WADESBORO, TOWN OF

Q: Is WADESBORO, TOWN OF water safe to drink?

WADESBORO, TOWN OF (PWS ID: NC0304020) has 251 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. PFAS contamination has been detected in UCMR5 testing, with 4 PFAS compounds found. This system serves 5,608 people using Surface Water sources.

Q: What type of violations does WADESBORO, TOWN OF have?

WADESBORO, TOWN OF has 251 total violations: 123 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 105 monitoring/reporting violations, and 0 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.

Q: Has PFAS been detected in WADESBORO, TOWN OF water?

Yes. UCMR5 testing detected 4 PFAS compounds in WADESBORO, TOWN OF's water supply: PFPeA, PFHxA, PFOS, PFBA. PFAS are persistent "forever chemicals" that do not break down in the environment.

Q: What water source does WADESBORO, TOWN OF use?

WADESBORO, TOWN OF uses Surface Water as its primary water source. It is classified as a Community Water System (CWS), serving residential populations year-round.

Q: Where does this data come from?

All data comes from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and the UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program. SDWIS tracks compliance for all public water systems regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act.

Reviewed byPlainWater Editorial, Drinking Water Quality Editorial Team · June 4, 2026

PWS ID: NC0304020 · WADESBORO, North Carolina 28170

WADESBORO, TOWN OF serves 5,608 people in WADESBORO, North Carolina using Surface Water water sources. It has 251 recorded EPA violations, including 123 health-based violations. PFAS "forever chemicals" were detected in UCMR5 testing (4 compounds found).

Water Quality Snapshot: WADESBORO, TOWN OF

WADESBORO, TOWN OF is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 5,608 residents in WADESBORO, North Carolina (Anson County) through 2,208 service connections. Its water is drawn from surface water sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 251 total violations for this system , of which 123 (49%) are health-based — meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 105 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2023.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5), recorded in 89 violations (MCL, health-based). Under EPA's UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program, 4 PFAS compounds were detected in samples collected from this system, with a maximum reported concentration of 0.0067 ppt. PFAS are persistent synthetic chemicals linked to health effects at very low exposure levels.

Across North Carolina, EPA tracks 5,020 public water systems serving 9,877,724 people, with 524,053 cumulative violations and 38,492 health-based violations on record. About 93% of systems in the state carry at least one violation, and state-wide the average per system is 104.4 violations. WADESBORO, TOWN OF's 251 violations sit above the North Carolina average. Statewide, 174 of 287 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (60.6%). All figures above are sourced directly from EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 public data releases and are updated as EPA publishes new reporting cycles.

PFAS Detected

4 PFAS "forever chemicals" detected in testing under EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.

Population Served

5,608

Total Violations

251

Health-Based Violations

123

Water Source

Surface Water

System Details

System Type: Community
Owner Type: Local
Connections: 2,208
County: Anson
School/Daycare: No
MCL Violations: 123
Monitoring Violations: 105
Treatment Tech Violations: 0

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant	Category	Count	Latest
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)	MCL	89	2009
TTHM	MCL	34	2008
Public Notice	Other	13	2008
Lead and Copper Rule	MR	13	2023
Fluoride	MR	8	2009
Atrazine	MR	6	2010
Arsenic	MR	5	2009
Barium	MR	5	2009
Cadmium	MR	5	2009
Chromium	MR	5	2009
CYANIDE	MR	5	2009
Nickel	MR	5	2009
Antimony, Total	MR	5	2009
Beryllium, Total	MR	5	2009
Thallium, Total	MR	5	2009
Selenium	MR	5	2009
TTHM	MR	5	2013
Coliform (TCR)	MR	5	1999
Mercury	MR	5	2009
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)	MR	5	2013
Nitrate	MR	4	2009
Consumer Confidence Rule	Other	4	2012
Gross Beta Particle Activity	MR	2	1980
Combined Radium (-226 and -228)	MR	1	1980
Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon and U	MR	1	1980

PFAS Testing Results (UCMR5)

Results from EPA's Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule. 14 of 236 samples detected PFAS.

