Kennett Square water treatment
What's in Kennett Square's water, where it comes from, and how to fix what you find. Check your ZIP for your utility's EPA records.
Your water in Kennett Square
Kennett Square calls itself the "Mushroom Capital of the World," and the farms around it are a reminder that much of southern Chester County is rural. In the 19348 ZIP, about 75% of the land area lies outside mapped public water service areas[1], so private wells are common in Kennett, New Garden, and East Marlborough townships.
In the borough, Kennett Square Municipal Water Works serves about 6,300 people with purchased water. Its EPA UCMR 5 samples found PFOA up to 17.7 ppt and PFOS up to 14.4 ppt, among the higher results in our area and above the 4.0 ppt federal limit that takes effect in 2029. Chester Water Authority, which serves parts of the area, found PFOA up to 5.1 ppt[2][3].
Local issues to know
- PFAS on borough water, as above. See PFAS.
- Corrosive wells: 83.3% of Chester County well samples tested for corrosivity by Penn State were outside the non-corrosive range[4], which can cause blue-green stains and leach metals from plumbing[5].
- Nitrate: wells near farm fields are worth testing for nitrate[6]. See nitrate.
Utility or well? ZIP 19348: about 75% 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
Chester Water Authority
EPA water system ID PA1230004 · serves about 140,437 people · surface water (rivers, streams, or reservoirs)
- Health violations
- No health-based violations on record[1]
- Lead
- 4.8 ppb at the 90th percentile of its most recent lead sampling (EPA action level: 15 ppb)[7]
- PFAS
- EPA UCMR 5 sampling found PFOA up to 5.1 ppt, PFBS up to 4.5 ppt, PFPeA up to 4.1 ppt, PFHxA up to 3.9 ppt, so PFOA was above the 4.0 ppt federal limit that takes effect in 2029.[2]
Full EPA record for this system · Ask the utility for its annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) for hardness and other details[8].
Kennett Square Municipal Water Works
EPA water system ID PA1150108 · serves about 6,328 people · surface water bought from another supplier
- Health violations
- No health-based violations in the last three years; 2 older on record (water treatment rule (filtration / disinfection), Aug 2020, resolved; water treatment rule (filtration / disinfection), Jun 2020, resolved)[1]
- PFAS
- EPA UCMR 5 sampling found PFOA up to 17.7 ppt, PFOS up to 14.4 ppt, PFBA up to 18.9 ppt, PFPeA up to 12.6 ppt, so PFOA and PFOS were above the 4.0 ppt federal limit that takes effect in 2029.[2]
Full EPA record for this system · Ask the utility for its annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) for hardness and other details[8].
Recommended for Kennett Square homes
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 Kennett Square
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.
Kennett Square water questions
Does Kennett Square water have PFAS?
Kennett Square Municipal Water Works' EPA samples found PFOA up to 17.7 ppt and PFOS up to 14.4 ppt, above the 4.0 ppt federal limit that takes effect in 2029.
I'm on a well near Kennett Square. What should I test?
Bacteria, nitrate, pH and corrosivity, and radon. Chester County lists certified labs. We offer a free in-home test for treatment basics.
Can one system handle PFAS and hardness?
Usually it's two pieces of equipment: a softener for hardness and reverse osmosis or carbon for PFAS. We size both from your results.
Book a free water test in Kennett Square
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
- U.S. EPA: UCMR occurrence data. www.epa.gov/dwucmr/occurrence-data-unregulated-contaminant-monitoring-rule
- U.S. EPA: Proposed PFOA and PFOS compliance extension rule. www.epa.gov/sdwa/proposed-pfoa-and-pfos-compliance-extension-rule
- Penn State AASL: Chester County drinking water test summary. agsci.psu.edu/aasl/water-testing/drinking-water-testing/drinking-water-test-summaries/chester
- Penn State Extension: Corrosive water problems. extension.psu.edu/corrosive-water-problems
- U.S. EPA: Potential well water contaminants and their impacts. www.epa.gov/privatewells/potential-well-water-contaminants-and-their-impacts
- 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.