the alphabet of agencies gets confusing, the simple version helps: there's a named state office, and it operates under the federal rulebook.
Numbers below come straight from EPA UCMR 5 monitoring (2021–2024). Every public water system in Arkansasserving more than 3,300 people had to test for 29 different PFAS — here's what they reported.
52
Water systems tested
UCMR 5 (2021–2024)
2
Systems with any PFAS detected
4% detection rate
0
Systems exceeding 2024 MCL
Above 4 ppt PFOA/PFOS
4
Distinct PFAS compounds detected
Of 29 monitored under UCMR 5
0
TRI-reporting PFAS facilities
EPA Toxics Release Inventory 2024
1
DoD PFAS installations
Military PFAS contamination sites
Red triangles are military installations the Department of Defense has flagged for PFAS from firefighting foam. Orange dots are industrial facilities that reported PFAS to the EPA Toxics Release Inventory. If your future home sits near a cluster, that's a conversation worth having with the seller or landlord.
These are the Arkansasutilities where EPA testing found PFAS the most often or at the highest levels. Being on this list doesn't automatically mean today's tap water is unsafe — some systems have added treatment since these samples were taken — but it means a conversation with the utility is worth having before you move in.
| Water system | Detections | Max value (ng/L) | vs 2024 MCL |
|---|---|---|---|
| SILOAM SPRINGS WATERWORKS | 3 | 0 | Below MCL |
| DARDANELLE WATERWORKS | 1 | 0 | Below MCL |
PFAS isn't one chemical — it's a family of thousands. Here are the specific compounds EPA picked up most often across Arkansas water systems. PFOA and PFOS are the two with the strictest federal limits (4 parts per trillion).
For decades the military trained with AFFF firefighting foam loaded with PFAS. It soaked into soil and groundwater and, in many places, traveled miles. If you're house-hunting near any of these Arkansas installations, the address report will tell you exactly how close.
Little Rock AFB
Air Force
Looking at a specific Arkansascity? Each page below pulls the same federal data narrowed to that water system — useful whether you're relocating, buying, organizing your neighborhood around getting cleaner water, or just trying to find out what's in the tap and what's around you.
To read these records fairly, know what they cover. The EPA's UCMR 5 program looked for 29 PFAS compounds between 2021 and 2024 — but only at public systems serving more than roughly 3,300 people. Across rural Arkansas, plenty of homes rely on private wells or small systems that weren't required to test, so a quiet result above can simply mean no one was obligated to look there. A detection logged during sampling is also a moment in time, not a verdict on today's tap, since systems can add treatment afterward. Arkansas's environmental and health agencies offer guidance for well owners worth finding. The acronyms outnumber the actual chemicals, which feels backward.
Yes. EPA UCMR 5 monitoring (2021–2024) tested 52 public water systems in Arkansas; 2 had at least one PFAS detection. Detections vary by water system — check your specific serving utility.
Arkansas has generally followed the federal framework rather than setting its own enforceable PFAS drinking-water limits. For most residents that means the binding limits are the federal ones the state administers, including the April 2024 rule capping PFOA and PFOS at 4 parts per trillion.
Arkansas's Division of Environmental Quality (DEQ), within the Department of Energy and Environment, works with the Department of Health on drinking water and enforces rules consistent with federal EPA standards. Rather than adopting state-specific PFAS limits, the state tends to administer the federal limits.
DEQ is the Arkansas Division of Environmental Quality, part of the state's Department of Energy and Environment. It oversees environmental programs and, with the Department of Health, the public water supply; it's the office to reach about water quality in Arkansas.
Use VetMyAddress to see the PFAS detections reported for the public water system serving any Arkansas address, alongside nearby military bases and industrial PFAS sources. The data comes from EPA UCMR 5, EPA TRI, and the DoD PFAS installation report.
In April 2024 the EPA set the first enforceable federal limits for PFAS in drinking water: 4 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS, and 10 ppt each for PFHxS, PFNA, and HFPO-DA (GenX), plus a Hazard Index for certain mixtures. Public water systems must complete initial monitoring by 2027 and come into compliance after that.
No. The federal limits apply to public water systems. Private well owners are responsible for their own testing and treatment, which is especially worth doing near a known PFAS source like a military base or industrial site.
State numbers tell you the pattern. An address report tells you what's actually in the water at yourkitchen sink — the matched utility, the PFAS detections on file, and every military or industrial source nearby. Whether it's for your family, your neighbors, or peace of mind.
Data sources: EPA UCMR 5 bulk data · EPA TRI 2024 · DoD PFAS installation report