Better water for Dayton homes — including the PFAS question no one in Dayton can ignore.

The City of Dayton continues to report that finished drinking water leaving its treatment plants is below the new federal PFAS MCLs that took effect in 2024. The city is achieving that compliance by actively blending cleaner Miami River wellfield water with Mad River output to dilute incoming PFAS. Federal standards are being met. Whether that level of comfort is enough for your family — given that monitoring wells show PFAS at hundreds of times the MCL and that the permanent treatment plant won't be operational for years — is a reasonable personal decision. Whole-home PFAS filtration is the most reliable way to take that question off the table.

PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — are a family of thousands of man-made chemicals used since the 1940s in non-stick cookware, stain-resistant fabrics, food packaging, and firefighting foam. They're called "forever chemicals" because the strong carbon-fluorine bond doesn't break down naturally. PFAS accumulate in soil, water, and human bodies. The most-studied compounds (PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFNA, GenX) are linked to cancers, immune system effects, liver damage, and developmental issues. EPA now regulates five at the tap.

From the 1970s through the 1990s, Wright-Patterson used Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) — a firefighting foam containing PFOS and PFOA — extensively for jet-fuel fire training. Decades of training-area discharge entered the soil and groundwater under WPAFB's Area A. The Great Miami Buried Valley Aquifer flows southwest, carrying that contamination toward Dayton's Mad River wellfield. The city's monitoring wells, set upstream as an early-warning system, have detected PFAS at concentrations the City describes as "several hundred times" the new federal MCL. Dayton has filed cost-recovery claims exceeding $300 million against Wright-Patterson and the U.S. Department of Defense.

Yes — three things at once. First, ongoing blending of cleaner Miami River wellfield water into Mad River output to keep finished water below MCLs. Second, a planned $100 million blending infrastructure upgrade. Third, an estimated $384 million PFAS treatment system at the Ottawa Street plant, currently in design. The city is suing Wright-Patterson and the federal government to recover those costs. None of this is fast — full implementation will take years.

The most reliable option is a whole-home PFAS filtration system installed at the point of entry to your home. UltreFlo Protect, certified by IAPMO R&T against NSF/ANSI Standard 53, reduces up to 98% of the five most-regulated PFAS compounds (PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFNA, PFHpA). Because PFAS exposure also happens through skin contact and inhalation (every shower, every load of laundry), point-of-use only — like a pitcher filter — leaves a meaningful gap. Whole-home protects every tap.

If your home is on a private well rather than Dayton municipal water — common in parts of Beavercreek, Fairborn, Bellbrook, and the outer edges of Kettering and Centerville — there is no public testing requirement and no public treatment of your water. Wells closer to Wright-Patterson Area A have a higher likelihood of PFAS detection. We strongly recommend a baseline PFAS test for any private well within several miles of WPAFB. The free in-home test covers hardness, iron, and visible indicators; PFAS-specific lab analysis can be added.

Dayton lime-softens its groundwater to about 9 grains per gallon (roughly 155 mg/L) — still firmly in the "hard" range, and enough to leave scale on fixtures, shorten water heater life, and affect skin and hair. Homes on private wells around Dayton run far harder, 14–33 grains. A whole-home softener is the right starting point for almost every Dayton home. We'll test your specific tap before recommending anything.

Cost depends on your home's plumbing and what else your water needs. A PFAS-only system is one number; PFAS plus softener plus RO drinking water is another. We don't quote over the phone because we haven't seen your home or your water yet. The free in-home test takes 30–45 minutes and you leave with real numbers, zero pressure, and a recommendation that fits your actual situation.

Yes. The test is genuinely free whether you buy a system or not. Most Dayton homeowners have never seen real numbers for their own water — and given the PFAS situation, more homeowners want them than ever.

This Dayton PFAS coverage was last reviewed and updated in May 2026. As the City of Dayton, EPA, and the federal court case publish new information, this page is updated to match.

Yes. Pure H2O has been an Authorized RainSoft dealer serving Ohio homeowners since 1999. We sell the full RainSoft line — softeners, reverse osmosis drinking water systems, and air purification — and we're trained, certified, and supported directly by RainSoft.

Yes. As an Authorized RainSoft dealer we handle all RainSoft service, repair, and replacement parts. Same-week service is standard. If your RainSoft system was installed by a different dealer or is showing its age, we can take over service.

A typical whole-home water softener installation takes 2–4 hours. Our WQA Certified team handles all the plumbing, brine tank setup, system programming, and testing. Most customers have soft water flowing by the same evening. PFAS filtration installs may take slightly longer depending on plumbing access.

All Pure H2O and RainSoft systems come with a Lifetime Limited Warranty on major components. We've been family-owned in Ohio since 1999, which means if you ever need warranty service, you'll always have a local team to call — not a 1-800 number with a two-week wait.

Yes. We offer financing on new system installs — including PFAS whole-home filtration — through trusted third-party lenders, with same-day approval in most cases. Ask about financing options when you schedule your free water test.

Our WQA Certified Water Specialists use EPA-approved test methods at your kitchen sink — the same standards used by municipal water labs. The free 30–45 minute in-home test covers hardness, chlorine, chloramine, TDS, iron, and visible indicators. For lead, PFAS, bacteria, or nitrates — including private-well PFAS lab analysis — we coordinate certified testing through accredited third-party labs. You get the actual numbers in writing whether you buy a system or not — and you're welcome to take those numbers to any independent lab for verification.