Is Mechanicsburg Tap Water Safe to Drink?

Yes, tap water is drinkable.

Tap Safe includes data from many publicly available sources, including the WHO (World Health Organization), CDC (Center for Disease Control), and user submitted databases, but unfortunately there's not enough data about Mechanicsburg.

To see user submitted ratings of the water quality for Pennsylvania, see the "User Submitted Ratings" box on this page.

Is tap water safe to drink in Mechanicsburg?

Yes, Mechanicsburg’s tap water is generally considered safe to drink as it met the EPA’s water quality mandates in its 2020 Water Quality Report. From April 1, 2018 to June 30, 2021 Mechanicsburg’s United Water Pa Mechanicsburg has had three Safe Drinking Water Act Violation. One should not get sick from drinking Mechanicsburg tap water. 

Though Mechanicsburg’s tap water is generally safe to drink, one should consider the possible safety impacts of low levels of regulated contaminants, unregulated contaminants, and water quality issues caused by severe weather.

While Mechanicsburg’s tap water is generally safe to drink, long-term residents may consider using water filters for their everyday drinking, as the EPA is still assessing the health impacts of long-term exposure to certain contaminants that they do not yet have regulations for, and long term exposure to certain contaminants which are already regulated, but below the currently acceptable levels. 

Where Does Mechanicsburg Tap Water Come From?

According to Mechanicsburg’s 2020 Water Quality Report, United Water Pa Mechanicsburg obtains water for its customers from several sources:

The raw drinking water supply is surface water from the Conodoguinet and Yellow Breeches Creeks. 

The Yellow Breeches Watershed is approximately 218 square miles in Cumberland and York Counties. 

The Conodoguinet Creek flows 104.5 originating from the Kittatinny Ridge and eventually into the Susquehanna River near Harrisburg. The Conodoguinet Watershed covers over 500 square miles. Learn more about local waterways at https://watersgeo.epa.gov/mywaterway. 

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) completed a source water assessment for the Mechanicsburg system in 2011 to meet Federal requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act. The study looked at the drainage area and ranked its vulnerability to contamination. The water supplies are considered vulnerable to urban stormwater runoff, transportation corridors, and agricultural activities. DEP ranked the susceptibility high because the water supplies are above the ground and exposed. To get a copy of the assessment, contact DEP at (717) 705-4732 or visit: http://www.depgreenport.state.pa.us/elibrary/.

Main Contaminants Found in Mechanicsburg Tap Water

As we mentioned above, Mechanicsburg tap water meets the requirements set by the EPA. For more precise information please see their 2020 Water Quality Report. Though Mechanicsburg drinking water meets EPA standards that does not mean it is contaminant free as there are levels that the EPA considers acceptable. Though the EPA regulated contaminants must meet a certain threshold for the city’s water to be deemed acceptable, many are still present in the drinking water at some level. The EPA continues to evaluate the long term impacts of these chemicals as more research is available. For example, the rules around arsenic, as well as, lead and copper are currently being re-evaluated.

Additionally, there are a number of “emerging” contaminants that the EPA has not determined acceptable levels for and is currently researching. For example, Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), for which the EPA has issued a health advisory. PFAS are also called ‘forever chemicals’ since they tend not to break down in the environment or the human body and can accumulate over time. We do not yet fully understand the dangers of PFAS as they are currently being investigated. We do not have any information on PFAS in Mechanicsburg’s drink water, so there may be a risk of contamination.

Lead piping is another potential source of contamination for many homes, both through service lines and in your home. The National Resource Defense Council has a great walk-through on how to determine if you may have lead service lines.

So while Mechanicsburg’s tap water does meet the requirements set by the EPA, it still makes sense to try to purify the tap water further to reduce contaminants to lower levels.