Clark County, IN Water Quality: PFAS & Lead

Clark County, Indiana: drinking water report. Clark County sits across the Ohio River from Louisville, KY, home to about 120,000 residents in communities…

Water Quality in Clark County, IN

Clark County sits across the Ohio River from Louisville, KY, home to about 120,000 residents in communities like Jeffersonville, Clarksville, and New Albany (partially). The Indiana American Water company draws from the Ohio River to serve much of the county, though some communities maintain independent groundwater systems.

What the Data Shows

The Ohio River at Clark County has already traveled past Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and Louisville's industrial waterfronts. UCMR5 data shows low-level PFAS detections in county systems. Indiana does not have state-specific PFAS standards, relying on federal guidelines.

According to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management's 2024 compliance data, county systems met federal standards. The Ohio River's complex contaminant profile means treatment must address a wider range of compounds than cleaner source waters require. Disinfection byproducts from treating organic-rich river water are a seasonal management challenge.

What Clark County Residents Should Do

The Ohio River's complexity as a water source means treatment quality matters significantly.

Check your water for data in your area. An activated carbon filter helps with taste and DBPs. For PFAS, reverse osmosis provides broader coverage. Our water filter guide covers options. Pull your detailed report, and visit our Indiana page for statewide data.

Beyond water: other exposures in Clark County, IN

Drinking water is one exposure route. These federal datasets also cover Clark County, IN.

Radon risk

The EPA places Clark County, IN in Zone 1 - the EPA's highest-risk category, where the predicted average indoor radon level is above 4 pCi/L. Zone maps predict an area's radon potential from geology and existing indoor readings; they say nothing about a specific house. Testing is the only way to know your own level.

Lead paint risk

49% of homes in Clark County, IN were built before 1980, and 11% before 1950. Residential lead paint was banned in 1978, so housing age is the strongest available proxy for lead-paint exposure. This describes the county's housing stock, not any one home.

Air quality

Modelled annual fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) in Clark County, IN averages 8.9 µg/m³, within the EPA's annual standard of 9 µg/m³. These are CDC modelled county estimates rather than readings from a specific monitor.

How radon zones work · Air quality by county · Lead exposure guide