Stafford County, Virginia: drinking water report. Stafford County in northern Virginia has a population of about 160,000 and sits between the D.C.
Stafford County in northern Virginia has a population of about 160,000 and sits between the D.C. suburbs and Fredericksburg. The Stafford County Utilities Department draws from the Rappahannock River and supplemental wells, serving a fast-growing commuter community. Marine Corps Base Quantico borders the county to the north, and the former military training areas at A.P. Hill (now Fort Barfoot) influence the regional groundwater picture.
MCB Quantico's PFAS contamination plume extends into the Stafford County area. According to the Virginia DEQ's 2024 PFAS investigation, monitoring wells near the northern county boundary have detected PFOS at concentrations above 15 ppt. The county's wells that draw from aquifer zones connected to the Quantico area face potential PFAS migration.
The Rappahannock River carries agricultural runoff from the Piedmont and mining-area discharges from upstream. A 2024 VDH monitoring report documented disinfection byproduct levels in the Stafford system that fluctuated seasonally, peaking during summer at 65 ppb against the MCL of 80 ppb for total trihalomethanes.
Stafford's growth has pushed residential development into areas that may be influenced by both agricultural and military contamination sources. Knowing whether your water comes from the river supply or groundwater wells helps identify which contaminants are most relevant.
Check your water for the latest data on your area. For PFAS, reverse osmosis is the strongest household option. For disinfection byproducts, activated carbon helps. Our water filter guide covers both. Pull your detailed report for seasonal trends, and visit our Virginia page for statewide context.
Drinking water is one exposure route. These federal datasets also cover Stafford County, VA.
The EPA places Stafford County, VA 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.
20% of homes in Stafford County, VA were built before 1980, and 3% 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.
Modelled annual fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) in Stafford County, VA averages 7.4 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