PFAS Testing Results
North Carolina
PFAS testing results for 290 water systems serving 8,763,912 residents.
115 systems exceed federal PFAS limits, affecting 4,035,589 residents.
Systems tested
290
50.0% had PFAS detections
Limits exceeded
115
39.7% of systems
Population affected
4.0M
served by systems over federal limits
Most common compound
HFPO-DA
detected in 35 systems
Grade distribution
Every water system gets a letter grade based on how its worst detected PFAS compound compares to the federal Maximum Contaminant Level. Lower grades mean higher contamination.
Communities exceeding federal limits
The water systems in North Carolina where at least one PFAS compound exceeds the EPA Maximum Contaminant Level, sorted worst first.
| System name | City | Grade | Worst compound | Times over limit | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NASHVILLE, TOWN OF | NASHVILLE | F | PFOS | 25.9x | 5.9K |
| GREENSBORO, CITY OF | GREENSBORO | F | PFOS | 5.7x | 320K |
| BROOKWOOD COMM WTR SYSTEM | CARY | D | PFOA | 4.4x | 15K |
| ASHEBORO, CITY OF | ASHEBORO | D | PFOS | 4.1x | 27K |
| FAYETTEVILLE PUBLIC WORKS COMM | FAYETTEVILLE | D | PFOS | 3.9x | 216K |
| GRASSY POND WATER CORPORATION | GAFFNEY | D | PFOS | 3.8x | 1.3K |
| ROBESON COUNTY WATER SYSTEM | LUMBERTON | D | PFOA | 3.5x | 65K |
| SOUTH GRANVILLE WTR&SEWER AUTHORITY | BUTNER | D | PFOS | 3.5x | 19K |
| DUNN, CITY OF | DUNN | D | PFOS | 3.2x | 12K |
| CAROLINA TRACE WATER SYSTEM | CHARLOTTE | D | PFOS | 3.1x | 4.5K |
Resources for taking action are available in our community toolkit.
What North Carolina is doing about PFAS
North Carolina is the home of the GenX contamination case, one of the defining PFAS investigations of the last decade. In 2017 researchers and the Wilmington StarNews reported that the Chemours Fayetteville Works facility had been releasing the PFAS replacement compound HFPO-DA, sold as GenX, into the Cape Fear River for years, affecting drinking water for hundreds of thousands of residents downstream in Wilmington and surrounding communities.
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality issued a consent order against Chemours in 2019 requiring the company to reduce emissions, provide filtration systems for nearby private wells, and fund long-term monitoring. The state has published a health advisory of 140 parts per trillion for GenX, which was in place before the federal EPA MCL of 10 parts per trillion for HFPO-DA finalized in April 2024.
State records show NCDEQ has identified dozens of contaminated private wells around the Chemours plant and has required the company to install reverse osmosis systems for affected households. A consent order amendment in 2022 expanded the area covered. The North Carolina legislature has appropriated funding for PFAS research at the NC PFAS Testing Network, a consortium of state universities.
Litigation has been active. The Cape Fear Public Utility Authority has sued Chemours and DuPont seeking funding for treatment plant upgrades, and the state Attorney General has joined multistate actions. Public water systems in North Carolina are subject to the federal compliance timeline requiring initial monitoring by 2027 and treatment installation by 2029.
Based on North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality publications, NC PFAS Testing Network research, and federal court records.
All 290 tested water systems in North Carolina
Sorted from lowest grade to highest. Click any system name for the full report. Filter by city or name with the search box below.
