Bear, DE water treatment
What's in Bear's water, who supplies it, and how to fix what you find, with sources. Check your ZIP for your utility's EPA records.
Your water in Bear
Artesian Water Company serves the center of ZIP 19701, and Veolia Water Delaware serves a smaller part[1]. About half the ZIP's land is outside mapped service areas, where homes may be on private wells.
For Artesian customers, the 2025 water quality report lists total hardness averaging 113 ppm, ranging from 26 to 359 ppm, plus calcium hardness averaging 73 ppm (2023 data)[2]. The same report lists HFPO-DA (GenX) up to 3.1 ppt and PFBS up to 8.25 ppt[2], while EPA's UCMR 5 sampling found PFOA up to 23.1 ppt[3].
Local issues to know
- Hardness: Artesian Water Company reported 113 mg/L as calcium carbonate, about 6.6 grains per gallon on average, from 26 to 359 mg/L[2]. The USGS calls 61–120 mg/L moderately hard and 121–180 mg/L hard[4]. See hard water and our hardness by town table.
- PFAS: Delaware's PFOA and PFOS limits of 4.0 ppt took effect in January 2026[5]. Utilities post results on Delaware Drinking Water Watch[6].
- Private wells: Delaware's Division of Public Health recommends testing every year for nitrate and bacteria, and offers free test kits and financial aid for well owners[7]. See nitrate.
Utility or well? ZIP 19701: about 50% of the land area lies outside mapped public water service areas[1]. Homes in those areas are likely on private wells, which no utility tests. If that's you, start with a free in-home test.
Utility records
Artesian Water Company
EPA water system ID DE0000552 · serves about 231,114 people · surface water bought from another supplier
- Health violations
- No health-based violations in the last three years; 4 older on record (manganese, May 2020, resolved; manganese, Sep 2019, resolved)[1]
- Lead
- 1 ppb at the 90th percentile of its most recent lead sampling (EPA action level: 15 ppb)[8]
- PFAS
- EPA UCMR 5 sampling found PFOA up to 23.1 ppt, PFOS up to 6 ppt, PFPeA up to 106 ppt, PFBA up to 79.1 ppt, so PFOA and PFOS were above the 4.0 ppt federal limit that takes effect in 2029.[3]
Full EPA record for this system · Ask the utility for its annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) for hardness and other details[9].
Recommended for Bear homes
Comparing options? See tankless vs. tank reverse osmosis and all five WÜDR systems.
How it works
- Analysis: your free ZIP report and quiz, or a free in-home test (always, for wells).
- Recommendation: a system matched to your results.
- Price: shown only after the analysis.
- Install: buy on your own or talk it through first.
Check your water in Bear
Look up what your local water utility has reported to the EPA, then take a 60-second quiz about what you see, taste, and smell at home. We'll use both to recommend the right solution.
Get your water report
Enter your ZIP code to see your utility's violations, lead testing, and PFAS results from public EPA records, explained in plain English.
Data comes from U.S. EPA and Census public records. It covers public water systems, not private wells, and it isn't a test of your home's tap. If you're on a well, a free in-home test is the best way to know what's in your water.
Water self-check quiz
Question 1 of 8Step 2
Your recommended solution
Based on your water report and quiz answers.
Bear water questions
Who supplies water in Bear, DE?
Mostly Artesian Water Company, with Veolia Water Delaware in part of ZIP 19701. Some homes use private wells.
Do I need a softener in Bear?
It depends on your address. Artesian's hardness ranges from 26 to 359 ppm. We test your tap for free and size a softener only if you need one.
What about PFAS?
EPA UCMR 5 sampling found PFOA up to 23.1 ppt on Artesian's system. For drinking water, reverse osmosis is the usual fix.
Book a free water test in Bear
Sources
- U.S. EPA: SDWIS Federal Reports (violations, lead and copper results). sdwis.epa.gov/ords/sfdw_pub/r/sfdw/sdwis_fed_reports_public/200
- Artesian Water Company (PWSID DE0000552): Water Quality Report for 2025. www.artesianwater.com/wp-content/uploads/wqawc2025-1.pdf
- U.S. EPA: UCMR occurrence data. www.epa.gov/dwucmr/occurrence-data-unregulated-contaminant-monitoring-rule
- USGS Water Science School: Hardness of water. www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/hardness-water
- Delaware Public Health: PFAS in Delaware public drinking water. publichealthalerts.delaware.gov/pfas-in-delaware-public-drinking-water/
- Delaware Drinking Water Watch. drinkingwater.dhss.delaware.gov/
- Delaware DPH: Financial aid program and free water testing kits for private well owners (Aug 31, 2023). news.delaware.gov/2023/08/31/dph-launches-new-financial-aid-program-for-private-well-owners-offers-free-water-testing-kits-to-delaware-residents/
- U.S. EPA: Basic information about lead in drinking water. www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/basic-information-about-lead-drinking-water
- U.S. EPA: Consumer Confidence Reports (CCR) information for consumers. www.epa.gov/ccr/ccr-information-consumers
EPA records retrieved Oct 2026 from the EPA SDWIS and UCMR 5 public datasets. Utility records describe a water system, not the tap in your home. Records can lag and may be incomplete.