PFAS Contamination

PFAS in North Carolina Drinking Water

Ranked by number of PFAS compounds detected · Data from EPA SDWIS & UCMR

212

Cities Tested

Exceeds Limit

43%

% Exceeds Limit

2.6 compounds

State Avg

▲ 22% vs national

vs National

345

Health Violations

Analysis

PFAS in North Carolina: what the data shows

North Carolina has 212 cities with PFAS monitoring data from the EPA's UCMR 5 program. PFAS ("forever chemicals") were detected in 135 of those cities (64%), with many cities exceeding the EPA's 2024 maximum contaminant levels of 4 ppt. The state average is worse than the national average. 91 cities exceed the EPA MCL for at least one PFAS compound. PFAS are linked to cancer, immune system disruption, and developmental issues. The 2024 EPA rule requires water systems exceeding the MCL to notify customers and reduce levels by 2029. PFAS data comes from the EPA's Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule 5 (UCMR 5), which required large water systems to test for 29 PFAS compounds between 2023–2025. Not all systems have completed testing — cities without data may still have PFAS present.

Comparison

Cities exceeding EPA MCL (4 ppt each)

North Carolina

43%

91 of 212 cities

→ ▲ 22% above national rate (worse)

National avg

21%

1636 of 7745 cities

City Map

PFAS data across North Carolina

Each dot is a city, colored by overall water quality grade. PFAS-tested cities are shown; those exceeding the 4 ppt EPA MCL appear in red. Size reflects population served.

Worst Offenders

Top 10 cities by pfas level in North Carolina

Highest PFAS levels (compounds)

