Is Raleigh Tap Water Safe? Raleigh, City of’s EPA Records

City water quality

Is Raleigh Tap Water Safe? What Raleigh, City of’s EPA Records Show

Raleigh, City of, which serves about 640,000 people in North Carolina, reported PFOS above the EPA limit in the EPA’s UCMR5 PFAS monitoring (2023-2025). That is the system’s own reported occurrence — “reported above the limit,” not “in violation”; enforcement of the PFAS limits phases in through 2029-2031. Its most recent EPA-record lead 90th-percentile was non-detect (below the reporting limit) — under the current 15 ppb action level.

EPA records (UCMR5 2023-2025 + SDWIS/ECHO)
Raleigh, City of
Action recommended
Population served (SDWIS)640,000
PFOA vs 4 ppt limitnon-detect
PFOS vs 4 ppt limit5.6 ppt (8/8/2023)
PFHxS vs 10 ppt limit (under reconsideration)non-detect
PFNA vs 10 ppt limit (under reconsideration)non-detect
GenX (HFPO-DA) vs 10 ppt limit (under reconsideration)non-detect
Lead 90th percentile (latest round)non-detect (below the reporting limit)
SDWA violations on record (health-based)24 (0)
These are the systems’ own EPA UCMR5 monitoring results — “reported above the limit,” not “in violation.” The EPA limit (4 ppt for PFOA and for PFOS) is a running annual average, so a system counts here when the AVERAGE of a full set of results at one of its sampling locations is above the limit — EPA’s own method. That is an occurrence flag, not a compliance finding: real compliance is determined from quarterly samples reported to the state. Enforcement phases in through 2029-2031.
A metro area is usually served by more than one water system — this page covers the area's largest. Suburbs and neighboring towns often have their own systems with their own results; check your exact ZIP for yours.

See the full interactive report for this system — every PFAS analyte, lead and copper rounds, violations, and the filter that handles what was found: open the Raleigh report → Or check YOUR exact ZIP: check your water by ZIP →

Common questions about Raleigh water

Is Raleigh's tap water safe to drink?

The records show PFOS above a current EPA limit or action level — the details, with dates, are in the sections above. That is a system-level occurrence record, not a verdict on any individual tap. These are system-level records for public water systems, not a reading of any individual home’s tap, and they do not cover private wells. Confirm your own utility’s current Consumer Confidence Report, and test your tap if you’re unsure.

Does Raleigh have PFAS in its drinking water?

Raleigh, City of reported PFOS above the EPA’s limit in UCMR5 monitoring — an occurrence flag, not a compliance finding (enforcement 2029-2031).

Who supplies Raleigh's drinking water?

Raleigh, City of (PWSID NC0392010) serves about 640,000 people, per EPA SDWIS records. A metro area is usually served by more than one water system — this page covers the area’s largest. Suburbs and neighboring towns often have their own systems with their own results; check your exact ZIP for yours.

How do I check my exact address?

Water systems report by system, not by address. Enter your ZIP on the water checker to see the system(s) serving it and what each reported.

Statewide, 24.4% of North Carolina’s UCMR5-tested systems reported PFOA or PFOS over the EPA limit — see the North Carolina water page.

Other large systems in North Carolina

Charlotte Winston-Salem

See the 100 largest US water systems, water quality by state, and the national PFAS data study.

Sources: EPA UCMR5 occurrence data, Feb 2026 release (~95% complete; final reporting 2026) (2026-06); lead/copper + violations: EPA SDWIS via ECHO; population served: EPA SDWIS via ECHO (system-reported population served). PWSID NC0392010. Public-domain federal/state records; assembly by WaterByTheBook. Built 2026-07-25. Plain-markdown mirror: https://waterbythebook.com/md/raleigh.md