Sturgeon, PA tap water
Supplied mostly by Western Allegheny County Mun A, 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 0.26 ppm of ammonia here. Some utilities switch to plain chlorine for a few weeks a year.
Safety for fish and shrimp
Ammonia (with conditioner)
Estimate0.13–0.81 ppm (Low)
Typical 0.26 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 Western Allegheny County Mun A reports; the chloramine level Pennsylvania American Water - Pittsburgh System reports (2016–2025).
Nitrite (NO₂)
Up to 0.66 ppm (Worth knowing)
Typical 0.33 ppm
Some nitrite shows up in this tap water, which can happen in chloramine systems, and it goes into the tank with each water change.
From EPA monitoring data (2012–2019).
Nitrate (NO₃)
Supplier's figure2.2–2.7 ppm (Low)
Typical 2.2 ppm
Low, so water changes lower your tank's nitrate well.
From the utility that supplies yours: PA Amer Water Co-Pittsburgh, which supplies Western Allegheny County Mun A; Pennsylvania American Water - Pittsburgh System's 2025 water quality report.
Chlorine or chloramine at the tap
0.5–3.4 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; Pennsylvania American Water - Pittsburgh System's 2025 water quality report (2016–2025).
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 Western Allegheny County Mun A; Pennsylvania American Water - Pittsburgh System's 2025 water quality report.
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; EPA monitoring data, 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 Western Allegheny County Mun A; Pennsylvania American Water - Pittsburgh System's 2025 water quality report.
- Western Allegheny County Mun A and Pennsylvania American Water - Pittsburgh System add phosphate to protect pipes. It can feed algae in tanks without much plant growth.
Who supplies Sturgeon, PA
Western Allegheny County Mun A
Serves 70% of residents · Buys water from PA Amer Water Co-Pittsburgh · Chloramine
- 2025 water quality report
Pennsylvania American Water - Pittsburgh System
Serves 39% of residents · Lake or river water · 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.