Showing 50 of 290 systems
| Grade | System name | City | Worst compound | vs. EPA limit | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
F | NASHVILLE, TOWN OF | NASHVILLE | PFOS | 25.9× the federal limit | 5.9K |
F | GREENSBORO, CITY OF | GREENSBORO | PFOS | 5.7× the federal limit | 320K |
D | BROOKWOOD COMM WTR SYSTEM | CARY | PFOA | 4.4× the federal limit | 15K |
D | ASHEBORO, CITY OF | ASHEBORO | PFOS | 4.1× the federal limit | 27K |
D | FAYETTEVILLE PUBLIC WORKS COMM | FAYETTEVILLE | PFOS | 3.9× the federal limit | 216K |
D | GRASSY POND WATER CORPORATION | GAFFNEY | PFOS | 3.8× the federal limit | 1.3K |
D | ROBESON COUNTY WATER SYSTEM | LUMBERTON | PFOA | 3.5× the federal limit | 65K |
D | SOUTH GRANVILLE WTR&SEWER AUTHORITY | BUTNER | PFOS | 3.5× the federal limit | 19K |
D | DUNN, CITY OF | DUNN | PFOS | 3.2× the federal limit | 12K |
D | CAROLINA TRACE WATER SYSTEM | CHARLOTTE | PFOS | 3.1× the federal limit | 4.5K |
D | SANFORD, CITY OF | SANFORD | PFOS | 3.0× the federal limit | 48K |
D | MAIDEN, TOWN OF | MAIDEN | PFOA | 3.0× the federal limit | 5.4K |
D | EASTOVER SANITARY DISTRICT | EASTOVER | PFOS | 3.0× the federal limit | 8.2K |
D | HOKE CO REGIONAL--ROCKFISH | RAEFORD | PFOS | 2.9× the federal limit | 13K |
D | SPRING LAKE, TOWN OF | SPRING LAKE | PFOS | 2.9× the federal limit | 12K |
D | OLD NORTH UTILITIES SERVICES/FT BRAGG | FORT BRAGG | PFOS | 2.9× the federal limit | 65K |
D | OAK ISLAND, TOWN OF | OAK ISLAND | PFOS | 2.9× the federal limit | 27K |
D | BENSON, TOWN OF | BENSON | PFOS | 2.9× the federal limit | 4.3K |
D | OCEAN ISLE BEACH, TOWN OF | OCEAN ISLE BEACH | PFOS | 2.9× the federal limit | 7.9K |
D | BRAGG COMMUNITIES/NTA | FORT BRAGG | PFOS | 2.8× the federal limit | 3.7K |
D | ORANGE-ALAMANCE WATER SYSTEM | MEBANE | PFOS | 2.8× the federal limit | 9.2K |
D | ANGIER, TOWN OF | ANGIER | PFOS | 2.7× the federal limit | 10K |
D | LILLINGTON WATER SYSTEM | LILLINGTON | PFOS | 2.6× the federal limit | 3.8K |
D | DEEP RUN WATER CORPORATION | DEEP RUN | PFOS | 2.6× the federal limit | 14K |
D | SELMA, TOWN OF | SELMA | PFOS | 2.6× the federal limit | 6.2K |
D | RANDLEMAN, CITY OF | RANDLEMAN | PFOS | 2.5× the federal limit | 4.6K |
D | HOLDEN BEACH, TOWN OF | HOLDEN BEACH | PFOS | 2.5× the federal limit | 6.3K |
D | HIGH POINT, CITY OF | HIGH POINT | PFOS | 2.5× the federal limit | 118K |
D | EAST MOORE WATER DISTRICT | CARTHAGE | PFOS | 2.5× the federal limit | 8.8K |
D | CLIFFDALE WEST | CARY | PFOS | 2.5× the federal limit | 15K |
D | HOLLY SPRINGS, TOWN OF | HOLLY SPRINGS | PFOS | 2.4× the federal limit | 52K |
D | GRIFTON, TOWN OF | GRIFTON | PFOS | 2.4× the federal limit | 3.0K |
D | EASTERN PINES WATER CORP | GREENVILLE | PFOS | 2.3× the federal limit | 23K |
D | HARNETT REGIONAL WATER | LILLINGTON | PFOS | 2.3× the federal limit | 117K |
D | BRUNSWICK COUNTY WATER SYSTEM | BOLIVIA | PFOS | 2.3× the federal limit | 142K |
D | NORTH LENOIR WATER CORP | KINSTON | PFOS | 2.2× the federal limit | 15K |
D | AYDEN TOWN OF | AYDEN | PFOS | 2.2× the federal limit | 6.4K |
D | FUQUAY-VARINA, TOWN OF | FUQUAY-VARINA | PFOS | 2.2× the federal limit | 43K |
D | JOHNSTON CO-EAST | SMITHFIELD | PFOS | 2.1× the federal limit | 23K |
D | ABERDEEN, TOWN OF | ABERDEEN | PFOS | 2.1× the federal limit | 12K |
D | CONCORD, CITY OF | CONCORD | PFOS | 2.1× the federal limit | 121K |
D | JOHNSTON CO-WEST | SMITHFIELD | PFOS | 2.1× the federal limit | 92K |
