Bowling Green, KY Water Quality (ZIP 42102)

Quick Answers

Is ZIP 42102 tap water safe to drink? PFAS compounds have been detected in 42102's water at an average of 10.8 ppt across 2 compounds. A certified pitcher filter or reverse osmosis system is recommended, especially for sensitive populations.

What filter should I use in 42102? Match the filter to the data: reverse osmosis handles PFAS, lead, and arsenic together; NSF-53 pitchers cover the taps you drink from. A basic Brita pitcher will not remove PFAS.

ZIP 42102 Water Quality Summary

EPA testing has detected PFAS "forever chemicals" in the water systems serving ZIP 42102 (Bowling Green, KY). Monitoring found a peak of 27.2 ppt across 2 systems, averaging 10.8 ppt over 2 detected compounds. These levels come from individual EPA UCMR 5 water samples (2023-2025). The EPA's 4 ppt limit for PFOA and PFOS is enforced on a running annual average, so a sample above it shows real exposure but is not by itself a violation.

Contamination Level: MODERATE – Moderate contamination – PFAS detected at meaningful levels; filtration recommended.

Top Detected Compounds in ZIP 42102

• PFBA: 27.2 ppt (exceeds the EPA 4 ppt limit)
• PFPEA: 5.6 ppt (exceeds the EPA 4 ppt limit)

Lead in ZIP 42102 Water

EPA Lead and Copper Rule testing recorded 12 lead samples for the systems serving 42102, with a 90th-percentile high of 0.0037 mg/L (within the EPA 0.015 mg/L action level). There is no safe level of lead for children; homes built before 1986 should use a certified NSF/ANSI 53 lead filter.

EPA Violations Affecting ZIP 42102

The water systems serving 42102 has 1 health-based EPA Safe Drinking Water Act violation on record, including Haloacetic Acids (HAA5). A health-based violation means a contaminant exceeded its federal limit or required treatment was not applied.

About the Data

These figures come from EPA UCMR5 (2023-2025) plus Lead and Copper Rule and SDWIS records for the public water system serving ZIP 42102. UCMR5 is the most comprehensive national drinking water survey in US history.

Beyond water: other exposures in Bowling Green, KY

Drinking water is one exposure route. These are the other federal datasets that cover ZIP 42102.

Industrial releases near 42102

EPA Toxics Release Inventory data for 2023 records 4 reporting facilities within about five miles of 42102, together reporting roughly 237,910 pounds of on-site chemical releases that year. TRI covers facilities above federal reporting thresholds, so smaller sources are not included, and a reported release is not the same as a measured concentration in air or water.