Public water system record
City of Bethlehem
Serves an area of Northampton County and Lehigh County, PA that includes Bethlehem, Middletown, Freemansburg and 1 more place · 117,259 people served
Federal records show no health-based violations and 44 monitoring/reporting issues for City of Bethlehem in the last ten years.
System profile
- Health-based violations, last 10 years
- 0
- Resolved
- 0
- Unresolved
- 0
- Any acute record
- No
- Monitoring issues, last 10 years
- 44
Key facts
- City of Bethlehem draws water from 2 surface water intakes.
- Most recent formal enforcement: consent decree or court judgment by Pennsylvania, February 2006.
- Record on file since 1991, with 3 health-based violations before October 19, 2016.
- Lead pipe inventory: 3 lead and 36,058 unknown out of 37,096 service lines.
Check whether City of Bethlehem serves your address
Health-based violations
Since October 2016Violation data reflects EPA records through March 2026. For the most current status, visit the EPA ECHO database.
None since October 2016.
Monitoring and reporting issues
Since October 2016Missed tests or reports, not contaminants found above a limit.
| Issue | Start date | Status |
|---|---|---|
|
Surface Water Treatment Rule
Monitoring and reporting
|
Aug 1, 2025 | Resolved |
|
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
Monitoring and reporting
|
Apr 1, 2022 | Resolved |
|
Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)
Monitoring and reporting
|
Apr 1, 2022 | Resolved |
|
Chlordane
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2020 | Resolved |
|
ETHYLENE DIBROMIDE
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2020 | Resolved |
|
1,2-DIBROMO-3-CHLOROPROPANE
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2020 | Resolved |
|
Total Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB)
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2020 | Resolved |
|
Pentachlorophenol
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2020 | Resolved |
|
Benzo(a)pyrene
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2020 | Resolved |
|
HEXACHLOROBENZENE
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2020 | Resolved |
|
2,4,5-TP
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2020 | Resolved |
|
2,4-D
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2020 | Resolved |
|
Heptachlor epoxide
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2020 | Resolved |
|
Heptachlor
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2020 | Resolved |
|
2,3,7,8-TCDD
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2020 | Resolved |
|
LASSO
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2020 | Resolved |
|
Atrazine
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2020 | Resolved |
|
Carbofuran
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2020 | Resolved |
|
Hexachlorocyclopentadiene
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2020 | Resolved |
|
Dinoseb
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2020 | Resolved |
|
Picloram
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2020 | Resolved |
|
Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2020 | Resolved |
|
Simazine
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2020 | Resolved |
|
OXAMYL
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2020 | Resolved |
|
Di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2020 | Resolved |
|
Glyphosate
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2020 | Resolved |
|
Endothall
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2020 | Resolved |
|
Diquat
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2020 | Resolved |
|
Dalapon
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2020 | Resolved |
|
Toxaphene
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2020 | Resolved |
|
Methoxychlor
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2020 | Resolved |
|
BHC-GAMMA
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2020 | Resolved |
|
Endrin
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2020 | Resolved |
|
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
Monitoring and reporting
|
Oct 1, 2019 | Resolved |
|
Surface Water Treatment Rule
Monitoring and reporting
|
Aug 1, 2019 | Resolved |
|
Revised Total Coliform Rule
Monitoring violation
|
Aug 1, 2019 | Resolved |
|
Chlorine
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jul 1, 2019 | Resolved |
|
Surface Water Treatment Rule
Monitoring and reporting
|
Feb 1, 2018 | Resolved |
|
Revised Total Coliform Rule
RPT
|
Feb 1, 2018 | Resolved |
|
Chlorine
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2018 | Resolved |
|
Lead and Copper Rule
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jun 1, 2017 | Resolved |
|
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
Monitoring and reporting
|
Apr 1, 2017 | Resolved |
|
Revised Total Coliform Rule
RPT
|
Oct 1, 2016 | Resolved |
|
CYANIDE
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2016 | Resolved |
Full record since 1991
EPA's records for City of Bethlehem go back to 1991. Before October 19, 2016 they list 3 health-based violations (2 resolved, 1 archived by EPA without a recorded fix) and 24 monitoring or reporting violations.
| Violations that began in | Health-based | Monitoring and reporting |
|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3 | 0 |
| 2000s | 0 | 12 |
| 2010 to October 18, 2016 | 0 | 12 |
| October 19, 2016 to 2019 | 0 | 9 |
| 2020s | 0 | 33 |
Most recent health-based violation before October 19, 2016: Surface Water Treatment Rule, began October 1996, Resolved.
Show all 3 health-based violations before October 19, 2016
| Contaminant | Start date | Status |
|---|---|---|
|
Surface Water Treatment Rule
Treatment technique failure
|
Oct 1, 1996 | Resolved |
|
Surface Water Treatment Rule
Treatment technique failure
|
Jan 1, 1992 | Resolved |
|
Surface Water Treatment Rule
Treatment technique failure
|
Mar 1, 1991 | Archived |
Enforcement actions
Pennsylvania regulators took 7 formal enforcement actions against City of Bethlehem between 1991 and 2006. The most recent was a consent decree or court judgment in February 2006.
| Date | By | Action | Violations covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 6, 2006 | Pennsylvania | Consent decree or court judgment | 3 violations: Chlorine, Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule, Total Coliform |
| Jan 30, 2006 | Pennsylvania | Consent decree or court judgment | 1 violation: Surface Water Treatment Rule |
| Nov 4, 2005 | Pennsylvania | Consent decree or court judgment | 4 violations: Chlorine, Surface Water Treatment Rule, Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule, Total Coliform |
| Oct 31, 2005 | Pennsylvania | Consent decree or court judgment | 1 violation: Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule |
| Sep 29, 2005 | Pennsylvania | Consent decree or court judgment | 1 violation: Consumer Confidence Rule |
| May 13, 2005 | Pennsylvania | Consent decree or court judgment | 2 violations: Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) |
| May 6, 1991 | Pennsylvania | Signed compliance agreement | 1 violation (1 health-based): Surface Water Treatment Rule |
Where the water comes from
City of Bethlehem draws water from 2 surface water intakes. 3 other community water systems and 2 smaller public systems such as schools, businesses or campgrounds buy water from City of Bethlehem.
Community systems that buy water from it
- Community Utilites Westgate Downingtown, PA
- Lower Saucon Authority Bethlehem, PA
- Upper Saucon Twp Water Supply Center Valley, PA
Annual water quality report
City of Bethlehem must give its customers an annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report) by July 1, with the levels its tests found in the previous year.
Systems serving 10,000 or more people must mail or deliver the report to every customer, and from 2027 they must send it twice a year.
Find a posted report with EPA's Consumer Confidence Report search
Testing your own water
To test the water at your tap, or a private well this record does not cover, use a laboratory certified for drinking water by Pennsylvania.
Certified drinking water labs by state EPA guidance for private wells