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Review government records associated with Fairfax, Virginia.
Toxin Scout is in beta. Please verify important findings with the linked sources.
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Check your water bill for your utility name and confirm the reporting year. See EPA’s guide to finding your annual water quality report.
Public water-system records for Fairfax, VA from EPA SDWIS.
Fairfax County Water Authority
PFAS above an official threshold detected in available EPA records.
Reviewed: active/open records as of Q1 2026
City appears in system name · Serves 1,121,613 people
Data from EPA SDWIS
PFAS screening separates EPA UCMR5 drinking-water monitoring from nearby DoD PFAS investigation-site records; EPA samples shown are from Apr 2024 to Dec 2024.
Drinking Water PFAS Monitoring
EPA UCMR5 samples public water systems. These results are separate from nearby PFAS cleanup or investigation-site records.
5 PFAS sample results above EPA limits
Sample period: Jun 2024 to Dec 2024
UCMR5 results are sampled by public water system, not every household. Confirm your water provider before treating these as tap-water results for a specific address.
| Chemical | Concentration (µg/L) | EPA Limit (µg/L) | Sample date | Over Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PFOA | 0.0074 | 0.0040 | 2024-09-10 | Yes |
| PFOA | 0.0061 | 0.0040 | 2024-12-17 | Yes |
| PFOS | 0.0057 | 0.0040 | 2024-09-10 | Yes |
| PFOA | 0.0050 | 0.0040 | 2024-06-11 | Yes |
| PFOS | 0.0047 | 0.0040 | 2024-06-11 | Yes |
PFAS detections below EPA limits.
Nearby PFAS Investigation Sites
DoD records are nearby site investigations, not Fairfax drinking-water detections. Record names come from the source database and can be broad.
No DoD PFAS investigation records shown for this report.
EPA ATTAINS records identify assessed water bodies that do not meet water-quality standards for designated uses.
Accotink Creek
Reported: Nov 2026
Health-relevant causes: Mercury, Pathogens, Polychlorinated Biphenyls (pcbs)
Affected uses: Ecological, Fishconsumption, Other, Recreation
Data from EPA ATTAINS
NPDES permits regulate pollutant discharges into U.S. waterways. Facilities must report compliance quarterly.
No NPDES-permitted facility records with current violation flags surfaced for this city report.
Reviewed: active/open records as of Q4 2025
Data from EPA ECHO
To investigate water contamination, check the sampling locations, dates and results below. For tap water records, see Drinking water quality above.
Reviewed: source records as of 2026
Review historical EPA air pollution records, including monitoring and facility emissions where available. For current conditions, check local air quality on AirNow.
Fairfax city County
Assessment year: 2020
According to EPA, a cancer risk of 40-in-1-million means that for every 1 million people continuously exposed to these air toxics over a 70-year lifetime, an estimated 40 may develop cancer from that exposure. This is in addition to cancer risk from all other causes.
Top modeled source groups
Data from EPA AirToxScreen
EPA designates an area as nonattainment when air quality does not meet federal health-based standards (NAAQS) for a specific pollutant.
Washington: Ozone
NonattainmentModerate8-Hour Ozone (2015 Standard)
Health effects (EPA): Respiratory inflammation, aggravation of asthma, reduced lung function (EPA)
Historical designations under the revoked 1997 ozone standard
These records describe historical designations. EPA revoked the 1997 ozone standard on April 6, 2015.
Washington Area
Historical standard: 0.08 ppm (8-hour)
Historical designation: Nonattainment (NAAQS revoked) · Subpart 2/Moderate
Original designation: Jun 2004
Open data source: EPA final revocation ruleContinuing requirements have not been verified for this area.
Data from EPA Green Book
EPA annual monitor summaries describe past measurements. For current air quality, see AirNow.
Aurora Hills Visitors Center — Arlington, Virginia
Annual mean: 0.2 Parts per million
Observation year: 2025
Annual mean: 17.7 Parts per billion
Observation year: 2025
Annual mean: 0.043 Parts per million
EPA primary exceedance count: 2 (Ozone 8-hour 2015)
Observation year: 2025
Data from EPA AQS
Facilities regulated under the Clean Air Act. CAA HPV flags indicate serious noncompliance such as exceeding emission limits.
No facility records with active violation or noncompliance flags surfaced in EPA ECHO.
Reviewed: active/open records as of Q4 2025
Data from EPA ECHO
TRI releases are self-reported annual totals (calendar year 2024). Hover fugitive or stack for definitions.
