Forever Chemicals
Curiosity about a neighbor's water, a planned move across Missouri, or just wanting to know what is in the supply where you already live, any of these can bring you here. The figures below come from testing at regulated public systems near this address. In Missouri, the Department of Natural Resources (MoDNR) is the state environmental agency, and its Public Drinking Water Branch applies the federal PFAS limits to public systems. None of the numbers is a verdict on a single tap. They are what the public records show, laid out so you have a steady starting point when you are evaluating an address, rather than being left to fill the quiet with worry.
EPA's UCMR 5 program (2021–2024) tested 51 public water systems in Missouri for 29 PFAS compounds; 10 reported at least one detection and none exceeded the 2024 federal limit of 4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS (a 20% detection rate). Detections vary by water system — check the utility serving a specific Missouri address.
In Missouri, the office watching the water is the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MoDNR), and its Public Drinking Water Branch is the part that holds public systems to the standards. On PFAS, Missouri residents are largely covered by the federal limits the agency administers rather than a separate enforceable state limit set ahead of the 2024 federal rule. The thing worth carrying away is straightforward: there is a named state agency, not just a federal one, accountable for what regulated systems deliver, with the federal PFAS baseline running underneath. A single department, a clearly defined branch, and a federal floor.
Numbers below come straight from EPA UCMR 5 monitoring (2021–2024). Every public water system in Missouriserving more than 3,300 people had to test for 29 different PFAS — here's what they reported.
51
Water systems tested
UCMR 5 (2021–2024)
10
Systems with any PFAS detected
20% detection rate
0
Systems exceeding 2024 MCL
Above 4 ppt PFOA/PFOS
3
Distinct PFAS compounds detected
Of 29 monitored under UCMR 5
0
TRI-reporting PFAS facilities
EPA Toxics Release Inventory 2024
0
DoD PFAS installations
Military PFAS contamination sites
These are the Missouriutilities 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| HANNIBAL PWS | 1 | 0.01 | Below MCL |
| CAPE GIRARDEAU PWS | 1 | 0.01 | Below MCL |
| MONROE COUNTY PWSD 2 | 1 | 0.01 | Below MCL |
| MARYVILLE PWS | 1 | 0.01 | Below MCL |
| HENRY COUNTY WATER COMPANY | 1 | 0.01 | Below MCL |
| PIKE COUNTY PWSD 1 | 1 | 0.01 | Below MCL |
| ST JAMES PWS | 1 | 0.01 | Below MCL |
| BUTLER PWS | 1 | 0.01 | Below MCL |
| HIGGINSVILLE PWS | 1 | 0.01 | Below MCL |
| NORTH KANSAS CITY PWS | 2 | 0.01 | Below MCL |
PFAS isn't one chemical — it's a family of thousands. Here are the specific compounds EPA picked up most often across Missouri water systems. PFOA and PFOS are the two with the strictest federal limits (4 parts per trillion).
Looking at a specific Missouricity? 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.
First, how to read it well. Under the federal UCMR5 program, public systems serving more than 3,300 people tested for 29 PFAS compounds from 2021 through 2024, so the figures above are a snapshot of those systems in those years, not a live reading of your faucet. Private wells and small rural systems below the threshold were not required to test, so if your home draws from a well, MoDNR's well-water guidance is the place to start and these numbers simply will not reach it. A detection logged in 2022 is a moment in time, not a fixed verdict. The federal acronym stack, UCMR and its relatives, is a dialect unto itself, but the underlying question stays simple.
Military installations belong in any complete water picture for a specific reason. Firefighting foam known as AFFF was used in training for decades, and it is built on the same PFAS compounds that resist breaking down in soil and groundwater. That is why the installations listed above are worth attention as you take in the regional picture. For Missourians who served, or whose family did, this is not an abstraction, and the aim here is to present the records plainly and with respect, never to make a spectacle of anyone's service.
Yes. EPA UCMR 5 monitoring (2021–2024) tested 51 public water systems in Missouri; 10 had at least one PFAS detection. Detections vary by water system — check your specific serving utility.
Missouri residents are largely covered by the federal PFAS limits the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MoDNR) administers rather than a separate state enforceable limit set ahead of the 2024 federal rule. Those federal limits are 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS and 10 ppt for PFHxS, PFNA, and GenX.
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MoDNR) regulates PFAS in public drinking water through its Public Drinking Water Branch, applying the federal standards to regulated systems. Missouri tends to follow the federal limits rather than setting its own enforceable state limit.
MoDNR is the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the state agency overseeing drinking water, environmental quality, and contaminated-site work across Missouri. If you were looking for the state environmental office, you found it.
Use VetMyAddress to see the PFAS detections reported for the public water system serving any Missouri 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