Forever Chemicals
Maybe you grew up here and are only now thinking hard about what comes out of the tap; maybe you are researching your own long-term health and Tennessee is simply where you live. Either way, this page is for the careful, not the alarmed. The figures below come from federal monitoring, and the agency standing behind the state's drinking water is the Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC). Nothing here is a verdict on a single home. It is the public record, organized so you can read it for yourself, which is exactly the kind of thing worth reviewing when evaluating an address.
EPA's UCMR 5 program (2021–2024) tested 51 public water systems in Tennessee for 29 PFAS compounds; 3 reported at least one detection and none exceeded the 2024 federal limit of 4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS (a 6% detection rate). Detections vary by water system — check the utility serving a specific Tennessee address.
Tennessee's drinking water sits under the Department of Environment and Conservation, known as TDEC, which administers the public-water-supply program the federal government delegates to the state. On PFAS, Tennessee largely follows the federal rule rather than carrying its own enforceable drinking-water limit: residents are covered by the April 2024 standards (4 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS, 10 for PFHxS, PFNA, and GenX), with TDEC responsible for enforcing them through the state's water systems. That puts Tennessee among the states leaning on the federal floor rather than building above it, but the office holding the clipboard is a real one with a name and a mandate.
Numbers below come straight from EPA UCMR 5 monitoring (2021–2024). Every public water system in Tennesseeserving 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)
3
Systems with any PFAS detected
6% detection rate
0
Systems exceeding 2024 MCL
Above 4 ppt PFOA/PFOS
5
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 Tennesseeutilities 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAMDEN WATER DEPT | 4 | 0.01 | Below MCL |
| ALPHA-TALBOTT UTILITY DISTRICT | 1 | 0.01 | Below MCL |
| NOLENSVILLE-COLLEGE GROVE UD | 2 | 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 Tennessee water systems. PFOA and PFOS are the two with the strictest federal limits (4 parts per trillion).
Looking at a specific Tennesseecity? 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 numbers below, know their edges. The lead caveat is coverage: the federal UCMR5 testing covered 29 PFAS compounds in public systems serving more than roughly 3,300 people, from 2021 through 2024, which means private wells were never required to test and many small rural systems fall outside it entirely. If your future water comes from a well, the public-system figures can feel more reassuring than they should, and TDEC offers guidance for well owners who want their own testing. Add to that a simple truth: a detection from 2022 describes that moment, not necessarily today's tap. The acronym soup around all this monitoring could use a glossary, but the underlying data is worth reading carefully.
Yes. EPA UCMR 5 monitoring (2021–2024) tested 51 public water systems in Tennessee; 3 had at least one PFAS detection. Detections vary by water system — check your specific serving utility.
Tennessee is among the states that rely on the federal standard rather than a separate state limit. Residents are covered by the April 2024 federal rule, which sets 4 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS, and the Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) administers and enforces those limits across the state's public water systems.
TDEC runs Tennessee's public-water-supply program and enforces the federal PFAS limits within it, handling monitoring and follow-up when systems exceed the standards. The state tends to track the federal rule rather than set stricter numbers, so TDEC's role is largely carrying out the standards EPA finalized in 2024.
TDEC is the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, the state agency overseeing environmental programs including drinking water, water quality, and contaminated-site cleanup. It is the office to reach for public-water and well-water questions in Tennessee.
Use VetMyAddress to see the PFAS detections reported for the public water system serving any Tennessee 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