Is there PFAS in Colbert County Rural Water System tap water?

Yes, and above the federal limit. The highest PFOA or PFOS reading was 29.5 parts per trillion, against a limit of 4.

Colbert County Rural Water System is a public water system in Alabama, serving more than 10,000 people. The EPA required almost every system in the country to test for 29 PFAS compounds and published every result. These are that system’s own readings, not an estimate and not ours.

Every compound tested, 8 of 29 found

Every row is a compound the EPA required this system to test for, whether it was found or not. Readings are the highest single result the system reported. Compliance is judged on an annual average, so one high sample is not by itself a violation. “Not detected” means below the level the laboratory method can measure, which is not the same as zero. Last sample 5/14/2024.

What actually removes it

Boiling does not remove PFAS and concentrates it. Reverse osmosis and certified activated carbon do. These are the highest-graded filters in our database, scored 0 to 100 on the chemistry of the filter itself.

• 100Aquamira Aquamira Water Storage Treatment 2 oz Glass Bottles 60 gallons PurificationCheck price
• 100Big Berkey Big Berkey Empty Housing with NO Filters IncludedCheck price
• 100LifeStraw LifeStraw Home Glass Water Filter PitcherCheck price
• 100Big Berkey Berkey Big Water Filter SystemCheck price
• 100Big Berkey Big Berkey Water Filter SystemCheck price

ZIP codes this system serves

35616, 35646, 35653, 35661, 35672, 35674

Other systems in Alabama

Source, the EPA’s fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, final dataset published 2026-10-15. Original data → Figures are the system’s own reported results. Water quality changes, and a result from the monitoring period is not a statement about what is in the tap today.