Is there PFAS in Modesto, City of tap water?

Yes, and above the federal limit. The highest PFOA or PFOS reading was 26 parts per trillion, against a limit of 4.

Modesto, City of 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
PFOS26 ppt4 ppt15 of 86 samples
PFHxS9.3 ppt10 pptEPA has proposed withdrawing this limit13 of 86 samples
PFOA8.6 ppt4 ppt8 of 86 samples
PFPeA6.7 pptno federal limit8 of 86 samples
PFHxA6.1 pptno federal limit8 of 86 samples
PFBS4.3 pptno federal limit2 of 86 samples
PFHpA3.6 pptno federal limit1 of 86 samples
11Cl-PF3OUdSnot detectedno federal limit0 of 86 samples
4:2 FTSnot detectedno federal limit0 of 86 samples
6:2 FTSnot detectedno federal limit0 of 86 samples
8:2 FTSnot detectedno federal limit0 of 86 samples
9Cl-PF3ONSnot detectedno federal limit0 of 86 samples
ADONAnot detectedno federal limit0 of 86 samples
HFPO-DAnot detected10 pptEPA has proposed withdrawing this limit0 of 86 samples
NEtFOSAAnot detectedno federal limit0 of 86 samples
NFDHAnot detectedno federal limit0 of 86 samples
NMeFOSAAnot detectedno federal limit0 of 86 samples
PFBAnot detectedno federal limit0 of 86 samples
PFDAnot detectedno federal limit0 of 86 samples
PFDoAnot detectedno federal limit0 of 86 samples
PFEESAnot detectedno federal limit0 of 86 samples
PFHpSnot detectedno federal limit0 of 86 samples
PFMBAnot detectedno federal limit0 of 86 samples
PFMPAnot detectedno federal limit0 of 86 samples
PFNAnot detected10 pptEPA has proposed withdrawing this limit0 of 86 samples
PFPeSnot detectedno federal limit0 of 86 samples
PFTAnot detectedno federal limit0 of 86 samples
PFTrDAnot detectedno federal limit0 of 86 samples
PFUnAnot detectedno federal limit0 of 86 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 9/12/2024.

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.

All water filter grades →

ZIP codes this system serves

95350, 95351, 95354, 95355, 95356, 95357, 95358

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.