Delaware
PFAS water filters in Delaware
What Delaware's rules say, what local utilities found, and how to cut PFAS at your tap.
The rules in Delaware
- State limits: PFOA 4.0 ppt, PFOS 4.0 ppt, and 10 ppt each for PFHxS, PFNA, and GenX, plus a hazard index, effective January 15, 2026. Results are posted in Delaware Drinking Water Watch[1][2].
- Federal limits: PFOA and PFOS 4.0 ppt from 2029[3].
- Private wells: Delaware recommends yearly nitrate and bacteria testing and offers free test kits and financial aid[4]. PFAS testing goes through a certified lab. See well water testing.
PFAS results for utilities we serve
| Utility | Max PFOA | Max PFOS | PFAS types found |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artesian Water Company | 23.1 ppt ▲ | 6 ppt ▲ | 8 |
| City of Wilmington Water Department | 9.9 ppt ▲ | Not detected | 6 |
| City of Newark Water Department | 25.3 ppt ▲ | 7.5 ppt ▲ | 8 |
| City of Dover Water Department | Not detected | Not detected | 0 |
| Dewey Beach Water Department | 11 ppt ▲ | Not detected | 5 |
| Rehoboth Beach Water Department | 14.9 ppt ▲ | 6.2 ppt ▲ | 7 |
| Middletown Water Department | Not detected | Not detected | 0 |
| Smyrna Water Department | 9.8 ppt ▲ | 6.7 ppt ▲ | 5 |
| Lewes Board of Public Works | 6.1 ppt ▲ | 9.5 ppt ▲ | 3 |
| Millsboro Water Department | Not detected | Not detected | 0 |
| Georgetown Water Department | 36 ppt ▲ | 14 ppt ▲ | 11 |
EPA UCMR 5 sampling, 2023–2025, for utilities serving the ZIPs we cover[5]. ▲ = at or above the 4.0 ppt federal limit[3]. Results are maximums from the sampling period, not what's in your tap today; utilities may have added treatment since.
How to reduce PFAS at home
- Know your numbers. Read your utility's results, or test a well with a certified lab.
- Drinking water first. A reverse osmosis system certified under NSF/ANSI 58 at the kitchen sink[6]. See reverse osmosis.
- Every tap? We don't currently install whole-house PFAS treatment; most exposure is from drinking and cooking water.
- Keep it working. Change media on schedule and retest.
Compare options: tankless vs. tank RO. What drives price: PFAS filter cost. Background: PFAS explained.
Where we install in Delaware
Free water report
Look up PFAS for your DE ZIP
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.
Hard water
Hard water has a lot of dissolved calcium and magnesium. It leaves scale on fixtures and in water heaters, spots on dishes, and makes soap lather poorly.
Chlorine & chloramine
Utilities add these to kill germs. They keep water safe on its way to you, but many people dislike the taste and smell.
Lead
Lead usually gets into water from old service lines, pipes, solder, and fixtures. The U.S. banned lead pipes and lead solder in drinking-water plumbing in 1986.
PFAS
PFAS are long-lasting "forever chemicals" found in many water supplies. In 2024 the EPA set the first national drinking-water limits for several of them.
Step 2
Your recommended solution
Based on your water report and quiz answers.
Common questions
Does my DE tap water have PFAS?
Check the table on this page or your utility's annual water quality report. For an exact answer at your tap, run the free water report for your ZIP.
What removes PFAS from drinking water?
Reverse osmosis, granular activated carbon, and ion exchange can all reduce PFAS; we use reverse osmosis at the kitchen sink. Look for NSF/ANSI 53 or 58 certification for the PFAS you need to reduce.
Do I need a whole-house PFAS system?
Most exposure is from drinking and cooking water, so we treat PFAS with reverse osmosis at the kitchen sink. We don't currently install whole-house PFAS treatment.
Know your PFAS numbers. Then fix them.
Sources
- 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/
- U.S. EPA: Proposed PFOA and PFOS compliance extension rule. www.epa.gov/sdwa/proposed-pfoa-and-pfos-compliance-extension-rule
- 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: UCMR occurrence data. www.epa.gov/dwucmr/occurrence-data-unregulated-contaminant-monitoring-rule
- NJ Department of Health: PFAS and private wells in New Jersey (July 2025). www.nj.gov/health/ceohs/documents/pfas_well_water.pdf
- NJDEP: Private well treatment. dep.nj.gov/privatewells/treatment/
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.