Forever Chemicals
Maybe you have lived in Washington for years and have simply started wondering what is in your own water over the long haul. That is a reasonable thing to want to know, and it helps to start with who is watching: the Washington State Department of Health's Office of Drinking Water has tracked PFAS in public supplies since well before the federal rule, with the Department of Ecology covering the broader environment. PFAS are persistent, which is exactly why this kind of monitoring exists. The figures below summarize what testing across the state's larger systems has shown. They describe systems, not your front door, and they are here for you to review steadily when evaluating an address.
EPA's UCMR 5 program (2021–2024) tested 44 public water systems in Washington for 29 PFAS compounds; 6 reported at least one detection and none exceeded the 2024 federal limit of 4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS (a 14% detection rate). Detections vary by water system — check the utility serving a specific Washington address.
Washington is among the states that moved early on PFAS. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH), through its Office of Drinking Water, set its own State Action Levels for several PFAS compounds back in 2021, ahead of the April 2024 federal rule, while the Washington State Department of Ecology handles PFAS across the wider environment. That makes Washington one of the states that acted before the federal limits landed, though the federal rule (4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS) now sets a floor the state works within too. For a resident, the headline is that two named agencies, DOH and Ecology, have been on this for years.
Numbers below come straight from EPA UCMR 5 monitoring (2021–2024). Every public water system in Washingtonserving 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)
6
Systems with any PFAS detected
14% detection rate
0
Systems exceeding 2024 MCL
Above 4 ppt PFOA/PFOS
6
Distinct PFAS compounds detected
Of 29 monitored under UCMR 5
0
TRI-reporting PFAS facilities
EPA Toxics Release Inventory 2024
5
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 Washingtonutilities 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIRWAY HEIGHTS CITY OF | 4 | 0.13 | Below MCL |
| CAMAS MUNICIPAL WATER SEWER SYSTEM | 2 | 0.01 | Below MCL |
| CENTRALIA PUBLIC WORKS - WATER | 2 | 0.01 | Below MCL |
| ARLINGTON WATER DEPT | 1 | 0 | Below MCL |
| BONNEY LAKE WATER DEPARTMENT CITY | 1 | 0 | Below MCL |
| ARTONDALE WATER SYSTEM | 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 Washington 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 Washington installations, the address report will tell you exactly how close.
Bremerton Naval Base (Naval Base Kitsap Bangor)
Navy
Fairchild AFB
Air Force
WHIDBEY IS WA NAS
Navy
Whidbey Island NAS OLF Coupeville
Navy
Yakima Training Center
Army
Looking at a specific Washingtoncity? 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.
Read the figures above as a careful snapshot rather than a final score. The federal monitoring behind them samples a defined set of PFAS compounds at public systems serving more than roughly 3,300 people, across 2021 to 2024. What that net misses is real: private wells and many small rural systems were never required to test, so silence in those places is an open question, not reassurance, and Washington's Office of Drinking Water can steer well owners toward testing resources. A result from 2022 is also a moment in time, not necessarily today's tap. Washington's habit of stacking action levels on top of federal limits means the acronym pile is taller here than most, which is its own small comedy.
For veterans and military families, the relevant history is firefighting foam, AFFF, used for decades at installations to fight fuel fires. It carries PFAS that can seep into groundwater and linger long after use stopped. Washington's significant military presence makes this worth understanding rather than fearing. Where installations appear above, that marks where the public record has noted a connection to look into, not a verdict on your household or your service. The grounded next move is the address-level report.
Yes. EPA UCMR 5 monitoring (2021–2024) tested 44 public water systems in Washington; 6 had at least one PFAS detection. Detections vary by water system — check your specific serving utility.
Yes, Washington is among the states that acted ahead of the federal rule. The Washington State Department of Health set State Action Levels for several PFAS compounds in 2021. The April 2024 federal rule, with enforceable limits of 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS and 10 ppt for PFHxS, PFNA, and GenX, now also applies, so systems work within both frameworks.
Washington splits the work between two agencies: the Department of Health's Office of Drinking Water oversees PFAS in public drinking water and set early state action levels, while the Department of Ecology addresses PFAS across the broader environment. The state tends to layer its own thresholds alongside the federal limits.
The Washington State Department of Ecology is the state's lead environmental agency for air, water, land, and cleanup programs. For drinking water specifically, the Department of Health's Office of Drinking Water is the office that regulates public systems, so PFAS questions in Washington often involve both.
Use VetMyAddress to see the PFAS detections reported for the public water system serving any Washington 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