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PFAS in North Carolina drinking water

281 community water systems tested

39.9%
of tested systems detected PFOA or PFOS
(112/281)

PFAS — “forever chemicals” — are synthetic compounds that accumulate in the body and are linked to cancer, liver damage and immune effects. In 2024 the EPA set enforceable limits of 4 parts per trillion each for PFOA and PFOS. These are the only nationwide PFAS measurements, from the EPA’s UCMR-5 program.

Water systems

PFAS value per system, 2023–2025. EPA limit — 4 ppt (0.004 µg/L) for PFOA and PFOS, set in 2024. Systems that detected PFOA or PFOS are highlighted and listed first. “Not detected” means the contaminant was measured but not found.
SystemCityPopulationPFAS (ug/L)
NASHVILLE, TOWN OF NASHVILLE 5,900 0.4900 ug/L
GREENSBORO, CITY OF GREENSBORO 319,588 0.0356 ug/L
BROOKWOOD COMM WTR SYSTEM FAYETTEVILLE 15,380 0.0333 ug/L
ROBESON COUNTY WATER SYSTEM MAXTON 67,970 0.0300 ug/L
FAYETTEVILLE PUBLIC WORKS COMM FAYETTEVILLE 226,441 0.0218 ug/L
BAYLEAF MASTER RALEIGH 16,715 0.0213 ug/L
CLIFFDALE WEST FAYETTEVILLE 15,220 0.0195 ug/L
SOUTH GRANVILLE WTR&SEWER AUTHORITY BUTNER 18,555 0.0190 ug/L
IREDELL WATER CORPORATION STATESVILLE 27,173 0.0188 ug/L
BURLINGTON, CITY OF BURLINGTON 61,365 0.0170 ug/L
ASHEBORO, CITY OF ASHEBORO 27,819 0.0163 ug/L
SANFORD, CITY OF SANFORD 48,350 0.0160 ug/L
SPRING LAKE, TOWN OF SPRING LAKE 11,725 0.0156 ug/L
HOKE CO REGIONAL--ROCKFISH RAEFORD 13,378 0.0150 ug/L
OCEAN ISLE BEACH, TOWN OF OCEAN ISLE BEACH 7,925 0.0150 ug/L
BENSON, TOWN OF BENSON 4,802 0.0150 ug/L
DUNN, CITY OF ERWIN 12,442 0.0144 ug/L
OLD NORTH UTILITIES SERVICES/FT BRAGG FAYETTEVILLE 65,000 0.0143 ug/L
JOHNSTON CO-WEST WILSON MILLS 99,027 0.0141 ug/L
RANDLEMAN, CITY OF RANDLEMAN 4,631 0.0141 ug/L
EASTOVER SANITARY DISTRICT EASTOVER 8,150 0.0140 ug/L
CAROLINA TRACE WATER SYSTEM SANFORD 4,516 0.0140 ug/L
FORT BRAGG LINDEN OAKS CAMERON 3,733 0.0140 ug/L
ANGIER, TOWN OF ANGIER 13,302 0.0135 ug/L
BRUNSWICK COUNTY WATER SYSTEM LELAND 151,357 0.0124 ug/L
HARNETT REGIONAL WATER LILLINGTON 121,885 0.0123 ug/L
SILER CITY, TOWN OF SILER CITY 8,520 0.0121 ug/L
HOLLY SPRINGS, TOWN OF HOLLY SPRINGS 51,947 0.0120 ug/L
OAK ISLAND, TOWN OF OAK ISLAND 26,924 0.0120 ug/L
EAST MOORE WATER DISTRICT CARTHAGE 9,330 0.0120 ug/L
MAIDEN, TOWN OF MAIDEN 5,563 0.0119 ug/L
ORANGE-ALAMANCE WATER SYSTEM EFLAND 9,223 0.0118 ug/L
DEEP RUN WATER CORPORATION DEEP RUN 14,196 0.0115 ug/L
AYDEN TOWN OF AYDEN 6,366 0.0115 ug/L
GRIFTON, TOWN OF GRIFTON 2,982 0.0115 ug/L
LILLINGTON WATER SYSTEM LILLINGTON 3,847 0.0114 ug/L
HIGH POINT, CITY OF HIGH POINT 118,662 0.0110 ug/L
FUQUAY-VARINA, TOWN OF FUQUAY-VARINA 42,954 0.0110 ug/L
SELMA, TOWN OF SELMA 6,190 0.0110 ug/L
HOLDEN BEACH, TOWN OF HOLDEN BEACH 6,299 0.0109 ug/L
ARCHDALE, CITY OF ARCHDALE 12,700 0.0106 ug/L
EASTERN PINES WATER CORP GREENVILLE 23,000 0.0104 ug/L
