What 'detected', 'median' and 'range' Mean in the Sampling Record on This Page
Federal sampling for PFAS compounds in the Truckee Meadows Water Authority system, which serves Reno, Sparks, and Washoe County, is based on surface water sources. The EPA’s Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule 5 (UCMR5) provides data from 142 samples taken between January 2023 and September 2025. These results include measured concentrations of PFAS types such as PFOA, PFOS, and PFHxS among others.
In this context, when a chemical is 'detected', it means the concentration exceeded the monitoring reporting level (the lowest level the instrument can reliably measure)—but this is not a health-based violation or confirmation of unsafe water. The 'median' of detected results represents the middle value of all detected samples, giving a sense of typical observed concentrations rather than extremes. The 'range' shows the lowest to highest detected concentrations over all samples.
Such data describe the water system’s general conditions but cannot define the exact water quality at an individual home or whether existing household treatment equipment is functioning correctly or not.
How the Treated Water Differs at the Tap Once the Documented Technology Is in Place
When household water treatment equipment has failed or is inadequate to address PFAS, using a specialized device such as the C-Series PFAS Forever Chemicals Filter can notably reduce the presence of these compounds at the tap. This system is designed specifically to target and remove multiple PFAS chemicals identified in government sampling without relying on generic or non-targeted methods.
The filter ships ready to configure and integrates with household water supplies, providing additional assurance beyond what municipal supply records alone can offer. Proper testing of your own water before and after using this equipment is essential to understand its impact in your particular situation.
How to Compare This Area's Record with a Neighboring County's Without Overreading It
Comparing PFAS data between Washoe County’s Truckee Meadows Water Authority system and neighboring water systems requires caution. Differences in source water type, sampling frequency, and local industrial or environmental factors can contribute to variance in detect rates and concentrations.
Sampling results are specific to a public water system’s monitored points and do not automatically apply to private wells or individual household plumbing. It is also important to avoid interpreting any detection as a health violation, as the EPA currently records zero health-based violations for this system based on its own criteria.
What Distinguishes This Problem From the Two Problems Most Often Confused With It
PFAS contamination is often confused with issues caused by hardness, iron, or bacterial presence, but they differ significantly in origin and treatment. Hardness and iron affect water aesthetics and appliance wear but are unrelated to chemical contaminants like PFAS. Bacterial contamination involves biological hazards, unlike PFAS which are synthetic chemical substances with different health and regulatory considerations.
Awareness of these distinctions helps focus on the right testing and treatment decisions specific to PFAS rather than other common water concerns.
What the Measured Range Means Against the Relevant Federal Standard, and What It Does Not Mean
The EPA has set federal maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for several PFAS types to take effect in 2024. For instance, PFOA and PFOS each have an MCL of 4.0 nanograms per liter (ng/L), and PFHxS has an MCL of 10 ng/L. Sampling in this water system shows some detections above these MCLs, but these findings are based on federal occurrence monitoring, which is not a compliance or enforcement test.
A detection above the reporting level or even above the future MCL does not automatically translate into an individual home’s water exceeding those levels. It is also not an indication that the water is unsafe by itself. Understanding this helps avoid assumptions or alarm without proper testing of your specific water supply.
Decisions on remediation benefit from both municipal data and private water testing to tailor the approach effectively.
In summary, this page has navigated the interpretation of PFAS data specific to Washoe County’s public water system, clarified what these government figures do and do not tell residents, and outlined how targeted equipment like the C-Series PFAS Forever Chemicals Filter can provide household-level treatment following equipment failure. Proper knowledge and testing are key to informed choices about PFAS in your water.
Where this information comes from
Source: EPA SDWIS public water system record. Sampled 2025-09-02. These figures describe the public water system's record, not the plumbing inside any individual building.
On record: EPA UCMR5 monitoring (2023-2025) for TRUCKEE MEADOWS WATER AUTHORITY (NV0000190), NV: 1420 results across 10 listed contaminants, 51 detections above the reporting level; 16 results above a 2024 federal MCL