Drinking water quality · 2024
· Verified
What's in Winston Salem, NC tap water
18 contaminants were measured in the Winston Salem, NC water system's 2024 annual report. Each is shown below against its federal limit.
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Contaminants measured
- 18
- Over federal limit
- 0
- Approaching the limit
- 0
- Service area
- NC
Where your water comes from · EPA SDWIS
Winston Salem, NC's drinking water comes from ground water, drawn from 2 sources.
Source
- WELL · 2
Treatment
- TREATMENT_PLT_WELLS #1 & 2
Distribution
Historical readings · EPA Six-Year Review (2012–2019)
6 historically-detected contaminants in Winston Salem, 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
NITRATE worst: 2012 | 1.88 mg/L within | 10 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
TTHM worst: 2017 | 0.0038 mg/L within | 0.08 mg/L | '17 |
COPPER worst: 2015 | 0.119 mg/L below national p90 | — | '15'18 |
BROMODICHLOROMETHANE worst: 2017 | 0.0012 mg/L | — | '17 |
CHLOROFORM worst: 2017 | 0.0016 mg/L | — | '17 |
DIBROMOCHLOROMETHANE worst: 2017 | 0.001 mg/L | — | '17 |
Disinfection byproducts
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| HAA5Haloacetic acids — a group of five disinfection byproducts formed when disinfectants react with organic matter. | 32AverageSystem-wide | 60MCL | Within the limit |
Disinfectants
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChlorineA disinfectant added to drinking water to kill bacteria and viruses. | 0.98AverageSystem-wide | 4MCL | Within the limit |
Inorganic chemicals
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| FluorideA mineral often added to drinking water to help prevent tooth decay. | 0.74AverageSystem-wide | 4MCL | Within the limit |
PFAS ("forever chemicals")
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perfluoroheptanoic acidPerfluoroheptanoic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical.' | Not detectedRangeSystem-wide | None set | None detected |
| Perfluorononanoic acidPerfluorononanoic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical.' | Not detectedAverageSystem-wide | None set | None detected |
| Perfluorobutanesulfonic acidPerfluorobutanesulfonic acid, a shorter-chain PFAS 'forever chemical.' | 0.75AverageSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| Perfluorohexanesulfonic acidPerfluorohexanesulfonic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical.' | 0.3AverageSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| Perfluorohexanoic acidPerfluorohexanoic acid, a shorter-chain PFAS 'forever chemical.' | 0.33AverageSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| PFBAPerfluorobutanoic acid, a shorter-chain PFAS 'forever chemical.' | 0.7AverageSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| PFOAPerfluorooctanoic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical' once used in nonstick and stain-resistant products. | 0.83AverageSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| PFOSPerfluorooctanesulfonic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical' once used in firefighting foam and coatings. | 1.68AverageSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
Metals
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| LeadA toxic metal that leaches into water from old service lines, solder, and plumbing fixtures. | Not detected ug/L90th percentileAt the tap | 0 ug/LMCLG | Detected — no federal limit |
Microbial
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total ColiformA group of bacteria used as an indicator of overall water-system sanitation. | 0.14AverageSystem-wide | 0MCLG | Detected — no federal limit |
Physical & aggregate
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| TOCTotal organic carbon — a measure of organic material dissolved in the water. | 1.25AverageSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| TurbidityA measure of cloudiness from suspended particles in the water. | 0.04AverageSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
People also ask about Winston Salem, NC's water
+Is Winston Salem, NC tap water safe to drink in 2024?
Every one of the 18 contaminants measured in Winston Salem, 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 Winston Salem, NC tap water?
18 contaminants were measured in Winston Salem, NC's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report, spanning pfas ("forever chemicals"), disinfection byproducts, and inorganic chemicals. 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 Winston Salem, 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 Winston Salem, 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.