Henrico County, Virginia: drinking water report. Henrico County wraps around the northern and eastern edges of Richmond, serving roughly 335,000 residents…
Henrico County wraps around the northern and eastern edges of Richmond, serving roughly 335,000 residents through the Henrico County Department of Public Utilities. The county draws its water from the James River and the Chickahominy River, treating it at two plants before distributing it across a sprawling suburban network. Agricultural runoff from upstream farms and industrial discharges along the James River corridor shape the raw water profile before it ever reaches a treatment facility.
The EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program detected PFAS compounds in Henrico County's water system during 2023-2024 sampling. Virginia has adopted a combined PFAS standard of 10 ppt for PFOA and PFOS – stricter than the federal limit – and several monitoring points in the county have returned detections near that threshold. According to the Virginia Department of Health's 2024 annual report, Henrico's system also recorded elevated levels of haloacetic acids during summer months when warm river water increases disinfection byproduct formation.
The former Defense General Supply Center (now Defense Supply Center Richmond) sits within the county and has documented PFAS contamination from historical firefighting foam use. Groundwater monitoring wells near the facility show PFAS concentrations above EPA health advisory levels.
We recommend starting with a look at your specific water data – check your water to see what contaminants have been detected in your service area. Summer months tend to produce higher disinfection byproduct readings, so if you are on the Henrico system, a carbon block filter can reduce those compounds at the tap.
For PFAS, reverse osmosis is the most effective household option. Our water filter guide ranks systems by independent lab results rather than manufacturer marketing. Pull your detailed report for multi-year trends. For statewide patterns, visit our Virginia page.