Drinking water quality · 2024
· Verified
What's in Durham, NC tap water
7 contaminants were measured in the Durham, NC water system's 2024 annual report. Each is shown below against its federal limit.
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Contaminants measured
- 7
- Over federal limit
- 0
- Approaching the limit
- 0
- Service area
- NC
PFAS — EPA UCMR5 (2023–2025)
2 PFAS compounds above EPA limits in Durham, 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.
PFOS (Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid)
● Over EPA limit (1.4×)below national p90 (19.900000000000006 ng/L across detecting U.S. systems)
PFOA (Perfluorooctanoic acid)
● Over EPA limit (1.0×)below national p90 (13.649999999999999 ng/L across detecting U.S. systems)
PFBS
● Detected (no federal limit)below national p90 (13.909999999999979 ng/L across detecting U.S. systems)
PFBA
● Detected (no federal limit)below national p90 (18 ng/L across detecting U.S. systems)
Where your water comes from · EPA SDWIS
Durham, NC's drinking water comes from surface water, drawn from 2 sources.
Source
- LAKE MICHIE
- LITTLE RIVER RESERVOIR
Treatment
- TREATMENT_PLT_BROWN WTP
- TREATMENT_PLT_WILLIAMS WTP
Distribution
Also buys water from HILLSBOROUGH, TOWN OF, CHATHAM CO-NORTH, and 3 more.
Historical readings · EPA Six-Year Review (2012–2019)
2 contaminants historically over EPA limits in Durham, 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
GROSS BETA worst: 2017 | 4.3 mrem/yr 1.1× | 4 mrem/yr | '17 |
TTHM worst: 2018 | 0.084 mg/L 1.1× | 0.08 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
HAA5 worst: 2019 | 0.058 mg/L 97% | 0.06 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
CYANIDE worst: 2019 | 0.098 mg/L within near national p90 | 0.2 mg/L | '19 |
ATRAZINE worst: 2017 | 0.00061 mg/L within near national p90 | 0.003 mg/L | '17'18'19 |
FLUORIDE worst: 2013 | 0.8 mg/L within | 4 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17 |
SIMAZINE worst: 2018 | 0.00034 mg/L within | 0.004 mg/L | '17'18 |
NITRATE worst: 2013 | 0.3 mg/L within | 10 mg/L | '12'13'14 |
NITRATE NITRITE worst: 2013 | 0.3 mg/L within | 10 mg/L | '12'13'14 |
TWOFOURD worst: 2012 | 0.0001 mg/L within below national p90 | 0.07 mg/L | '12 |
DALAPON worst: 2013 | 0.0026 ug/L within near national p90 | 200 ug/L | '12'13'14'15'17'18 |
COPPER worst: 2013 | 0.275 mg/L below national p90 | — | '13'16'17'19 |
LEAD worst: 2013 | 0.004 mg/L | — | '13'16'17 |
DBAA worst: 2012 | 0.0018 mg/L | — | '12'17 |
DCAA worst: 2012 | 0.022 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
MBAA worst: 2014 | 0.002 mg/L | — | '14'15'16 |
MCAA worst: 2019 | 0.0092 mg/L | — | '19 |
TCAA worst: 2012 | 0.019 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
BROMODICHLOROMETHANE worst: 2012 | 0.011 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
BROMOFORM worst: 2017 | 0.003 mg/L | — | '17 |
CHLOROFORM worst: 2012 | 0.05 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
DIBROMOCHLOROMETHANE worst: 2012 | 0.0017 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
Disinfectants
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChlorineA disinfectant added to drinking water to kill bacteria and viruses. | 1.2 mg/LRunning annual avgSystem-wide | 4 mg/LMRDLG | Within the limit |
VOCs & pesticides
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| XylenesA group of industrial solvents found in gasoline and paint. | 0.00079 mg/LReported levelSystem-wide | 10 mg/LMCLG | Within the limit |
People also ask about Durham, NC's water
+Is Durham, NC tap water safe to drink in 2024?
Every one of the 7 contaminants measured in Durham, NC's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report is below its federal limit. "Safe" under the EPA's drinking-water standards is health-based, not aesthetic — but by those standards, no measured contaminant in this report exceeds its enforceable threshold. Individual health concerns (e.g. immunocompromised, infant, pregnancy) may warrant additional filtering regardless of compliance.
+What contaminants are in Durham, NC tap water?
7 contaminants were measured in Durham, NC's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report, spanning disinfection byproducts, metals, and disinfectants. 7 have an enforceable federal limit; the rest are detected but unregulated. Every measured value, in the utility's own units, is on this page.
+Where does the data on this page come from?
Every value is transcribed from Durham, 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 Durham, 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.