All Cities

All North Carolina cities ranked by pfas level

#	City	Level	Exceeds?	Violations	Grade
1	Maxton	11 compounds	Yes	12	C
2	Raleigh	10 compounds	Yes	241	F
3	Greensboro	9 compounds	Yes	29	F
4	Fayetteville	9 compounds	Yes	392	F
5	Raeford	9 compounds	Yes	16	F
6	Statesville	9 compounds	Yes	37	F
7	Sanford	9 compounds	Yes	31	F
8	Leland	9 compounds	Yes	11	C
9	Fuquay-Varina	9 compounds	Yes	34	F
10	Oak Island	9 compounds	Yes	1	B
11	Ocean Isle Beach	9 compounds	Yes	1	B+
12	Selma	9 compounds	Yes	7	C-
13	Lillington	8 compounds	Yes	4	B-
14	Goldsboro	8 compounds	Yes	11	F
15	Wilson Mills	8 compounds	Yes	3	B-
16	Holly Springs	8 compounds	Yes	8	C-
17	Smithfield	8 compounds	Yes	9	C+
18	Rockingham	8 compounds	Yes	15	C
19	Clayton	8 compounds	Yes	50	D
20	Pinehurst	8 compounds	Yes	5	C-
21	Asheboro	8 compounds	Yes	8	F
22	Nashville	8 compounds	Yes	36	F
23	Carthage	8 compounds	Yes	68	D+
24	Archdale	8 compounds	Yes	30	D+
25	Spring Lake	8 compounds	Yes	25	D+
26	Erwin	8 compounds	Yes	0	B+
27	Angier	8 compounds	Yes	4	B-
28	Eastover	8 compounds	Yes	0	B+
29	Jamestown	8 compounds	Yes	3	B+
30	Randleman	8 compounds	Yes	26	F
31	Benson	8 compounds	Yes	2	B+
32	Cameron	8 compounds	Yes	1	D
33	Charlotte	7 compounds	Yes	47	F
34	Greenville	7 compounds	Yes	7	C-
35	Burlington	7 compounds	Yes	33	F
36	Kinston	7 compounds	Yes	4	C-
37	Deep Run	7 compounds	Yes	0	B+
38	Bellarthur	7 compounds	Yes	3	B-
39	Ayden	7 compounds	Yes	0	A-
40	Holden Beach	7 compounds	Yes	0	A-
41	Bessemer City	7 compounds	Yes	17	D
42	Grifton	7 compounds	Yes	2	A-
43	Monroe	6 compounds	Yes	10	B-
44	High Point	6 compounds	Yes	2	B-
45	Apex	6 compounds	No	40	F
46	Mooresville	6 compounds	Yes	22	F
47	Aberdeen	6 compounds	Yes	54	F
48	Dallas	6 compounds	Yes	34	F
49	Seymour Johnson	6 compounds	Yes	4	A-
50	Burgaw	5 compounds	No	21	F
51	Harrisburg	5 compounds	Yes	28	F
52	Mebane	5 compounds	Yes	10	B+
53	Winterville	5 compounds	Yes	1	B-
54	Efland	5 compounds	Yes	10	F
55	Stokes	5 compounds	Yes	4	C+
56	Durham	4 compounds	Yes	94	F
57	Cary	4 compounds	No	9	F
58	Wilmington	4 compounds	No	22	F
59	Lumberton	4 compounds	Yes	2	B
60	Lincolnton	4 compounds	Yes	0	D+
61	Denton	4 compounds	Yes	22	C-
62	Siler City	4 compounds	Yes	29	B
63	Wadesboro	4 compounds	Yes	24	B-
64	Wingate	4 compounds	Yes	22	B-
65	Lilesville	4 compounds	Yes	16	D
66	Denver	3 compounds	Yes	10	C-
67	Albemarle	3 compounds	Yes	46	C-
68	Elon	3 compounds	Yes	7	D+
69	Hamlet	3 compounds	Yes	20	F
70	Locust	3 compounds	Yes	24	B
71	Pittsboro	3 compounds	No	110	F
72	China Grove	3 compounds	Yes	11	F
73	Richfield	3 compounds	Yes	3	B+
74	Troy	3 compounds	Yes	16	D+
75	Concord	2 compounds	Yes	37	F
76	Carrboro	2 compounds	Yes	0	A
77	Rocky Mount	2 compounds	Yes	17	C
78	Tarboro	2 compounds	Yes	49	F
79	Belmont	2 compounds	No	6	D+
80	Butner	2 compounds	Yes	25	B
81	Kings Mountain	2 compounds	No	5	B
82	Mt Gilead	2 compounds	Yes	18	F
83	Oxford	2 compounds	Yes	7	B-
84	Gibsonville	2 compounds	Yes	12	F
85	Farmville	2 compounds	No	0	A-
86	Williamston	2 compounds	Yes	4	C-
87	White Lake	2 compounds	Yes	1	B
88	Wrightsville Beach	2 compounds	No	6	B
89	Norwood	2 compounds	Yes	32	D
90	Old Fort	2 compounds	No	2	C
91	Littleton	2 compounds	Yes	17	F
92	Jacksonville	1 compounds	No	22	F
93	Camp Lejeune	1 compounds	No	10	A-
94	Wilson	1 compounds	No	7	C+
95	Kannapolis	1 compounds	Yes	16	C-
96	Elizabeth City	1 compounds	No	2	A-
97	Mocksville	1 compounds	No	19	C
98	Washington	1 compounds	No	2	B+
99	Boone	1 compounds	No	33	F
100	Thomasville	1 compounds	Yes	0	A-
101	Newport	1 compounds	Yes	31	F
102	Elizabethtown	1 compounds	No	1	B+
103	Bayboro	1 compounds	No	14	B-
104	Newton	1 compounds	No	15	F
105	Rutherfordton	1 compounds	No	7	B-
106	Edenton	1 compounds	No	31	D+
107	Snow Hill	1 compounds	Yes	2	C+
108	Whiteville	1 compounds	No	2	C
109	Roanoke Rapids	1 compounds	Yes	17	B
110	Windsor	1 compounds	No	7	A-
111	Reidsville	1 compounds	No	36	F
112	Henderson	1 compounds	Yes	25	F
113	Hertford	1 compounds	No	7	D+
114	Miller Creek	1 compounds	No	1	B+
115	Warrenton	1 compounds	Yes	5	B
