Is Portage, PA Tap Water Safe? Quality & Contaminants

What was found in Portage's water

The level at the city's main supplier, the highest level anywhere in the city, the EPA limit for each, and where every figure comes from.

Contaminant	Level vs EPA limit	Suppliers	Source
Copper	391.35 µg/L 30% of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L Main supplier: PORTAGE BORO MUNI AUTH · 6,500 people · 2019	1/1	SYR4
Barium	223.05 µg/L 11% of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L Main supplier: PORTAGE BORO MUNI AUTH · 6,500 people · 2013	1/1	SYR4
Monochloroacetic Acid	50.57 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: PORTAGE BORO MUNI AUTH · 6,500 people · 2019	1/1	SYR4
TTHM	36.855 µg/L 46% of the EPA limit 80 µg/L Main supplier: PORTAGE BORO MUNI AUTH · 6,500 people · 2019	1/1	SYR4
Chloroform	27.92 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: PORTAGE BORO MUNI AUTH · 6,500 people · 2019	1/1	SYR4
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)	24.145 µg/L 40% of the EPA limit 60 µg/L Main supplier: PORTAGE BORO MUNI AUTH · 6,500 people · 2019	1/1	SYR4
Lithium	13.5 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: PORTAGE BORO MUNI AUTH · 6,500 people · 2024	1/1	UCMR-5
Lead	10.36 µg/L 69% of the EPA limit 15 µg/L Main supplier: PORTAGE BORO MUNI AUTH · 6,500 people · 2019	1/1	SYR4
Trichloroacetic Acid	10.3 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: PORTAGE BORO MUNI AUTH · 6,500 people · 2019	1/1	SYR4
Dichloroacetic Acid	8.32 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: PORTAGE BORO MUNI AUTH · 6,500 people · 2019	1/1	SYR4
Bromodichloromethane	7.4985 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: PORTAGE BORO MUNI AUTH · 6,500 people · 2019	1/1	SYR4
Dibromochloromethane	3.5055 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: PORTAGE BORO MUNI AUTH · 6,500 people · 2019	1/1	SYR4
Bromoform	0.8850 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: PORTAGE BORO MUNI AUTH · 6,500 people · 2019	1/1	SYR4
Dibromoacetic Acid	0.3700 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: PORTAGE BORO MUNI AUTH · 6,500 people · 2019	1/1	SYR4
Mercury	0.1195 µg/L 6% of the EPA limit 2 µg/L Main supplier: PORTAGE BORO MUNI AUTH · 6,500 people · 2013	1/1	SYR4
Lead	0.0010 mg/L 6.7% of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L Main supplier: PORTAGE BORO MUNI AUTH · 6,500 people · 2025	1/1	LCR

Each bar shows the measured level as a share of the EPA limit: green is well under, amber is close to it, red is over. For lead and copper the limit applies to exactly the 90th-percentile figure shown, so red there means a real exceedance. For everything else the limit applies to a running annual average while the figure is the 95th percentile of the system's samples — over 100% is worth reading, but is not by itself a violation. Formal violations are listed separately. These are the utilities' own EPA-reported results, not a city-wide average. A detection means the lab measured the substance — it isn't the same as exceeding a legal limit. Hover a source tag to see the EPA program and years behind each figure.

Water suppliers serving Portage

Supplier	Population served
PORTAGE BORO MUNI AUTH	6,500

Frequently asked questions about Portage tap water

Is Portage tap water safe to drink?

EPA testing detected 16 contaminants in the water serving Portage. A detection isn't the same as a violation — most detected levels are within federal limits. Check the level and source for each contaminant above, and your utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report for the official compliance status.

How many water suppliers serve Portage?

1 public water supplier report drinking-water monitoring for Portage, Pennsylvania to the EPA. Each is listed above with its population served.

What contaminants are in Portage's water?

The contaminants EPA monitoring detected in Portage include Copper, Barium, Monochloroacetic Acid, TTHM, Chloroform. The full list, with the level at the main supplier and the data source, is in the table above.

Where does this data come from?

Every figure is official EPA drinking-water monitoring — the Lead & Copper Rule, the UCMR-5 nationwide testing program, and the EPA Six-Year Review — not our own testing. Each number is labelled with its source and period.