Drinking water quality · 2024
What's in Wilmington, NC tap water
37 contaminants were measured in the Wilmington, NC water system's 2024 annual report. Each is shown below against its federal limit.
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Contaminants measured
- 37
- Over federal limit
- 0
- Approaching the limit
- 0
- Service area
- NC
PFAS — EPA UCMR5 (2023–2025)
1 PFAS compound approaching EPA limits in Wilmington, 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.
HFPO-DA (GenX chemicals)
● Approaching limit (84%)PFBS
● Detected (no federal limit)Where your water comes from · EPA SDWIS
Wilmington, NC's drinking water comes from ground water, drawn from 12 sources.
Source
- WELL #1_SCHOONER
- WELL #2_ELEVATED TANK
- WELL #3_TILDALHOLM
- WELL #4_ARRONDALE
- + 8 more
Treatment
- TREATMENT_PLT_WELL #1_SCHOONER
- TREATMENT_PLT_WELL #2_ELEVATED TANK
- TREATMENT_PLT_WELL #3_TIDALHOLM
- + 9 more
Distribution
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-based9 violations on record · most recent Jan 2020resolved
Source: EPA SDWIS / ECHO. View the full federal record on EPA ECHO ↗
Disinfectants
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChlorineA disinfectant added to drinking water to kill bacteria and viruses. | 0.35–2.2 mg/LRangeSystem-wide | 4 mg/LMCLG | Within the limit |
Radionuclides
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross AlphaGross alpha particle activity — a combined measure of alpha-emitting radioactive substances. | 6.29 pCi/LReported levelSystem-wide | 0 pCi/LMCLG | Within the limit |
| Combined RadiumCombined radium-226 and radium-228 — naturally occurring radioactive elements. | 1.43 pCi/LReported levelSystem-wide | 0 pCi/LMCLG | Within the limit |
Metals
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| LeadA toxic metal that leaches into water from old service lines, solder, and plumbing fixtures. | 0.003 mg/L90th percentileAt the tap | 0.015 mg/LAction level | Within the limit |
| CopperA metal that enters water from corroding household plumbing. | 90 ug/LReported levelReporting Basis | 1.3 ug/LMCLG | Within the limit |
| LithiumA naturally occurring element found in some groundwater. | 2.76 ug/LAverageSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
Physical & aggregate
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| TurbidityA measure of cloudiness from suspended particles in the water. | 0.19 NTUReported levelSystem-wide | None set | Within the limit |
| TOCTotal organic carbon — a measure of organic material dissolved in the water. | 2.13Reported levelSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
PFAS ("forever chemicals")
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| PFOSPerfluorooctanesulfonic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical' once used in firefighting foam and coatings. | 0.677 ng/LAverageSystem-wide | None set | Within the limit |
| PFOAPerfluorooctanoic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical' once used in nonstick and stain-resistant products. | 0.578 ng/LAverageSystem-wide | None set | Within the limit |
| Perfluorohexanesulfonic acidPerfluorohexanesulfonic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical.' | 0.739 ng/LAverageSystem-wide | None set | Within the limit |
| 11-Chloroeicosafluoro-3-oxaundecane-1-sulfonic acid (11Cl-PF3OUdS)11-chloroeicosafluoro-3-oxaundecane-1-sulfonic acid, a chlorinated PFAS compound. | Not detected ng/LAverageSystem-wide | None set | None detected |
| 4,8-Dioxa-3H-perfluorononanoic acid (ADONA)ADONA, a newer-generation PFAS replacement compound. | Not detected ng/LAverageSystem-wide | None set | None detected |
| 9-Chlorohexadecafluoro-3-oxanonane-1-sulfonic acid (9Cl-PF3ONS)9-chlorohexadecafluoro-3-oxanonane-1-sulfonic acid, a chlorinated PFAS compound. | Not detected ng/LRangeSystem-wide | None set | None detected |
| N-ethyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid (NEtFOSAA)N-ethyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid, a PFAS-related compound. | Not detected ng/LRangeSystem-wide | None set | None detected |
| N-methyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid (NMeFOSAA)N-methyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid, a PFAS-related compound. | Not detected ng/LRangeSystem-wide | None set | None detected |
