Your Local Water
Every utility in the Richmond area publishes an annual water-quality report. We use those numbers as the starting point for every system we recommend.
Why local water chemistry matters
Water filtration works best when it’s matched to the water it’s filtering. A system designed for well water, or for chlorine alone, may not be the best choice for a home on chloraminated municipal water. Starting from local data means you buy what your home actually needs.
What are chloramines?
Chloramines are disinfectants made by combining chlorine and ammonia. Local water systems use them to disinfect drinking water and help control microbes as water travels through the distribution system.
They are longer-lasting than chlorine alone, which is useful in large distribution networks. They also affect the taste and odor of water in the home, and they are harder for ordinary carbon to reduce than chlorine.
Sources EPA, Chloramines in Drinking WaterWater Quality Association chloramine fact sheet
Published figures by utility
Values are as reported in each utility’s 2025 report. Where a utility uses several sources, figures vary by source.
Chesterfield County
Chesterfield blends three water sources. Where they differ, the highest reported value is shown.
Chesterfield detailsHenrico County
Henrico’s report covers two sources: the county’s own plant and water purchased from the City of Richmond. Where they differ, the higher reported value is shown. PFOA is shown as the average; the highest single sample was 2.9 ppt.
Henrico detailsRichmond City
PFOA result is from Richmond’s 2024 sampling. Richmond also reports hardness of 81 ppm, about 4.7 grains per gallon.
Richmond detailsHanover County
Figures for Hanover’s Suburban Water System, which includes the Mechanicsville area and is supplied by the James and North Anna rivers. PFOA result is from EPA testing in 2024 and 2025. Sodium is the highest result.
Hanover detailsFor each utility’s full 2025 figures, where its water comes from and what it means for your home: Chesterfield, Henrico, Richmond, Hanover.
All four utilities add fluoride to their water. Read the fluoride FAQ
What these numbers mean
Chloramines ppm
A disinfectant made from chlorine and ammonia that keeps water safe as it travels through the pipes, and what can give tap and shower water a chlorine smell and taste. EPA’s limit of 4.0 ppm applies to the annual average; all four systems had individual readings above 4 ppm (4.1 to 5.1), which the rules allow.
TTHMs ppb
Total trihalomethanes: byproducts that form when disinfectants react with natural organic matter, like leaves and soil, in the source water. EPA limit: 80 ppb.
HAA5 ppb
Five haloacetic acids: another group of disinfection byproducts that forms the same way. EPA limit: 60 ppb.
PFOA ppt
One of the PFAS “forever chemicals,” which break down very slowly and can build up in the body over time. EPA’s limit is 4.0 parts per trillion, with a health goal of zero. EPA links long-term exposure to certain PFAS with health effects including some cancers.
Lead sampled homes
Lead mostly comes from older service lines and home plumbing, not the treatment plant, so each utility tests taps at a sample of homes, often about 50, rather than every home. No sampled home in any of the four systems exceeded EPA’s action level of 15 ppb, the point where a utility must take further steps. EPA’s health goal for lead is zero. Because lead comes from a home’s own pipes, results can vary from home to home. Lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children.
Sodium ppm
Naturally present and added in treatment. Doctors often limit sodium for people with high blood pressure or certain heart, kidney or liver conditions. For very low-sodium diets, EPA suggests drinking water under 20 ppm, and Henrico’s 22.7 ppm and Hanover’s 28 ppm are above that. If you’re on a sodium limit, ask your doctor whether your water matters.
Hardness gpg
Dissolved calcium and magnesium. Richmond reports 81 ppm, about 4.7 grains per gallon, which is moderately hard. Chesterfield, Henrico and Hanover don’t list hardness in their 2025 reports. It’s why a softener is optional here, not automatic. Read the softener guide
Every regulated level shown here is below its EPA limit or action level. EPA notes that people who drink water above the TTHM and HAA5 limits over many years may have problems with their liver, kidneys or central nervous system and may have an increased risk of cancer. The carbon media in our system lists trihalomethanes among the chlorinated byproducts it’s suited to reduce, and EPA research has found that activated carbon and reverse osmosis reduce PFAS (“forever chemicals”).
Sources EPA, National Primary Drinking Water RegulationsEPA, PFAS in drinking waterEPA, Lead in drinking waterEPA, Sodium in drinking waterMedlinePlus, Low-sodium dietChesterfield 2025 reportHenrico 2025 reportRichmond 2025 report
Why catalytic carbon
Catalytic carbon is activated carbon with a modified surface that speeds up the breakdown of chloramines. It’s the right tool for whole-home filtration on chloraminated water, and it also reduces taste, odor and a broad range of organic compounds.
What the media is documented to reduce Jacobi Carbons, AquaSorb CX-MCA
Learn about the systemWhy reverse osmosis
For the water you drink, reverse osmosis adds a much finer level of filtration. EPA research has found that activated carbon and reverse-osmosis filtration reduce PFAS (“forever chemicals”), and research has shown reverse osmosis reduces microplastics.
Read the research EPA treatment technologiesEPA study of home systemsmembrane technologies review
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