D | ARCHDALE, CITY OF | ARCHDALE | PFOS | 2.0× the federal limit | 13K |
D | IREDELL WATER CORPORATION | STATESVILLE | PFOA | 2.0× the federal limit | 27K |
D | FLOWERS PLANTATION | CARY | PFOS | 2.0× the federal limit | 12K |
D | MOORE CO PUBLIC UTIL-PINEHURST | CARTHAGE | PFOS | 1.9× the federal limit | 30K |
D | BURLINGTON, CITY OF | BURLINGTON | PFOS | 1.9× the federal limit | 61K |
D | SMITHFIELD NC, TOWN OF | SMITHFIELD | PFOS | 1.9× the federal limit | 13K |
D | JAMESTOWN, TOWN OF | JAMESTOWN | PFOS | 1.9× the federal limit | 6.5K |
D | SILER CITY, TOWN OF | SILER CITY | PFOS | 1.9× the federal limit | 8.5K |
More on PFAS in North Carolina
Recent PFAS news in North Carolina
- Local CoverageNorth Carolina Health News · April 2, 2026
Small North Carolina water systems warn they cannot afford PFAS treatment
A new study finds that small water utilities in North Carolina are facing rising costs to comply with PFAS limits, and some say they cannot pay for treatment without raising rates sharply. Operators worry that the 2031 federal deadline is too short for systems that serve a few thousand customers. State lawmakers are weighing whether to help with grants from the 3M settlement funds.
- Local CoverageCityView · February 25, 2026
Fayetteville utility approves $133.7 million contract to filter PFAS from drinking water
The Fayetteville Public Works Commission approved a $133.7 million contract to install granular activated carbon filters at its two drinking water plants. The filters are designed to remove PFAS compounds that have reached residents downstream of the Chemours Fayetteville Works plant. Construction is expected to finish by 2029, before the federal compliance deadline.
- EPA ActionNorth Carolina Health News · February 9, 2026
Congress debates chemical safety law as North Carolina's PFAS crisis offers a warning
A House bill would weaken how states can regulate chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control Act. Public health advocates point to North Carolina's decade-long fight with Chemours over PFAS in the Cape Fear River as proof that federal enforcement has not been enough. Supporters of the bill say current state rules create a patchwork for industry.
- EPA ActionWRAL · January 15, 2026
North Carolina pushes back as EPA moves to scale back PFAS reporting
North Carolina joined a dozen other states in opposing an EPA proposal that would narrow which companies have to report PFAS releases. The state argued the change would hide pollution from communities already dealing with contamination. Attorney General Jeff Jackson said the reporting rule is one of the few tools residents have to track where PFAS is coming from.
- Local CoverageNorth Carolina Health News · January 7, 2026
PFAS, microplastics and what comes next for North Carolina's water
North Carolina water regulators are weighing new limits on PFAS and 1,4-dioxane discharges into rivers that feed downstream utilities. State officials said the plan is a response to a decade of PFAS pollution from the Chemours plant in Fayetteville. Environmental groups say the draft lacks real enforcement teeth.
Check your water system
Enter your zip code to see the PFAS results for the water system that serves your home.
Where this data comes from
- EPA Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, 5th cycle (UCMR 5)
- Testing period: 2023 to 2026
- Federal limits: EPA Maximum Contaminant Levels finalized April 2024
- Read the full methodology