Contaminant	Date	Result	MRL	Status
NEtFOSAA	9/19/2023	<0.005 µg/L	0.005 µg/L	Not Detected
PFTrDA	9/19/2023	<0.007 µg/L	0.007 µg/L	Not Detected
NMeFOSAA	9/19/2023	<0.006 µg/L	0.006 µg/L	Not Detected
lithium	9/19/2023	<9 µg/L	9 µg/L	Not Detected
PFTA	9/19/2023	<0.008 µg/L	0.008 µg/L	Not Detected
NEtFOSAA	9/19/2023	<0.005 µg/L	0.005 µg/L	Not Detected
PFPeA	9/19/2023	0.0039 µg/L	0.003 µg/L	Detected
PFHpS	9/19/2023	<0.003 µg/L	0.003 µg/L	Not Detected
PFMBA	9/19/2023	<0.003 µg/L	0.003 µg/L	Not Detected
PFPeS	9/19/2023	<0.004 µg/L	0.004 µg/L	Not Detected
NMeFOSAA	9/19/2023	<0.006 µg/L	0.006 µg/L	Not Detected
4:2 FTS	9/19/2023	<0.003 µg/L	0.003 µg/L	Not Detected
PFTrDA	9/19/2023	<0.007 µg/L	0.007 µg/L	Not Detected
PFTA	9/19/2023	<0.008 µg/L	0.008 µg/L	Not Detected
PFNA	9/19/2023	<0.004 µg/L	0.004 µg/L	Not Detected
PFBS	9/19/2023	<0.003 µg/L	0.003 µg/L	Not Detected
PFHpA	9/19/2023	<0.003 µg/L	0.003 µg/L	Not Detected
PFHxS	9/19/2023	<0.003 µg/L	0.003 µg/L	Not Detected
PFEESA	9/19/2023	<0.003 µg/L	0.003 µg/L	Not Detected
PFUnA	9/19/2023	<0.002 µg/L	0.002 µg/L	Not Detected
lithium	9/19/2023	<9 µg/L	9 µg/L	Not Detected
PFOS	9/19/2023	<0.004 µg/L	0.004 µg/L	Not Detected
PFOA	9/19/2023	<0.004 µg/L	0.004 µg/L	Not Detected
NFDHA	9/19/2023	<0.02 µg/L	0.02 µg/L	Not Detected
PFDA	9/19/2023	<0.003 µg/L	0.003 µg/L	Not Detected
PFMPA	9/19/2023	<0.004 µg/L	0.004 µg/L	Not Detected
PFHxA	9/19/2023	0.0032 µg/L	0.003 µg/L	Detected
8:2 FTS	9/19/2023	<0.005 µg/L	0.005 µg/L	Not Detected
11Cl-PF3OUdS	9/19/2023	<0.005 µg/L	0.005 µg/L	Not Detected
9Cl-PF3ONS	9/19/2023	<0.002 µg/L	0.002 µg/L	Not Detected
ADONA	9/19/2023	<0.003 µg/L	0.003 µg/L	Not Detected
HFPO-DA	9/19/2023	<0.005 µg/L	0.005 µg/L	Not Detected
PFBA	9/19/2023	<0.005 µg/L	0.005 µg/L	Not Detected
6:2 FTS	9/19/2023	<0.005 µg/L	0.005 µg/L	Not Detected
PFDoA	9/19/2023	<0.003 µg/L	0.003 µg/L	Not Detected
NEtFOSAA	8/9/2023	<0.005 µg/L	0.005 µg/L	Not Detected
PFTrDA	8/9/2023	<0.007 µg/L	0.007 µg/L	Not Detected
PFTA	8/9/2023	<0.008 µg/L	0.008 µg/L	Not Detected
NMeFOSAA	8/9/2023	<0.006 µg/L	0.006 µg/L	Not Detected
PFPeA	8/27/2024	0.0033 µg/L	0.003 µg/L	Detected
PFMBA	8/27/2024	<0.003 µg/L	0.003 µg/L	Not Detected
PFEESA	8/27/2024	<0.003 µg/L	0.003 µg/L	Not Detected
PFHpS	8/27/2024	<0.003 µg/L	0.003 µg/L	Not Detected
NFDHA	8/27/2024	<0.02 µg/L	0.02 µg/L	Not Detected
PFMPA	8/27/2024	<0.004 µg/L	0.004 µg/L	Not Detected
PFOA	8/27/2024	<0.004 µg/L	0.004 µg/L	Not Detected
PFDA	8/27/2024	<0.003 µg/L	0.003 µg/L	Not Detected
PFDoA	8/27/2024	<0.003 µg/L	0.003 µg/L	Not Detected
PFHxA	8/27/2024	0.0034 µg/L	0.003 µg/L	Detected
PFOS	8/27/2024	0.0052 µg/L	0.004 µg/L	Detected

Verify This Water System

The figures above are aggregated from EPA's public databases. To verify the underlying records — or to file a complaint, request a Consumer Confidence Report, or check current monitoring status — go directly to the federal and state regulators that enforce the Safe Drinking Water Act for WADESBORO, TOWN OF.

