How we check our data

Everything here starts with a public record: EPA data or a state document. This page explains where the data comes from, how we connect the pieces, and what it can't tell you.

Where it comes from

How we match a funding record to an EPA system

States don't always print a system's EPA ID (PWSID), so we link records in this order:

1. We use the PWSID when the state prints one or when it's part of the project number.
2. Otherwise, we link by name only if that name points to one system. In Pennsylvania we don't link by name alone, because one utility's name can cover many systems.
3. We check a small number of remaining names by hand.
4. If EPA lists the ID as no longer active, we treat the record as unmatched.

When we can't make a match, we show it as unmatched instead of guessing.

What “over the limit” means

It means at least one PFOA or PFOS result above 4 ppt in UCMR 5. System pages also flag a result above the federal limit for another PFAS. This is our reading of EPA's data, and it isn't a violation. The rule judges compliance on a running annual average at each entry point, starting April 26, 2029. EPA has proposed extending the PFOA and PFOS date to 2031 for systems that request it, but that isn't final. A system may also have added treatment since it was sampled.

What “not in the survey” means

It means the system isn't in EPA's UCMR 5 data. It doesn't mean the system was never tested: many states run their own PFAS sampling, and those results may not be in EPA's file.

How we treat funding amounts

We copy each amount as the state printed it and show it with its label. An amount can be a request, a reservation, an approved loan or an estimated project cost, so we never add them up. “Awarded” means a state body approved it, not that money has been paid. Emerging-contaminant money also pays for manganese and other work, so a project appears only if the document ties it to PFAS.

How monitoring requirements are worked out

The lab quote lookup covers 66,415 active community and non-transient systems. Sample counts follow EPA's quick reference guide, based on system size and water source. The timing is our arithmetic from EPA's spacing rules. Your state decides what it will accept, so confirm with it before booking.

How often it changes

We check state funding pages weekly for new documents and review them before adding anything. The funded projects data was last updated Nov 2, 2026, and funding pages show their own date. EPA has published its final UCMR 5 results, so those numbers change only if EPA revises the file.

What the data can't tell you

• Whether a system is in compliance. This is general information, not a compliance determination.
• What's in a system's water today. UCMR 5 samples are from 2023 to 2025.
• Every funded project. We cover the states listed on the funded projects page, and only what their documents name.
• Every water system. Our search doesn't yet include every active system, so you can enter yours by hand on request forms.

Questions about the data

If something doesn't match a record you have, email info@pfascomply.com with the page and the document, and we'll check it against the source. PFAS Comply isn't affiliated with EPA or any government agency.