Madison County, Alabama: drinking water report. Madison County in northern Alabama includes Huntsville, the state's most populous city, with a county…
Madison County in northern Alabama includes Huntsville, the state's most populous city, with a county population of about 395,000. Huntsville Utilities draws water from the Tennessee River and from springs and wells along the south slope of Monte Sano Mountain. Redstone Arsenal, a major Army installation and NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, occupies a significant portion of the county and has shaped both the local economy and the local contamination landscape.
Redstone Arsenal has a complex environmental history. The facility has been used for chemical weapons testing, rocket propulsion research, and military manufacturing since the 1940s. According to the Army's 2024 environmental status report, over 250 contamination sites have been identified on the installation, including areas with PFAS, TCE, perchlorate, and heavy metals in groundwater. PFAS contamination from AFFF firefighting foam has been confirmed at multiple locations on the base.
The Tennessee River supplies the bulk of Huntsville's drinking water, and the river's quality is generally good at the intake point upstream of the city. However, the EPA's UCMR5 data shows PFAS detections in the Huntsville system. A 2023 ADEM assessment documented PFAS at concentrations above 10 ppt in two public water systems in the county.
Proximity to Redstone Arsenal is the primary risk factor in Madison County. Residents in neighborhoods adjacent to the base or downstream of its groundwater flow should be particularly attentive to monitoring data.
Check your water to see results for your ZIP code. For PFAS, reverse osmosis systems certified to NSF 58 provide the strongest household protection. Our water filter guide compares removal rates across brands. Pull your detailed report for multi-year trends, and visit our Alabama page for statewide context.