Imperial, PA tap water
Supplied mostly by Findlay Twp Municipal Auth, plus 1 other utility. Here's what the water means for your fish.
Disinfectant
Chloramine
Your water is treated with chloramine. Unlike chlorine, it doesn't gas off when water sits out, and many pitcher and fridge filters aren't rated to remove it. Conditioners that list chloramine on the label break it apart, which frees about 0.24 ppm of ammonia here. Some utilities switch to plain chlorine for a few weeks a year.
Safety for fish and shrimp
Ammonia (with conditioner)
Estimate0.13–0.43 ppm (Low)
Typical 0.24 ppm
This is what a conditioner frees when it breaks the chloramine apart. A cycled filter clears it within a day.
Estimated from the chloramine level Findlay Twp Municipal Auth reports; the chloramine level Western Allegheny County Mun A reports (2016–2019).
Nitrate (NO₃)
Supplier's figure2.2–3.4 ppm (Low)
Typical 3.1 ppm
Low, so water changes lower your tank's nitrate well.
From the utility that supplies yours: Moon Twp Muni Auth and Robinson Twp Muni Auth and PA Amer Water Co-Pittsburgh, which supplies Findlay Twp Municipal Auth; PA Amer Water Co-Pittsburgh, which supplies Western Allegheny County Mun A (2012–2025).
Chlorine or chloramine at the tap
0.5–1.8 ppm
Typical 1 ppm
At tap levels, chlorine and chloramine are toxic to fish, shrimp and the bacteria in a filter. Water conditioners are made for this range.
From EPA monitoring data (2016–2019).
Water chemistry
General hardness
Supplier's figure31–222 ppm
Typical 91 ppm
Moderately soft to medium. Suits most community fish and plants.
From the utility that supplies yours: PA Amer Water Co-Pittsburgh, which supplies Findlay Twp Municipal Auth; PA Amer Water Co-Pittsburgh, which supplies Western Allegheny County Mun A (2025).
Carbonate hardness (alkalinity)
Supplier's figure51–54 ppm
Typical 52 ppm
Moderate buffering. pH should stay fairly steady.
From the utility that supplies yours: PA Amer Water Co-Pittsburgh, which supplies Western Allegheny County Mun A, measured before treatment (2012–2019).
pH
Supplier's figure7–7.7
Typical 7.3
Most community fish do well here. Stable water matters more than the exact number.
From the utility that supplies yours: PA Amer Water Co-Pittsburgh, which supplies Findlay Twp Municipal Auth; PA Amer Water Co-Pittsburgh, which supplies Western Allegheny County Mun A (2025).
- Findlay Twp Municipal Auth and Western Allegheny County Mun A add phosphate to protect pipes. It can feed algae in tanks without much plant growth.
- Findlay Twp Municipal Auth softens its water at the plant, so it may be softer than the local groundwater.
Who supplies Imperial, PA
Findlay Twp Municipal Auth
Serves 73% of residents · Buys water from Moon Twp Muni Auth · Chloramine
Western Allegheny County Mun A
Serves 18% of residents · Buys water from PA Amer Water Co-Pittsburgh · Chloramine
Our data comes from public records and is still incomplete. Many utilities don't publish every number, so we're adding more all the time. Your city's range is a starting point: testing your own tap is the only way to know exactly what's in it.
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Compiled by Shoal & Stem from public records. Free to cite with a link.