Federal Source of Truth

EPA SDWIS — Federal Reports

EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) holds the federal compliance record for every regulated public water system. Open the system-level report by PWS ID:

View PWS ID NC0304020 on SDWIS

Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search

State Regulator

North Carolina Drinking Water Authority

North Carolina DEQ — Public Water Supply Section is the primacy agency that licenses and inspects WADESBORO, TOWN OF under EPA-delegated authority.

Open NC regulator portal

Source: North Carolina DEQ — Public Water Supply Section

Violation Timeline

Each row links to the EPA SDWIS public record for verification. Cross-reference the contaminant code on EPA's federal report to see violation dates, return-to-compliance status, and enforcement actions.

Year (latest)	Contaminant	Category	Count	EPA Record
2023	Lead and Copper Rule	MR	13	SDWIS / NC0304020 / 5000
2013	TTHM	MR	5	SDWIS / NC0304020 / 2950
2013	Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)	MR	5	SDWIS / NC0304020 / 2456
2012	Consumer Confidence Rule	Other	4	SDWIS / NC0304020 / 7000
2010	Atrazine	MR	6	SDWIS / NC0304020 / 2050
2009	Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)	MCL	89	SDWIS / NC0304020 / 2456
2009	Fluoride	MR	8	SDWIS / NC0304020 / 1025
2009	Arsenic	MR	5	SDWIS / NC0304020 / 1005
2009	Barium	MR	5	SDWIS / NC0304020 / 1010
2009	Cadmium	MR	5	SDWIS / NC0304020 / 1015
2009	Chromium	MR	5	SDWIS / NC0304020 / 1020
2009	CYANIDE	MR	5	SDWIS / NC0304020 / 1024
2009	Nickel	MR	5	SDWIS / NC0304020 / 1036
2009	Antimony, Total	MR	5	SDWIS / NC0304020 / 1074
2009	Beryllium, Total	MR	5	SDWIS / NC0304020 / 1075

How WADESBORO, TOWN OF Compares

Cross-reference this system's record against state averages and the federal MCL framework for context.

Metric	WADESBORO, TOWN OF	North Carolina avg	Federal benchmark
Total violations	251	104.4	SDWA compliance — any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations	123	7.7	Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL
PFAS detection	4 compounds	60.6%	EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt
Population served	5,608	1,968	Sizing context for compliance burden

Sources: EPA SDWIS and EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR Part 141). State averages computed across 5,020 regulated public water systems in North Carolina.

Federal MCL reference — Safe Drinking Water Act thresholds ▼

Contaminant	Federal MCL / Action Level	Note
Lead	0 mg/L (Action Level: 0.015 mg/L)	Lead and Copper Rule treatment technique
Arsenic	0.010 mg/L (10 ppb)	Health-based MCL since 2006
Total Coliform	Treatment technique (RTCR)	Indicator organism, monitoring trigger
PFOA / PFOS (PFAS)	4.0 ppt each (final 2024 rule)	Compliance deadline 2029
Nitrate (as N)	10 mg/L	Acute health risk for infants

Frequently Asked Questions

Is WADESBORO, TOWN OF water safe to drink? ▼

WADESBORO, TOWN OF (PWS ID: NC0304020) has 251 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. PFAS contamination has been detected in UCMR5 testing, with 4 PFAS compounds found. This system serves 5,608 people using Surface Water sources.

How many people does WADESBORO, TOWN OF serve? ▼

WADESBORO, TOWN OF serves 5,608 people in WADESBORO, North Carolina. It is a Local-owned system using Surface Water water sources with 2,208 service connections.

What type of violations does WADESBORO, TOWN OF have? ▼

WADESBORO, TOWN OF has 251 total violations: 123 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 105 monitoring/reporting violations, and 0 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.

Has PFAS been detected in WADESBORO, TOWN OF water? ▼

Yes. UCMR5 testing detected 4 PFAS compounds in WADESBORO, TOWN OF's water supply: PFPeA, PFHxA, PFOS, PFBA. PFAS are persistent "forever chemicals" that do not break down in the environment.

What water source does WADESBORO, TOWN OF use? ▼

WADESBORO, TOWN OF uses Surface Water as its primary water source. It is classified as a Community Water System (CWS), serving residential populations year-round.

Where does this data come from? ▼

All data comes from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and the UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program. SDWIS tracks compliance for all public water systems regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act.

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Data Sources: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), Q4 2025. PFAS data from EPA UCMR5 monitoring program (2023-2025). This data is provided for informational purposes only.

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