Pennsylvania Water Quality Brief
State: Pennsylvania (PA) Grade: F | Score: 55/100 | National Average: 67/100 (Grade: D) Data as of: 2026-04-30 | Brief generated: 2026-04-30
Key Findings
- Pennsylvania earned a water quality grade of F with an average score of 55/100 — 12 points below the national average.
- ZipCheckup recorded 12,763 total violations across 2,184 ZIP codes, including 917 health-based violations.
- The worst ZIP code in the state (19083) scored only 10/100, while the best (19019) scored 96/100 — a gap of 86 points.
Worst 5 ZIP Codes
| ZIP | City | County | Score | Grade | Violations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19083 | Havertown | Delaware | 10/100 | F | 99 |
| 18690 | Dallas | Luzerne | 15/100 | F | 28 |
| 16049 | Parker | Butler | 15/100 | F | 41 |
| 18448 | Olyphant | Lackawanna | 16/100 | F | 22 |
| 17756 | Muncy | Lycoming | 16/100 | F | 28 |
County Breakdown (Worst 3)
| County | Avg Score | Grade | ZIP Count | Worst ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perry | 44/100 | D | 13 | 17020 (Duncannon, 26/100) |
| Lycoming | 44/100 | D | 20 | 17756 (Muncy, 16/100) |
| Wyoming | 45/100 | D | 18 | 18630 (Meshoppen, 26/100) |
Violation Summary
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Total violations | 12,763 |
| Health-based violations | 917 |
| Monitoring/Reporting violations | 11,846 |
| ZIP codes analyzed | 2,184 |
| Health violations per ZIP (avg) | 0.4 |
Top health-based violation categories:
- Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) (1,104 violations across 607 ZIP codes)
- Contaminant 0700 (2,113 violations across 574 ZIP codes)
- Consumer Confidence Report Rule (1,423 violations across 518 ZIP codes)
PFAS Contamination Status
- PFAS detected in 476 of 2213 ZIP codes analyzed (22%).
- 802 ZIP codes with federal PFAS exceedances.
- 71 ZIP codes exceeding state-level PFAS limits.
- State has enacted its own PFAS MCLs (stricter than federal standards).
State Regulatory Context
ZipCheckup analyzes lab results from 899 water systems across Pennsylvania, covering 16 contaminants from 2 data sources. The most frequently tested contaminants include NEtFOSAA, NMeFOSAA, Pfhxa. Overall, Pennsylvania earns a water quality grade of C (average score: 56/100) across 1,098 ZIP codes. 94% of tested systems have at least one EPA violation on record. If you live in Pennsylvania, review the contaminant table above for your specific water system — state averages may not reflect local conditions.
Comparison to National Average
| Metric | PA | National |
|---|---|---|
| Avg Score | 55/100 | 67/100 |
| Grade | F | D |
| Health violations / ZIP | 0.4 | — |
About This Data
Data: ZipCheckup.com | Sources: EPA SDWIS, FEMA, CDC, Census | License: CC BY 4.0
Press contact: [email protected] General contact: [email protected] State page: https://zipcheckup.com/states/pennsylvania/
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