Columbus Water Quality Report
8 cities ranked · Average grade: B · North Carolina
Avg Score
77.4
Cities Ranked
8
Health Violations
6
PFAS Detected
1
77.4
County avg score
8
Cities ranked
88%
A or B grade
0%
D or F grade
6
Health violations
1
PFAS detected
Grade Distribution
How Columbus cities scored
A
0
0%
Excellent
B
7
88%
Good
C
1
13%
Fair
D
0
0%
Poor
F
0
0%
Failing
Comparison
County vs North Carolina average
▲ 8.8 pts above state average
City Map
Water quality across Columbus
Each dot is a city, colored by grade. Click any city to view its full report.
Highlights
Top & bottom cities in Columbus
Worst cities
County context
1
Superfund site in Columbus
26.9%
of residents on fluoridated water (CDC, 2020)
495,893
lbs/yr to surface water · top 10 TRI facilities
Industrial pollution
Top industrial polluters in Columbus
Industrial polluters nearby
Facilities reporting the most surface-water releases in Columbus, 2023.
Total reported releases to surface water: 495,893 lbs
| Facility | Top chemical | To surface water (lbs/yr) |
|---|---|---|
INTERNATIONAL PAPER RIEGELWOOD MILL RIEGELWOOD, NC28456 | Methanol | 495,769 |
BAKELITE SYNTHETICS RIEGELWOOD, NC28456 | Formaldehyde | 99 |
ENTEGRIS INC. RIEGELWOOD, NC28456 | n-Hexane | 24 |
WEST FRASER ARMOUR LUMBER MILL RIEGELWOOD, NC28456 | — | — |
CAMPBELL OIL & GAS CO. WHITEVILLE, NC28472 | — | — |
+ 1 more facility
Source: EPA Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) 2023
Superfund sites
Superfund sites in Columbus
Superfund sites nearby
Federally tracked hazardous-waste sites within Columbus on the EPA National Priorities List.
- WRIGHT CHEMICAL CORPORATION
Source: EPA Superfund National Priorities List
Full Rankings
All 8 cities in Columbus
| # | City | Grade | Score | Score | Population | Violations | Issues |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fair Bluff | B+ | 84 | 800 | 51 | Health Unresolved | |
| 2 | Brunswick | B+ | 81 | 695 | 104 | Health Unresolved | |
| 3 | Chadbourn | B+ | 80.3 | 2K | 19 | Health Unresolved | |
| 4 | Delco | B | 79.6 | 3K | 20 | Unresolved | |
| 5 | Lake Waccamaw | B | 79.1 | 3K | 24 | Health Unresolved | |
| 6 | Tabor City | B | 77.6 | 5K | 143 | Unresolved | |
| 7 | Bolton | B | 75.4 | 668 | 64 | Health Unresolved | |
| 8 | Whiteville | C | 62 | 16K | 144 | Health Unresolved |