What's in Fairfax city, VA tap water?
Fairfax city sits about 10 miles from our Arlington base and is served primarily by Fairfax County Water Authority, which provides water to roughly 1,121,613 people. It draws from the Potomac River watershed. Most of the DC metro area drinks treated Potomac River water. Because that surface water is heavily chlorinated to stay safe across a long distribution system, the contaminants that most often exceed EWG's stricter health guidelines here are chlorination byproducts, alongside unregulated contaminants like PFAS and hexavalent chromium.
"× over" compares the detected level to EWG's stricter health guideline, not the federal legal limit.
8 PFAS “forever chemicals” found in Fairfax city, VA's water
The EPA's most recent national testing round detected PFAS in Fairfax County Water Authority'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. Here, PFOA and PFOS were detected above that 4 ppt federal limit.
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 Fairfax County Water Authority. Levels vary by sampling point and date. Learn more about PFAS.
Your tap water is legal. That doesn't make it clean.
Enter any U.S. zip code to see your water utility and the contaminants in its supply. For DC-metro utilities we show levels measured against the stricter EWG health guideline, not just the legal limit.
DC-metro levels from the EWG Tap Water Database & utility Consumer Confidence Reports; nationwide results from EPA SDWIS records. Utilities shown are in legal EPA compliance. “× over” compares the detected level to EWG's stricter health-based guideline, not the federal legal limit.
Getting cleaner water in Fairfax city
Your city treats the water for everyone; a reverse osmosis system handles the last few feet, at your own sink, where it matters. The Sanavia Hydra is NSF-certified to cut the potomac river watershed contaminants above by up to 99%. Fairfax city is about 10 miles from our Arlington base, so it is inside our free in-home installation area, and every system ships nationwide with local installer help wherever you are.
Fairfax city water quality FAQ
Is Fairfax city, VA tap water safe to drink?
Public water in Fairfax city meets federal EPA legal limits. But "legal" is not the same as "clean": across the Potomac River watershed, independent testing routinely finds contaminants like Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) and Haloacetic acids (HAA5) above EWG's stricter health guidelines. Enter your zip code above to see your exact utility's record.
What contaminants are common in Fairfax city water?
For the Potomac River watershed, the contaminants that most often exceed health guidelines are Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Haloacetic acids (HAA5), Hexavalent chromium (chromium-6), PFAS (forever chemicals), Lead (from older service lines). Your specific levels depend on your utility, which you can look up by zip code above.
Does Sanavia install reverse osmosis systems in Fairfax city?
Yes. Fairfax city is roughly 10 miles from our Arlington base and inside our service area. A Sanavia Hydra reverse osmosis system installs under your sink and is NSF-certified to reduce every contaminant class above, and we offer a free in-home water test.
Where does Fairfax city tap water come from?
Fairfax city's primary public water system is Fairfax County Water Authority, which serves roughly 1,121,613 people. It sits in the Potomac River watershed, so its water shares that region's contaminant profile. Larger areas may have more than one utility, so enter your exact zip code above for your own system's EPA record.
Is well water in Fairfax city tested for these contaminants?
No. Private wells are not covered by municipal testing, so the responsibility falls on the homeowner. If your Fairfax city home is on a well, nitrate and naturally occurring contaminants are worth testing for specifically, and a reverse osmosis system reduces them at the tap. We offer a free in-home water test either way.
The contaminants behind the Potomac River watershed
Each of these is a plain-English guide to a contaminant class common in Fairfax city and the surrounding Potomac River watershed — what it is, the health context, and what actually removes it.
Detailed city water reports
For the largest DC-metro utilities we publish the full measured contaminant table.