Global Fairfax Terminal
Reported: 2024
Reviewed: source query run Nov 2026
Reviewed: source query run Nov 2026
Facilities with hazardous-waste handler records under RCRA in the reviewed 5-mile city-center search area. Active handler status is separate from air, water, or other ECHO compliance violations, which are shown in their own sections.
Active RCRA handler records in the reviewed city search area
No release reports shown in this group.
Reviewed: active/open records as of 2018
Data from EPA UST Finder
Reviewed: reporting year 2024
No MSHA mine or extraction site records shown for this report.
Fairfax city, VA
EPA Radon Zone Map (June 2024 release)
Fairfax city is EPA Radon Zone 1 (highest potential). EPA defines Zone 1 counties as having predicted average indoor screening levels above 4 pCi/L.
Radon levels can vary from home to home, so EPA recommends testing the property to know its indoor level.
FEMA flood zones describe mapped flood hazards. Look up a specific address with FEMA.
Minimal flood hazard — outside the 1% and 0.2% annual chance floodplains.
Results use an earlier stored RMP inventory. Current EPA ECHO location coverage is unverified.
No EPA ECHO RMP facility records with a usable location matched this city report.
PHMSA tracks incidents involving natural gas and hazardous liquid pipelines. Incidents include leaks, ruptures, and explosions.
No records dated within the last 5 years surfaced for this city report.
Reviewed: last 5 years
Data from PHMSA
Health outcomes from County Health Rankings. Values shown alongside state and national averages.
Fairfax city, VirginiaPop. 24,835
County Health Rankings edition: 2024
Premature Death
Poor or Fair Health
Poor Physical Health Days
Poor Mental Health Days
Adult Smoking
Adult Obesity
Air Pollution - Particulate Matter
Drinking water violation indicator
Diabetes Prevalence
Life Expectancy
| Indicator | County | State | National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premature Death | 7,971 | 7,297 | 7,972 |
| Poor or Fair Health | 11.9% | 14.2% | 14.2% |
| Poor Physical Health Days | 3.0 | 3.2 | 3.3 |
| Poor Mental Health Days | 4.3 | 4.9 | 4.8 |
| Adult Smoking | 10.2% | 12.9% | 15.0% |
| Adult Obesity | 28.6% | 34.2% | 34.0% |
| Air Pollution - Particulate Matter | 8.4 | 7.3 | 7.3 |
| Drinking water violation indicator | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Diabetes Prevalence | 9.0% | 10.2% | 9.6% |
| Life Expectancy | 75.7 | 78.1 | 77.6 |
EPA testing found PFAS in water samples from Fairfax County Water Authority. Results dated Apr 23, 2024 to Dec 17, 2024 include PFPeA at 0.0032 to 0.0215 micrograms per liter and PFBA at 0.0096 to 0.0176 micrograms per liter.
Check with the utility that serves your address for its testing results.
The EPA drinking water records available here list no violations for Fairfax County Water Authority.
Check your water bill to identify the utility serving your address. Ask that utility about current drinking water advisories.
Nearby EPA monitoring stations provide annual air quality measurements for Fairfax.
The monitoring station at Aurora Hills Visitors Center, Arlington, Virginia recorded an annual average of 0.2 Parts per million for carbon monoxide in 2025.
The monitoring station at Aurora Hills Visitors Center, Arlington, Virginia recorded an annual average of 17.7 Parts per billion for nitrogen dioxide in 2025.
The monitoring station at Aurora Hills Visitors Center, Arlington, Virginia recorded an annual average of 0.043 Parts per million for ozone in 2025.
The radon data for Fairfax covers Fairfax city. EPA places this area in Zone 1, with a predicted average indoor radon screening level above 4 picocuries per liter.
No Superfund or brownfield sites were returned for this city report.
The county data for Fairfax reports a life expectancy of 75.7 years in Fairfax city, Virginia.
The figure is from the 2024 edition of County Health Rankings, a University of Wisconsin program that publishes county health statistics.
The county data for Fairfax reports 7,971 years of life lost to deaths before age 75 per 100,000 residents in Fairfax city, Virginia. This measure adds up the years lost to early deaths and adjusts for differences in population age.
The figure is from the 2024 edition of County Health Rankings, a University of Wisconsin program that publishes county health statistics.
The county data for Fairfax lists fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) at 8.4 micrograms per cubic meter in Fairfax city, Virginia.
The figure is from the 2024 edition of County Health Rankings, a University of Wisconsin program that publishes county health statistics.
Federal pipeline records list an incident involving Colonial Pipeline Co near Fairfax on Jul 2, 2017. The reported release was a liquid petroleum product.