Liberty County, Georgia: drinking water report. Liberty County on Georgia's coast has about 61,000 residents, with Hinesville as the county seat.
Liberty County on Georgia's coast has about 61,000 residents, with Hinesville as the county seat. Fort Stewart – the Army's largest installation east of the Mississippi – occupies over 280,000 acres across Liberty and surrounding counties. Water comes from the Upper Floridan Aquifer and the Savannah River via a regional pipeline. The military installation's size and activities significantly influence the county's water quality picture.
Fort Stewart has confirmed PFAS contamination from AFFF firefighting foam used across the installation's multiple fire training areas and airfield. According to the Army's 2024 environmental investigation, PFOS concentrations in monitoring wells near fire training sites exceed 90 ppt. The sandy coastal plain geology allows contamination to migrate relatively quickly through the aquifer.
The Floridan Aquifer in Liberty County is naturally well-protected by confining layers, and the city of Hinesville's deep wells have not shown elevated PFAS. However, shallow private wells on properties adjacent to the base face a different exposure profile. A 2024 Georgia EPD study found PFAS at 15 ppt in two private wells within one mile of the installation boundary.
Liberty County residents on deep municipal wells benefit from the aquifer's natural protection. Private well owners near Fort Stewart's boundary should prioritize PFAS testing – the Army's well sampling program has been expanding, but not all properties have been reached.
Check your water for data at your address. For PFAS, reverse osmosis provides the most effective household treatment. Our water filter guide covers systems with certified PFAS performance. Get your detailed report for local data, and visit our Georgia page for statewide patterns.