| Nonafluoro-3,6-dioxaheptanoic acidNonafluoro-3,6-dioxaheptanoic acid, a PFAS-related compound. | Not detected ng/LAverageSystem-wide | None set | None detected |
| Perfluoro-4-methoxybutanoic acid (PFMBA)Perfluoro-4-methoxybutanoic acid, a PFAS-related compound. | Not detected ng/LAverageSystem-wide | None set | None detected |
| Perfluoro(2-ethoxyethane)sulfonic acid (PFEESA)Perfluoro(2-ethoxyethane)sulfonic acid, a PFAS-related compound. | Not detected ng/LAverageSystem-wide | None set | None detected |
| Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA)Perfluorodecanoic acid, a longer-chain PFAS 'forever chemical.' | Not detected ng/LAverageSystem-wide | None set | None detected |
| Perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA)Perfluorododecanoic acid, a longer-chain PFAS 'forever chemical.' | Not detected ng/LAverageSystem-wide | None set | None detected |
| Perfluoroheptanesulfonic acid (PFHpS)Perfluoroheptanesulfonic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical.' | Not detected ng/LRangeSystem-wide | None set | None detected |
| Perfluorononanoic acidPerfluorononanoic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical.' | Not detected ng/LRangeSystem-wide | None set | None detected |
| Perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTeDA)Perfluorotetradecanoic acid, a longer-chain PFAS 'forever chemical.' | Not detected ng/LAverageSystem-wide | None set | None detected |
| Perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA)Perfluorotridecanoic acid, a longer-chain PFAS 'forever chemical.' | Not detected ng/LAverageSystem-wide | None set | None detected |
| Perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA)Perfluoroundecanoic acid, a longer-chain PFAS 'forever chemical.' | Not detected ng/LRangeSystem-wide | None set | None detected |
| Perfluoro-3-methoxypropanoic acid (PFMPA)Perfluoro-3-methoxypropanoic acid, a PFAS-related compound. | 2.11 ng/LAverageSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| Perfluoroheptanoic acidPerfluoroheptanoic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical.' | 0.277 ng/LAverageSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| Perfluorohexanoic acidPerfluorohexanoic acid, a shorter-chain PFAS 'forever chemical.' | 0.396 ng/LAverageSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| Perfluoropentanesulfonic acid (PFPeS)Perfluoropentanesulfonic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical.' | 0.086 ng/LAverageSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| Perfluoropentanoic acidPerfluoropentanoic acid, a shorter-chain PFAS 'forever chemical.' | 0.515 ng/LAverageSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| PFBAPerfluorobutanoic acid, a shorter-chain PFAS 'forever chemical.' | 1.21 ng/LAverageSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
Inorganic chemicals
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| FluorideA mineral often added to drinking water to help prevent tooth decay. | 0.66 mg/LReported levelSystem-wide | 4 mg/LMCLG | Within the limit |
Disinfection byproducts
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| BromateA disinfection byproduct formed when bromide-containing water is treated with ozone. | 0.39 ug/LReported levelSystem-wide | 0 ug/LMCLG | Within the limit |
Microbial
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Escherichia coli (E. coli)Escherichia coli — bacteria found in the gut of humans and animals. | 0Reported levelSystem-wide | 0MCLG | None detected |
People also ask about Wilmington, NC's water
+Is Wilmington, NC tap water safe to drink in 2024?
Every one of the 37 contaminants measured in Wilmington, 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 Wilmington, NC tap water?
37 contaminants were measured in Wilmington, NC's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report, spanning pfas ("forever chemicals"), metals, and physical & aggregate. 8 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 Wilmington, 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 Wilmington, 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.