Is there PFAS in City of Orange tap water?

Yes, and above the federal limit. The highest PFOA or PFOS reading was 17 parts per trillion, against a limit of 4.

City of Orange is a public water system in California, 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, 7 of 29 found

CompoundHighest readingFederal limitDetected in
PFPeA17.7 pptno federal limit15 of 30 samples
PFOS17 ppt4 ppt5 of 30 samples
PFBA12.6 pptno federal limit11 of 30 samples
PFHxS10.2 ppt10 pptEPA has proposed withdrawing this limit4 of 30 samples
PFHxA10.1 pptno federal limit12 of 30 samples
PFOA9.3 ppt4 ppt4 of 30 samples
PFBS3.3 pptno federal limit3 of 30 samples
11Cl-PF3OUdSnot detectedno federal limit0 of 30 samples
4:2 FTSnot detectedno federal limit0 of 30 samples
6:2 FTSnot detectedno federal limit0 of 30 samples
8:2 FTSnot detectedno federal limit0 of 30 samples
9Cl-PF3ONSnot detectedno federal limit0 of 30 samples
ADONAnot detectedno federal limit0 of 30 samples
HFPO-DAnot detected10 pptEPA has proposed withdrawing this limit0 of 30 samples
NEtFOSAAnot detectedno federal limit0 of 29 samples
NFDHAnot detectedno federal limit0 of 30 samples
NMeFOSAAnot detectedno federal limit0 of 29 samples
PFDAnot detectedno federal limit0 of 30 samples
PFDoAnot detectedno federal limit0 of 30 samples
PFEESAnot detectedno federal limit0 of 30 samples
PFHpAnot detectedno federal limit0 of 30 samples
PFHpSnot detectedno federal limit0 of 30 samples
PFMBAnot detectedno federal limit0 of 30 samples
PFMPAnot detectedno federal limit0 of 30 samples
PFNAnot detected10 pptEPA has proposed withdrawing this limit0 of 30 samples
PFPeSnot detectedno federal limit0 of 30 samples
PFTAnot detectedno federal limit0 of 29 samples
PFTrDAnot detectedno federal limit0 of 29 samples
PFUnAnot detectedno federal limit0 of 30 samples

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 4/27/2026.

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.

All water filter grades →

ZIP codes this system serves

92705, 92806, 92807, 92861, 92865, 92866, 92867, 92868, 92869

Other systems in California

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.