JAMESTOWN, TOWN OF JAMESTOWN 6,543 0.0104 ug/L
HARRISBURG, TOWN OF HARRISBURG 20,549 0.0103 ug/L
CENTRAL NASH WATER & SEWER NASHVILLE 7,675 0.0102 ug/L
NORTH LENOIR WATER CORP KINSTON 15,494 0.0101 ug/L
BELL ARTHUR WATER CORP BELLARTHUR 11,483 0.0099 ug/L
JOHNSTON CO-EAST SMITHFIELD 25,212 0.0097 ug/L
MOORE CO PUBLIC UTIL-PINEHURST PINEHURST 31,390 0.0096 ug/L
FLOWERS PLANTATION CLAYTON 11,643 0.0095 ug/L
ROCKY MOUNT, CITY OF ROCKY MOUNT 55,891 0.0094 ug/L
CONCORD, CITY OF CONCORD 120,548 0.0091 ug/L
ELON, TOWN OF ELON 11,350 0.0090 ug/L
ABERDEEN, TOWN OF ABERDEEN 12,473 0.0088 ug/L
KINSTON, CITY OF KINSTON 27,475 0.0085 ug/L
CLAYTON, TOWN OF CLAYTON 30,876 0.0082 ug/L
GIBSONVILLE, TOWN OF GIBSONVILLE 8,920 0.0082 ug/L
NEWPORT WATER SYSTEM NEWPORT 5,453 0.0081 ug/L
LUMBERTON, CITY OF LUMBERTON 24,460 0.0079 ug/L
MEBANE, CITY OF MEBANE 20,212 0.0078 ug/L
SMITHFIELD, TOWN OF SMITHFIELD 12,900 0.0077 ug/L
SOUTHGATE S/D CLAYTON 160 0.0077 ug/L
GREENVILLE UTILITIES COMM GREENVILLE 103,140 0.0076 ug/L
GRAHAM, CITY OF MEBANE 18,354 0.0076 ug/L
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AFB SEYMOUR JOHNSON 6,875 0.0073 ug/L
HAMLET WATER SYSTEM HAMLET 10,635 0.0069 ug/L
LITTLETON, TOWN OF LITTLETON 1,540 0.0069 ug/L
GOLDSBORO, CITY OF GOLDSBORO 34,959 0.0068 ug/L
WINTERVILLE, TOWN OF WINTERVILLE 10,462 0.0066 ug/L
SELMA, TOWN OF (COUNTY LINE) SELMA 642 0.0066 ug/L
NORTHAMPTON--LAKE GASTON LAKE GASTON 3,984 0.0062 ug/L
LINCOLNTON, CITY OF LINCOLNTON 16,309 0.0061 ug/L
STOKES REGIONAL WATER CORP STOKES 3,530 0.0060 ug/L
DURHAM, CITY OF DURHAM 333,490 0.0058 ug/L
BESSEMER CITY, CITY OF BESSEMER CITY 5,730 0.0058 ug/L
LINCOLN COUNTY WTP DENVER 49,693 0.0057 ug/L
STANLY CO-WEST STANLY DIST LOCUST 9,939 0.0057 ug/L
RALEIGH, CITY OF RALEIGH 650,000 0.0056 ug/L
ANSON COUNTY WATER SYSTEM LILESVILLE 13,880 0.0055 ug/L
WARREN COUNTY WATER SYSTEM WARRENTON 13,230 0.0055 ug/L
PFEIFFER-N STANLY WATER ASSOC RICHFIELD 4,513 0.0055 ug/L
TROY, TOWN OF TROY 3,591 0.0055 ug/L
KANNAPOLIS, CITY OF KANNAPOLIS 56,050 0.0054 ug/L
WAYNE WATER DISTRICTS PURCHASE GOLDSBORO 16,302 0.0054 ug/L
ROANOKE RAPIDS SANITARY DIST ROANOKE RAPIDS 15,630 0.0054 ug/L
LAMPLIGHTER SOUTH-DANBY CHARLOTTE 3,297 0.0054 ug/L
OXFORD, CITY OF OXFORD 8,972 0.0053 ug/L
WADESBORO, TOWN OF WADESBORO 5,608 0.0052 ug/L
TARBORO, TOWN OF TARBORO 10,844 0.0051 ug/L
NORWOOD, TOWN OF NORWOOD 4,323 0.0051 ug/L
HALIFAX CO--HALIFAX ROANOKE RAPIDS 20,250 0.0050 ug/L
UNION COUNTY WATER SYSTEM MONROE 169,685 0.0049 ug/L
ROCKINGHAM, CITY OF ROCKINGHAM 12,510 0.0049 ug/L
WINGATE, TOWN OF WINGATE 3,950 0.0049 ug/L
ORANGE WATER & SEWER AUTHORITY CARRBORO 86,500 0.0048 ug/L
HOKE CO REGIONAL WATER SYSTEM RAEFORD 36,640 0.0048 ug/L
HENDERSON-KERR LAKE REG WTR HENDERSON 14,937 0.0048 ug/L
WILLIAMSTON, TOWN OF WILLIAMSTON 7,650 0.0048 ug/L
THOMASVILLE, CITY OF THOMASVILLE 27,287 0.0047 ug/L
RICHMOND COUNTY WATER SYSTEM ROCKINGHAM 22,578 0.0047 ug/L