291 public water systems in North Carolina were sampled in EPA's UCMR 5 programme (2023–2025); we show six PFAS and lithium. Read 2026-10-31.
117 of 291 systems had at least one sample above a 2024 federal limit; 164 had at least one PFAS found above the reporting level; 127 had none found above the reporting level.
A single sample above a 2024 limit is a measurement, not a violation. Compliance is judged on running yearly averages, and water systems have until 2029 to meet the limits. On 20 May 2026 EPA proposed giving qualifying systems until 2031 for PFOA and PFOS and removing the limits for PFHxS, PFNA and HFPO-DA; those proposals were not final when we last checked (5 Nov 2026). Counts are per system, not per person; population figures are available only for systems serving more than 25,000 people (about 6,844,322 people across those systems here). UCMR 5 was a one-time national monitoring programme (2023–2025). The results are a snapshot at the system's entry points or taps on the sample dates, not a continuous measurement and not a compliance record.
| System | People served | UCMR 5 result |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte Charlotte Water | 1,206,285 | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Raleigh Raleigh, City of | 650,000 | Above the 2024 limit in at least one sample |
| Winston-Salem, City of Winston-Salem, City of | 391,900 | None detected (below the reporting level) |
Pages for these are being added in stages. The data for all 291 systems is in the public dataset.
| System | People served | UCMR 5 result |
|---|---|---|
| Durham, City of Durham, City of | 333,490 | Above the 2024 limit in at least one sample |
| Greensboro, City of Greensboro, City of | 319,588 | Above the 2024 limit in at least one sample |
| Cary, Town of Cary, Town of | 227,300 | Detected, below the 2024 limit |
| Fayetteville Public Works Comm Fayetteville Public Works Comm | 226,441 | Above the 2024 limit in at least one sample |
| Cfpua-Wilmington Cfpua-Wilmington | 212,227 | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Union County Water System Union County Water System | 169,685 | Above the 2024 limit in at least one sample |
| Asheville City of Asheville City of | 157,431 | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Onslow Wtr and Sewer Authority Onslow Wtr and Sewer Authority | 156,755 | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Davidson Water Inc Davidson Water Inc | 154,307 | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Brunswick County Water System Brunswick County Water System | 151,357 | Above the 2024 limit in at least one sample |
| Harnett Regional Water Harnett Regional Water | 121,885 | Above the 2024 limit in at least one sample |
| Concord, City of Concord, City of | 120,771 | Above the 2024 limit in at least one sample |
| High Point, City of High Point, City of | 118,662 | Above the 2024 limit in at least one sample |
| Greenville Utilities Comm Greenville Utilities Comm | 103,140 | Above the 2024 limit in at least one sample |
| Johnston Co-West Johnston Co-West | 99,027 | Above the 2024 limit in at least one sample |
| Two Rivers Utilities Two Rivers Utilities | 96,714 | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Orange Water & Sewer Authority Orange Water & Sewer Authority | 86,500 | Above the 2024 limit in at least one sample |
| Apex, Town of Apex, Town of | 83,001 | Detected, below the 2024 limit |
| Hendersonville, City of Hendersonville, City of | 79,278 | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Hickory City of Hickory City of | 71,393 | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Robeson County Water System Robeson County Water System | 67,970 | Above the 2024 limit in at least one sample |
| Old North Utilities Services/Ft Bragg Old North Utilities Services/Ft Bragg | 65,000 | Above the 2024 limit in at least one sample |
| Burlington, City of Burlington, City of | 61,365 | Above the 2024 limit in at least one sample |
| Cleveland County Water Cleveland County Water | 59,395 | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Kannapolis, City of Kannapolis, City of | 56,050 | Above the 2024 limit in at least one sample |