116	Brevard	1 compounds	No	26	F
117	Gatesville	1 compounds	No	0	B+
118	Roxboro	1 compounds	Yes	9	A-
119	Corolla	1 compounds	No	7	B
120	Morehead City	1 compounds	No	17	C
121	Edward	1 compounds	No	1	A
122	Trenton	1 compounds	No	0	B+
123	Hays	1 compounds	No	1	B+
124	Carolina Beach	1 compounds	No	5	D
125	Atlantic Beach	1 compounds	No	5	B+
126	Bridgeton	1 compounds	No	2	B+
127	Ahoskie	1 compounds	No	1	A-
128	Maiden	1 compounds	Yes	3	B
129	Kure Beach	1 compounds	No	4	B+
130	Emerald Isle	1 compounds	No	7	B
131	Beaufort	1 compounds	No	34	F
132	Yadkinville	1 compounds	No	2	B-
133	Lake Gaston	1 compounds	Yes	13	B-
134	Plymouth	1 compounds	No	8	B+
135	Roper	1 compounds	No	25	C+
136	Clemmons	0 compounds	No	0	A-
137	Asheville	0 compounds	No	12	F
138	Gastonia	0 compounds	No	102	F
139	Hendersonville	0 compounds	No	36	F
140	New Bern	0 compounds	No	4	B+
141	Hickory	0 compounds	No	11	F
142	Salisbury	0 compounds	No	27	F
143	Kill Devil Hill	0 compounds	No	1	A-
144	Eden	0 compounds	No	10	C
145	Morganton	0 compounds	No	2	B+
146	Pinebluff	0 compounds	No	32	D+
147	Maple	0 compounds	No	4	B+
148	Shelby	0 compounds	No	2	A
149	King	0 compounds	No	12	B+
150	Laurinburg	0 compounds	No	0	C
151	Clinton	0 compounds	No	3	B+
152	Forest City	0 compounds	No	1	B-
153	Hiddenite	0 compounds	No	3	A-
154	Granite Falls	0 compounds	No	4	B+
155	Waynesville	0 compounds	No	5	C+
156	Lexington	0 compounds	No	14	B-
157	Kenansville	0 compounds	No	2	B
158	Cherokee	0 compounds	No	6	B-
159	Cherry Point	0 compounds	No	3	A-
160	Conover	0 compounds	No	6	F
161	Havelock	0 compounds	No	20	B+
162	Hudson	0 compounds	No	2	A-
163	Hillsborough	0 compounds	No	9	C-
164	Valdese	0 compounds	No	0	B+
165	N Wilkesboro	0 compounds	No	4	B+
166	Marion	0 compounds	No	20	F
167	Mount Airy	0 compounds	No	0	B
168	Franklin	0 compounds	No	14	F
169	Maggie Valley	0 compounds	No	2	B-
170	Surf City	0 compounds	No	22	C+
171	Camden	0 compounds	No	1	A
172	Troutman	0 compounds	No	3	B-
173	Highlands	0 compounds	No	25	F
174	Winton	0 compounds	No	4	A-
175	Weaverville	0 compounds	No	35	F
176	Cullowhee	0 compounds	No	13	D
177	Canton	0 compounds	No	8	C+
178	Hildebran	0 compounds	No	1	A-
179	Cherryville	0 compounds	No	7	C
180	Jackson	0 compounds	No	4	D
181	Glen Alpine	0 compounds	No	0	A-
182	Wallace	0 compounds	No	4	F
183	Spruce Pine	0 compounds	No	3	B-
184	Tryon	0 compounds	No	3	B
185	Buxton	0 compounds	No	2	A-
186	Stanley	0 compounds	No	6	F
187	Swanquarter	0 compounds	No	1	A+
188	Longview	0 compounds	No	0	A-
189	Sherrills Ford	0 compounds	No	3	C+
190	Boiling Springs	0 compounds	No	2	A-
191	Chinquapin	0 compounds	No	0	A
192	Murphy	0 compounds	No	6	D
193	Ranlo	0 compounds	No	5	B
194	Red Springs	0 compounds	No	1	B+
195	Bryson City	0 compounds	No	13	D+
196	Mount Olive	0 compounds	No	1	B+
197	Whispering Pines	0 compounds	No	5	B+
198	Elkin	0 compounds	No	1	B+
199	Burnsville	0 compounds	No	5	B
200	Lowell	0 compounds	No	2	B
201	Murfreesboro	0 compounds	No	4	B+
202	Wilkesboro	0 compounds	No	0	A+
203	Moravian Falls	0 compounds	No	2	B+
204	Taylorsville	0 compounds	No	7	B
205	Swepsonville	0 compounds	No	10	A-
206	Stokesdale	0 compounds	No	14	D
207	Blowing Rock	0 compounds	No	7	C
208	Faison	0 compounds	No	1	B-
209	Fremont	0 compounds	No	3	B
210	Clarkton	0 compounds	No	0	A-
211	Bolton	0 compounds	No	1	B
212	Lawndale	0 compounds	No	1	B-

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about pfas in North Carolina

Does North Carolina tap water contain PFAS?

PFAS were detected in 135 of 212 North Carolina cities tested under EPA's UCMR 5 program. 91 cities exceed the 2024 EPA MCL of 4 ppt for individual PFAS compounds.

How can I remove PFAS from my drinking water in North Carolina?

Reverse osmosis (RO) systems are the most effective at removing PFAS, typically removing 90%+ of compounds. High-quality activated carbon block filters (NSF 58-certified for RO, or NSF 53 for solid carbon) also provide significant reduction. Standard pitcher filters vary widely in PFAS removal.

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