Summit County tap water: hardness, PFAS and lead

Summit County, Ohio has about 538,370 residents (Census 2024 estimate) and 31 community water systems in EPA records. The largest local system is Akron City Pws, serving about 280,000 people from surface water.

! 4 of 6 largest systems with health-based violationsPFAS detected at 1 of 6 sampled systemsHardness 6.3 gpg (high confidence)

Public-record figures, not a test of your tap. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.

How hard is Summit County water?

Akron City Pws Measured (utility report, 2025) · High confidence

6.3 gpg (107 mg/L), moderately hard · range 76–150 mg/L

Source: AKRON CITY PWS water quality report, 2025

Public-record figures, not a test of your tap. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.

Softener size at 6.3 gpg

For a 3-person home using 57 gallons per person per day and regenerating weekly, you'd remove about 7,541 grains between regenerations. Suggested size: 24,000 grain.

Estimate only. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.

Open the softener calculator with 6.3 gpg

Largest water systems in Summit County

The 6 biggest of 31 community water systems on EPA records for this county. Service areas don't follow county lines; your water bill names your provider.

Akron City Pws

OH7700011 · serves about 280,000 people · Surface water

! 1 health-based violation✓ Lead below action levelPFAS detected (2 types)

Lead 90th percentile: 2.7 ppb (period starting 2025-01-01). Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

  • PFOA: highest sample 7.3 ppt (1 of 4 samples); federal limit 4.0 ppt as a running annual average
  • PFBA: highest sample 5 ppt (1 of 4 samples); no federal limit

EPA ECHO record

Cuyahoga Falls City Pws

OH7701012 · serves about 51,114 people · Groundwater

! 1 health-based violation✓ Lead below detection✓ No PFAS detected

Lead 90th percentile: <DL (below the lab detection/reporting limit; reported as 0) (period starting 2022-01-01) Older result. Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

EPA ECHO record

Stow Public Water System

OH7704503 · serves about 35,437 people · Surface water

! 1 health-based violation✓ Lead below detection✓ No PFAS detected

Lead 90th percentile: <DL (below the lab detection/reporting limit; reported as 0) (period starting 2022-01-01) Older result. Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

EPA ECHO record

Barberton City

OH7700411 · serves about 31,298 people · Surface water

✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below action level✓ No PFAS detected

Lead 90th percentile: 3 ppb (period starting 2026-01-01). Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

EPA ECHO record

Tallmadge City Pws

OH7704703 · serves about 18,394 people · Surface water

✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below detection✓ No PFAS detected

Lead 90th percentile: <DL (below the lab detection/reporting limit; reported as 0) (period starting 2021-01-01) Older result. Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

EPA ECHO record

Hudson City Pws

OH7701612 · serves about 8,385 people · Groundwater

! 1 health-based violation✓ Lead below action level✓ No PFAS detected

Lead 90th percentile: 2.1 ppb (period starting 2025-01-01). Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

EPA ECHO record

Public-record figures, not a test of your tap. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.

A PFAS detection is not a violation. Federal limits (4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS) apply to running annual averages, with compliance required by 2029. In May 2026 EPA proposed extending the PFOA/PFOS deadline to 2031 and removing other PFAS limits; not final as of 2026-10-21.

Test your own tap

These are public records for whole systems. Your home's pipes, fixtures and any private well can change what you drink. A certified lab test or a hardness test strip gives you your own numbers. Then use our PFAS and lead filter selector to see which certifications to look for.

Common questions about Summit County water

Is tap water in Summit County safe to drink?

4 of the 6 largest systems here have at least one health-based violation in EPA records since October 2021 (see each system below for status). Akron City Pws's most recent lead 90th percentile was 2.7 ppb (2025), below the 15 ppb action level. Public records can't guarantee what comes out of your tap, especially with older plumbing, so a home test is the surest check.

How hard is the water in Summit County?

Akron City Pws reports about 6.3 grains per gallon (107 mg/L), which is moderately hard. For a 3-person home at 6.3 gpg, our softener calculator suggests a 24,000 grain unit as a starting point.

Is there PFAS in Summit County water?

1 of the 6 sampled systems listed here detected at least one PFAS in EPA's UCMR 5 testing, and one result was above the level of a federal limit in at least one sample. A detection isn't a violation: federal PFAS limits apply to running annual averages starting in 2029.

Which water system serves my address in Summit County?

Most homes are served by Akron City Pws or one of the other systems listed on this page, but service areas don't follow county lines. Your water bill names your provider, and its annual Consumer Confidence Report has the full test results.

More Ohio counties

Sources for this page

Data as of October 21, 2026. Figures are copied from public records and combined with our own calculations; they can be out of date or wrong. Tapped Out isn't affiliated with any utility or the EPA. Written and reviewed by the Tapped Out team. How we calculate · All sources.