What's in Alexandria, VA tap water?
Alexandria's water (Virginia American Water) is drawn from the Potomac and shares the region's disinfection-byproduct profile, with PFAS and chromium-6 also detected above EWG health guidelines.
Zip codes covered: 22301, 22302, 22304, 22305, 22311, 22314 and surrounding Alexandriaareas. “× over” compares the detected level to EWG's health guideline, not the federal legal limit.
3 PFAS “forever chemicals” found in Alexandria, VA's water
The EPA's most recent national testing round detected PFAS in Alexandria, City Of's supply. The EPA's 2024 legal limit for PFOA and PFOS is just 4 ppt, and its own health goal is zero, no level is considered safe.
Reverse osmosis is independently rated the most effective way to remove PFAS at the tap.
See the fixSource: EPA Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR5), highest detected result per compound for Alexandria, City Of. Levels vary by sampling point and date. Learn more about PFAS.
How to get Alexandria water off that list
Here is the good news: everything above comes out at your kitchen tap. Virginia American Water (Alexandria) treats the water for the whole Alexandria system, but a reverse osmosis system finishes the job at your sink, catching what city treatment leaves behind. The Sanavia Hydra fits under a standard Alexandria sink and is NSF-certified to cut bromodichloromethane and the rest by up to 99%.
Alexandria water quality FAQ
Is Alexandria, VA tap water safe to drink?
Virginia American Water (Alexandria) water meets all federal EPA legal limits. However, independent EWG testing finds 4 contaminants above its stricter health-based guidelines, including Bromodichloromethane and Dichloroacetic acid. Legal compliance and health-optimal water are not the same thing.
What contaminants are in Alexandria water?
The most notable contaminants above EWG health guidelines are Bromodichloromethane, Dichloroacetic acid, PFAS (6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonic acid), Chromium-6 (hexavalent). These are largely disinfection byproducts and trace metals common to the region's water sources.
Does a reverse osmosis system remove these contaminants?
Yes. A reverse osmosis system like the Sanavia Hydra uses a 0.0001-micron membrane plus multi-stage carbon filtration, NSF-certified to reduce every contaminant class detected in Alexandria water, at your tap, regardless of what the utility does upstream.
The contaminants flagged in Alexandria water
Plain-English guides to what Virginia American Water (Alexandria)testing turns up above EWG's health guidelines — what each one is, and what actually removes it.