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CheckYourWater

PFAS Testing Results

Maryland

PFAS testing results for 83 water systems serving 5,358,186 residents.

Systems tested

83

36.1% had PFAS detections

Limits exceeded

16

19.3% of systems

Population affected

168K

served by systems over federal limits

Most common compound

11Cl-PF3OUdS

detected in 30 systems

Grade distribution

Every water system gets a letter grade based on how its worst detected PFAS compound compares to the federal Maximum Contaminant Level. Lower grades mean higher contamination.

A — 53 systems (63.9%)
B — 12 systems (14.5%)
C — 2 systems (2.4%)
D — 15 systems (18.1%)
F — 1 system (1.2%)

How grades are calculated →

Communities exceeding federal limits

The water systems in Maryland where at least one PFAS compound exceeds the EPA Maximum Contaminant Level, sorted worst first.

System nameCityGradeWorst compoundTimes over limitPopulation
TOWN OF THURMONTTHURMONT
PFOS5.7x6.2K
CITY OF SALISBURYSALISBURY
PFOS3.4x30K
TOWN OF ELKTONELKTON
PFOA3.4x16K
NEW LIFE CHRISTIAN SCHOOLFREDERICK
PFOS3.1x200
CITY OF TANEYTOWNTANEYTOWN
PFOS2.6x6.8K
GLENELG COUNTRY SCHOOLELLICOTT CITY
PFOA2.2x950
CITY OF WESTMINSTER, MDWESTMINSTER
PFOA2.0x35K
CITY OF ABERDEENABERDEEN
PFOS2.0x18K
MARYLAND AMERICAN WATER COMPANYHOPEWELL
PFOA1.9x13K
TOWN OF HAMPSTEADHAMPSTEAD
PFOA1.6x6.6K

Resources for taking action are available in our community toolkit.

What Maryland is doing about PFAS

Maryland has adopted several PFAS-related laws. HB 275 in 2020 banned the sale and use of Class B firefighting foam containing PFAS, with exemptions for certain federally required uses. HB 0373 in 2022 banned PFAS in food packaging and rugs.

The Maryland Department of the Environment has not adopted enforceable drinking water MCLs of its own and relies on the federal EPA limits finalized in April 2024. State records show MDE has monitored contamination near Joint Base Andrews and the St. Inigoes Naval Air Station in the southern part of the state, and the state has joined multistate litigation.

Public water systems in Maryland are subject to the federal compliance timeline requiring initial monitoring by 2027 and treatment installation by 2029.

Based on Maryland Department of the Environment publications and Maryland legislative records.

All 83 tested water systems in Maryland

Sorted from lowest grade to highest. Click any system name for the full report. Filter by city or name with the search box below.

Showing 50 of 83 systems

GradeSystem nameCityWorst compoundvs. EPA limitPopulation
TOWN OF THURMONTTHURMONTPFOS5.7× the federal limit6.2K
CITY OF SALISBURYSALISBURYPFOS3.4× the federal limit30K
TOWN OF ELKTONELKTONPFOA3.4× the federal limit16K
NEW LIFE CHRISTIAN SCHOOLFREDERICKPFOS3.1× the federal limit200
CITY OF TANEYTOWNTANEYTOWNPFOS2.6× the federal limit6.8K
GLENELG COUNTRY SCHOOLELLICOTT CITYPFOA2.2× the federal limit950
CITY OF WESTMINSTER, MDWESTMINSTERPFOA2.0× the federal limit35K
CITY OF ABERDEENABERDEENPFOS2.0× the federal limit18K
MARYLAND AMERICAN WATER COMPANYHOPEWELLPFOA1.9× the federal limit13K
TOWN OF HAMPSTEADHAMPSTEADPFOA1.6× the federal limit6.6K
TOWN OF MIDDLETOWNMIDDLETOWNPFOS1.5× the federal limit4.3K
TOWN OF MOUNT AIRYMOUNT AIRYPFOS1.5× the federal limit9.9K
BOONSBORO - KEEDYSVILLEBOONSBOROPFOA1.5× the federal limit4.3K
TOWN OF POOLESVILLEPOOLESVILLEPFOS1.4× the federal limit6.0K
TOWN OF MANCHESTERMANCHESTERPFOA1.1× the federal limit5.0K
CITY OF FRUITLANDFRUITLANDPFOS1.0× the federal limit5.9K
WALDORF - CHARLES COUNTY DPWLA PLATAPFPeABelow detection84K
CITY OF ROCKVILLE-PFPeABelow detection52K
TOWN OF BERLINBERLINPFHxSBelow federal limit4.5K
FREEDOM DISTRICTWESTMINSTERPFPeABelow detection25K
TOWN OF NORTH EASTNORTH EASTPFBABelow detection8.6K
FORT DETRICKFREDERICKPFPeABelow detection7.9K
CITY OF FREDERICKFREDERICKPFPeABelow detection54K
NEW DESIGN - FREDERICK COUNTYFREDERICKPFPeABelow detection75K
HOWARD COUNTY D.P.W. DISTRIBUTIONCOLUMBIAPFPeABelow detection286K
WASHINGTON SUBURBAN SANITARY COMMISSIONLAURELPFPeABelow detection1.9M
OCEAN PINESBERLINPFBABelow detection12K
CITY OF BALTIMOREBALTIMOREPFPeABelow detection1.6M
MANOR SHOPPING CENTERPHOENIXPFPeABelow detection2.9K
MGM NATIONAL HARBOR-PFBABelow detection24K
EASTERN REGION ALLEGANY DISTRIB. SYSTEMCUMBERLAND-Below detection5.7K
CITY OF CUMBERLANDCUMBERLAND-Below detection27K
WESTERN REGION ALLEGANY DISTRIB. SYSTEMCUMBERLAND-Below detection5.0K
CITY OF FROSTBURG--Below detection11K
LAVALE SANITARY COMMISSIONLAVALE-Below detection5.5K
MIDLAND-LONACONINGLONACONING-Below detection5.0K
CITY OF ANNAPOLISANNAPOLIS-Below detection35K
BROAD CREEKMILLERSVILLE-Below detection23K
CROFTON-ODENTONMILLERSVILLE-Below detection63K
FORT GEORGE G. MEADEFORT MEADE-Below detection62K
GLEN BURNIE-BROADNECKMILLERSVILLE-Below detection291K
SEVERN WATER COMPANYBEL AIR-Below detection5.4K
THE PROVINCESDUNKIRK-Below detection4.0K
U.S. NAVAL ACADEMYANNAPOLIS-Below detection8.7K
TOWN OF CHESAPEAKE BEACHCHESAPEAKE BEACH-Below detection5.0K
CHESAPEAKE RANCH ESTATESLUSBY-Below detection9.5K
PRINCE FREDERICKPRINCE FREDERICK-Below detection4.4K
SOLOMONSPRINCE FREDERICK-Below detection3.8K
TOWN OF DENTONDENTON-Below detection4.5K
ELKTON WESTNEWARK-Below detection3.5K

Check your water system

Enter your zip code to see the PFAS results for the water system that serves your home.

Where this data comes from

  • EPA Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, 5th cycle (UCMR 5)
  • Testing period: 2023 to 2026
  • Federal limits: EPA Maximum Contaminant Levels finalized April 2024
  • Read the full methodology