Drinking water quality · 2024
· Verified
What's in Charlotte, NC tap water
20 contaminants were measured in the Charlotte, NC water system's 2024 annual report. Each is shown below against its federal limit — 4 sit at or above that limit.
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Contaminants measured
- 20
- Over federal limit
- 4
- Approaching the limit
- 1
- Worst contaminant
- Simazine
- Service area
- NC
PFAS — EPA UCMR5 (2023–2025)
2 PFAS compounds detected in Charlotte, NC
The EPA finalized the first-ever federal drinking-water limits for six PFAS compounds in April 2024. These numbers come straight from EPA's UCMR5 lab dataset — every U.S. system serving more than 3,300 people tested every PFAS sample at an entry point to its distribution system. PFAS not listed below were either tested and not detected, or not yet sampled.
PFPeA
● Detected (no federal limit)below national p90 (15.95999999999999 ng/L across detecting U.S. systems)
PFBA
● Detected (no federal limit)near national p90 (18 ng/L across detecting U.S. systems)
Where your water comes from · EPA SDWIS
Charlotte, NC's drinking water comes from surface water, drawn from 2 sources.
Source
- LAKE NORMAN
- MT ISLAND LAKE/CAT RIVER
Treatment
- TREATMENT_PLT_VEST PLANT
- TREATMENT_PLT_FRANKLIN PLANT
- TREATMENT_PLT_LEE S DUKE
Distribution
Historical readings · EPA Six-Year Review (2012–2019)
1 contaminant historically over EPA limits in Charlotte, NC
Every U.S. public water system reports compliance-monitoring data to EPA. The Six-Year Review releases the 2012–2019 window as a single dataset — here's what your system reported, year by year. Values shown are the highest detection per analyte per year, compared to the federal MCL.
| Contaminant | Worst detection | EPA limit | Years (2012–2019) |
|---|---|---|---|
TTHM worst: 2015 | 0.116 mg/L 1.5× | 0.08 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
HAA5 worst: 2013 | 0.034 mg/L within | 0.06 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
THALLIUM worst: 2016 | 0.001 mg/L within | 0.002 mg/L | '16 |
FLUORIDE worst: 2016 | 0.69 mg/L within | 4 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
CHLORITE worst: 2016 | 0.0478 mg/L within | 1 mg/L | '16 |
COPPER worst: 2013 | 0.16 mg/L below national p90 | — | '13'16 |
LEAD worst: 2012 | 0.009 mg/L | — | '12'13'16'19 |
DBAA worst: 2012 | 0.004 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18 |
DCAA worst: 2012 | 0.014 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
MBAA worst: 2014 | 0.001 mg/L | — | '14'15 |
TCAA worst: 2012 | 0.006 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
BROMODICHLOROMETHANE worst: 2012 | 0.022 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
BROMOFORM worst: 2012 | 0.002 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17 |
CHLOROFORM worst: 2012 | 0.048 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
DIBROMOCHLOROMETHANE worst: 2012 | 0.012 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
VOCs & pesticides
Metals
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| BoronA naturally occurring element from rock and soil. | 31 ug/LMaximumSystem-wide | 7 ug/LNL | At or above the limit |
| Strontium | 42 ug/LMaximumSystem-wide | 20 ug/LNL | At or above the limit |
| ManganeseA naturally occurring metal from soil and rock. | 7.7 ug/LHighest single sampleSystem-wide | 50 ug/LMCL | Within the limit |
| Chromium, HexavalentHexavalent chromium ('chromium-6') — the more toxic form of chromium. | 0.1 ug/LMaximumSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
Disinfectants
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChlorineA disinfectant added to drinking water to kill bacteria and viruses. | 1.06 mg/LRunning annual avgSystem-wide | 4 mg/LMRDLG | Within the limit |
Disinfection byproducts
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| PerchlorateA chemical used in rocket fuel and fireworks that can also form during disinfection. | 0.07 ug/LMaximumSystem-wide | 25 ug/LNL | Within the limit |
| Bromodichloroacetic acidA brominated haloacetic acid disinfection byproduct. | 1.7 ug/LMaximumSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
Inorganic chemicals
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bromochloroacetic acidA mixed-halogen haloacetic acid disinfection byproduct. | 3.8 ug/LMaximumSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
PFAS ("forever chemicals")
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perfluorohexanoic acidPerfluorohexanoic acid, a shorter-chain PFAS 'forever chemical.' | 2.2 ng/LMaximumSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
Physical & aggregate
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| TOCTotal organic carbon — a measure of organic material dissolved in the water. | 0.88 mg/LRunning annual avgSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| TurbidityA measure of cloudiness from suspended particles in the water. | 0.398Reported levelSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
People also ask about Charlotte, NC's water
+Is Charlotte, NC tap water safe to drink in 2024?
The 2024 Consumer Confidence Report for the Charlotte, NC water utility lists 4 contaminants at or above the federal limit: Simazine, Boron, Atrazine, and Strontium. Whether that means the water is "unsafe" depends on which contaminant, how long the exposure, and individual health factors. The table on this page shows the measured value, the federal threshold, and the regulated statistic used for compliance.
+What contaminants are in Charlotte, NC tap water?
20 contaminants were measured in Charlotte, NC's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report, spanning metals, disinfection byproducts, and pfas ("forever chemicals"). 12 have an enforceable federal limit; the rest are detected but unregulated. Every measured value, in the utility's own units, is on this page.
+Which contaminants exceed federal limits in Charlotte, NC tap water?
4 contaminants in Charlotte, NC's 2024 report sit at or above the federal limit: Simazine (7.3× the limit); Boron (4.4× the limit); Atrazine (3.0× the limit); Strontium (2.1× the limit). The EPA enforces these limits against the regulated reporting statistic — typically a running annual average or 90th percentile — not a one-off sample spike.
+What is the worst contaminant in Charlotte, NC tap water?
The contaminant with the highest measured value relative to its federal limit in the 2024 report is Simazine, at 7.3× the federal threshold. It belongs to the vocs & pesticides family of contaminants.
+Are any contaminants in Charlotte, NC tap water approaching the federal limit?
One contaminant is between 80% and 100% of the federal limit in this report: TTHM. Approaching means measured but not in violation — a margin that can close quickly if conditions change.
+Where does the data on this page come from?
Every value is transcribed from Charlotte, NC's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report — the annual drinking-water report every U.S. public water utility is required by federal law to publish. The original source document is archived and viewable on this site. A water-quality report covers an entire service area, not a single address.
+How often is Charlotte, NC's water quality data updated?
Each U.S. public water utility publishes one Consumer Confidence Report per year, covering the prior calendar year's measurements. This page reflects the 2024 report; a new report will replace it once the utility publishes its next annual update.