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×)PFOA (Perfluorooctanoic acid)
● Over EPA limit (1.0×)PFBS
● Detected (no federal limit)PFBA
● Detected (no federal limit)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.
Compliance history
Federal Safe Drinking Water Act violation & enforcement records (EPA SDWIS). A violation is a regulatory determination by the state or EPA — separate from the measured levels above.
- Maximum contaminant level exceededHealth-based1 violation on record · most recent Jan 2009resolved
Source: EPA SDWIS / ECHO. View the full federal record on EPA ECHO ↗
Metals
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| LeadA toxic metal that leaches into water from old service lines, solder, and plumbing fixtures. | 0–5 ug/LRangeAt the tap | 0 ug/LMCLG | Within the limit |
| CopperA metal that enters water from corroding household plumbing. | 0–0.392 mg/LRangeAt the tap | 1.3 mg/LMCLG | Within the limit |
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 |
Disinfection byproducts
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| TTHMTotal trihalomethanes — a group of four chemicals (including chloroform) formed when chlorine reacts with natural organic matter. | 21 ug/LRunning annual avgSystem-wide | None set | Within the limit |
| HAA5Haloacetic acids — a group of five disinfection byproducts formed when disinfectants react with organic matter. | 11 ug/LRunning annual avgSystem-wide | None set | Within the limit |
Inorganic chemicals
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| FluorideA mineral often added to drinking water to help prevent tooth decay. | 0.11 mg/LReported levelSystem-wide | 4 mg/LMCLG | 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 | None set | 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. 4 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.