Latest Testing Results

• Federal Compliance Status: Montgomery Water Works maintains compliance with federal drinking water standards per EPA monitoring through 2025. However, compliance with the new PFAS MCLs — enforceable since 2024 — must be achieved by 2029, and the utility is in the monitoring phase of that process.
• Contaminant Detection: Updated testing data reveals 15 different contaminants exceeding health guidelines, including extremely high disinfection byproducts, PFAS compounds, radioactive radium, chromium-6, chlorite, and nitrates. This figure has increased from earlier reporting periods as monitoring methods have improved.
• Critical Findings: Haloacetic acids (HAA9) at 451 times above health guidelines, total trihalomethanes at 182 times above guidelines, and combined radium at 7.1 times above recommended levels remain the headline concerns for long-term health risk among Montgomery’s 236,000 residents. You can compare these levels with other Alabama cities using our interactive water quality tool.

Water Sources and Treatment

• Source Water: Montgomery draws surface water from the Alabama River, treated at the C.T. Perry Water Treatment Plant. The Alabama River watershed carries contamination from agricultural runoff, industrial discharge, and naturally occurring radioactive minerals from the Black Belt region’s geological formations. A February 2026 Sierra Club report confirmed PFAS in 88% of Alabama’s surface water samples statewide, underscoring the upstream contamination pressure on Montgomery’s intake.
• Treatment Limitations: Conventional chlorine-based treatment effectively eliminates bacterial pathogens but cannot remove PFAS compounds, and actively generates disinfection byproducts (trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids) when chlorine reacts with organic matter in the Alabama River. Advanced treatment — such as granular activated carbon or reverse osmosis at the plant level — would be required to meaningfully reduce these contaminants.
• PFAS Regulatory Timeline: Under EPA’s April 2024 final PFAS rule, Montgomery Water Works is required to complete initial PFAS monitoring and notify customers of results. Full compliance with the 4 ppt MCLs for PFOA and PFOS is mandated by 2029. Current detected levels (PFOA at 0.121 ppt and PFOS at 0.153 ppt) are below the new MCLs, but the broader PFAS picture in Alabama’s waterways warrants ongoing vigilance. Stay current on emerging alerts via our water alert news page.

Disinfection Byproduct Concerns

• Haloacetic Acids (HAA9): Detected at 27.0 ppb — 451 times above the EWG health guideline of 0.06 ppb. While Montgomery meets the EPA’s legal limit of 60 ppb for HAA5, the gap between the regulatory limit and health-based guidelines is striking, and represents one of the most concerning contamination ratios in the U.S. for this group of cancer-linked chemicals.
• Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs): Found at 27.4 ppb — 182 times above the EWG health guideline of 0.15 ppb. Again, Montgomery meets the federal limit of 80 ppb, but far exceeds stricter health-based thresholds. Long-term regular exposure creates significant cumulative cancer risk.
• Individual Trihalomethane Compounds: Bromodichloromethane (10x above EWG guidelines), chloroform (3.2x above), and dibromochloromethane (2.7x above) each contribute independently to elevated cancer risk. These compounds also concentrate in shower steam, meaning inhalation exposure supplements ingestion risk.

PFAS and Emerging Contaminants

• PFAS Detection: PFOA (0.121 ppt) and PFOS (0.153 ppt) have been detected in Montgomery’s water supply. Both are below the new 4 ppt EPA MCLs that became enforceable in 2024, but EWG health guidelines for these compounds are substantially lower (0.004 ppt for PFOA). All 236,000 residents are exposed to these persistent chemicals, which accumulate in body tissue and are linked to cancer, liver damage, and developmental issues in children. Montgomery Water Works must complete compliance monitoring and remediation planning under the 2029 deadline.
• Radioactive Contamination: Combined radium-226 and radium-228 at 0.35 pCi/L exceeds EWG health guidelines by 7.1 times. These naturally occurring radioactive isotopes from Alabama’s limestone and sedimentary geology create long-term cancer risk, with children facing heightened vulnerability.
• Additional Contaminants: Chromium-6 detected at 2.1x above EWG health guidelines (the “Erin Brockovich chemical” — a known carcinogen not directly regulated by federal MCLs). Chlorite at 13x above guidelines, potentially affecting blood chemistry. Nitrates from agricultural runoff in the Alabama River watershed, contributing to cancer risk, particularly for infants. See our water filter recommendations for NSF-certified options targeting these specific contaminants.

Customer Service and Support

Montgomery Water Works and Sanitary Sewer Board (MWWSSB) provides customer support through its main office at 2000 Interstate Park Drive, Montgomery, AL 36109. The utility publishes an annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) as required by the EPA. While these reports confirm federal compliance, they do not fully reflect the extent of contamination when measured against stricter health-based guidelines used by environmental health organisations. Residents should request the most recent CCR directly from the utility and consider independent testing for a complete picture. For live emergency alerts, bookmark our U.S. boil water notice tracker.