Forever Chemicals
Curiosity about your own neighborhood is reason enough to be here, and someone has finally pulled Nevada's environmental records into a single view. The state's public water oversight runs through the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP), so the numbers below connect to a real office rather than drifting in the abstract. Nothing shown here is a verdict on your particular tap; it is the public record for the state, gathered in one place. Treat it as a level-headed place to start when evaluating an address, and a way to understand what the records show before deciding what is worth reviewing more closely.
EPA's UCMR 5 program (2021–2024) tested 44 public water systems in Nevada for 29 PFAS compounds; 5 reported at least one detection and none exceeded the 2024 federal limit of 4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS (a 11% detection rate). Detections vary by water system — check the utility serving a specific Nevada address.
Nevada's drinking water falls under the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP), the agency that oversees public water systems statewide within the federal Safe Drinking Water Act framework. On PFAS, Nevada tends to be among the states that rely on the federal limits the NDEP administers rather than adopting its own separate enforceable drinking-water standard ahead of the April 2024 federal rule. That rule caps PFOA and PFOS at 4 parts per trillion and limits several related compounds. What is steadying to know is that a specific state office, the NDEP, carries responsibility for public water oversight here.
Numbers below come straight from EPA UCMR 5 monitoring (2021–2024). Every public water system in Nevadaserving more than 3,300 people had to test for 29 different PFAS — here's what they reported.
44
Water systems tested
UCMR 5 (2021–2024)
5
Systems with any PFAS detected
11% 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
0
DoD PFAS installations
Military PFAS contamination sites
These are the Nevadautilities 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| NEW YORK NEW YORK HOTEL AND CASINO | 1 | 0.01 | Below MCL |
| POLO TOWERS | 1 | 0.01 | Below MCL |
| FERNLEY PUBLIC WORKS | 1 | 0.01 | Below MCL |
| GARDNERVILLE WATER COMPANY | 1 | 0 | Below MCL |
| CREECH AIR FORCE BASE | 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 Nevada water systems. PFOA and PFOS are the two with the strictest federal limits (4 parts per trillion).
Looking at a specific Nevadacity? 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.
Before reading too much into the figures below, know what the testing covered. The federal UCMR5 effort screened for 29 PFAS compounds, but only in public systems serving more than 3,300 people, sampled across 2021 to 2024. Private wells and many small rural systems sat outside that requirement, and a 2022 detection is not automatically what flows from a tap today. In a state with long stretches of rural ground and well-dependent households, that gap matters; if your water comes from a private well, the NDEP's well-guidance is a better compass than a public-system figure read out of context. The numbers above are a screening snapshot, not the last word.
Yes. EPA UCMR 5 monitoring (2021–2024) tested 44 public water systems in Nevada; 5 had at least one PFAS detection. Detections vary by water system — check your specific serving utility.
Nevada tends to rely on the federal PFAS drinking-water limits administered by the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) rather than adopting its own separate enforceable standard ahead of the 2024 federal rule, which sets PFOA and PFOS at 4 parts per trillion.
The Nevada Division of Environmental Protection oversees public water systems and works within the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. Its handling of PFAS largely tracks the federal limits, which cap PFOA and PFOS at 4 parts per trillion plus limits for a few related compounds.
The NDEP is Nevada's state environmental agency, responsible for protecting the state's water, land, and air, including oversight of public drinking-water systems. It is the office Nevada's public utilities answer to.
Use VetMyAddress to see the PFAS detections reported for the public water system serving any Nevada 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