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Community Water System · PWS NC0392010

Raleigh, City Of

Raleigh, North Carolina 27602 - drinking water served from surface water sources to 640,000 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

640,000
People served
24
EPA violations
0
Health-based
5 PFAS
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 24 drinking-water violations at Raleigh, City Of - below the North Carolina per-system average, and UCMR5 testing detected 5 PFAS compounds.

24
Total EPA violations on record
0%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
640,000
People served by this system
5
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Raleigh, City Of

Raleigh, City Of is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 640,000 residents in Raleigh, North Carolina (Wake County) through 200,114 service connections. Its water is drawn from surface water sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 24 total violations for this system , of which 0 (0%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 22 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2016.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Coliform (TCR), recorded in 12 violations (MR). Under EPA's UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program, 5 PFAS compounds were detected in samples collected from this system, with a maximum reported concentration of 9 ppt (parts per trillion). 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. Statewide, 174 of 287 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (60.6%).

Raleigh, City Of's 24 violations sit below the North Carolina average.

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

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

Population Served
640,000
Total Violations
24
Health-Based Violations
0
Water Source
Surface Water

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
200,114
County
Wake
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
0
Monitoring Violations
22
Treatment Tech Violations
0

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Coliform (TCR) MR 12 2006
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 5 2014
Bromate MR 5 2016

PFAS Testing Results (UCMR5)

Results from EPA's Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule. 13 of 232 samples detected PFAS.

Contaminant Date Result MRL Status
NMeFOSAA 8/8/2023 <6.00 ppt 6.00 ppt Not Detected
4:2 FTS 8/8/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
8:2 FTS 8/8/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMPA 8/8/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeA 8/8/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMBA 8/8/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
NFDHA 8/8/2023 <20.00 ppt 20.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeS 8/8/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpS 8/8/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
NEtFOSAA 8/8/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
6:2 FTS 8/8/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTrDA 8/8/2023 <7.00 ppt 7.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTA 8/8/2023 <8.00 ppt 8.00 ppt Not Detected
PFUnA 8/8/2023 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBA 8/8/2023 7.60 ppt 5.00 ppt Detected
PFEESA 8/8/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFNA 8/8/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBS 8/8/2023 3.10 ppt 3.00 ppt Detected
PFHpA 8/8/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxS 8/8/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
9Cl-PF3ONS 8/8/2023 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOA 8/8/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDA 8/8/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDoA 8/8/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxA 8/8/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
11Cl-PF3OUdS 8/8/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOS 8/8/2023 5.60 ppt 4.00 ppt Detected
HFPO-DA 8/8/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
ADONA 8/8/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxA 8/8/2023 4.20 ppt 3.00 ppt Detected
PFHxS 8/8/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDA 8/8/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOA 8/8/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOS 8/8/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFNA 8/8/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDoA 8/8/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpA 8/8/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBS 8/8/2023 3.30 ppt 3.00 ppt Detected
NFDHA 8/8/2023 <20.00 ppt 20.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTA 8/8/2023 <8.00 ppt 8.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTrDA 8/8/2023 <7.00 ppt 7.00 ppt Not Detected
NEtFOSAA 8/8/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFUnA 8/8/2023 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
4:2 FTS 8/8/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
NMeFOSAA 8/8/2023 <6.00 ppt 6.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMPA 8/8/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
11Cl-PF3OUdS 8/8/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeS 8/8/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBA 8/8/2023 5.50 ppt 5.00 ppt Detected
PFEESA 8/8/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not 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 Raleigh, City 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 NC0392010 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 Raleigh, City 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
2016 Bromate MR 5 SDWIS / NC0392010 / 1011
2014 Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 5 SDWIS / NC0392010 / 2456
2006 Coliform (TCR) MR 12 SDWIS / NC0392010 / 3100

How Raleigh, City Of Compares

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

Metric Raleigh, City Of North Carolina avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 24 104.4 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 0 7.7 Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL
PFAS detection 5 compounds 60.6% EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt
Population served 640,000 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 (EPA proposed extending to 2031, not yet final as of May 2026)
Nitrate (as N) 10 mg/L Acute health risk for infants

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Raleigh, City Of water safe to drink? ▼
Raleigh, City Of (PWS ID: NC0392010) has 24 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. PFAS contamination has been detected in UCMR5 testing, with 5 PFAS compounds found. This system serves 640,000 people using Surface Water sources.
How many people does Raleigh, City Of serve? ▼
Raleigh, City Of serves 640,000 people in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is a Local-owned system using Surface Water water sources with 200,114 service connections.
What type of violations does Raleigh, City Of have? ▼
Raleigh, City Of has 24 total violations: 0 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 22 monitoring/reporting violations, and 0 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Raleigh, City Of water? ▼
Yes. UCMR5 testing detected 5 PFAS compounds in Raleigh, City Of's water supply: PFBA, PFBS, PFOS, PFHxA, PFPeA. PFAS are persistent "forever chemicals" that do not break down in the environment.
What water source does Raleigh, City Of use? ▼
Raleigh, City 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.
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.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Data sourced from EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 PFAS monitoring data. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainWater Editorial

Every figure on PlainWater is rendered directly from EPA SDWIS drinking-water data, no number is typed in by an editor. This system's figures are rendered directly from EPA SDWIS data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.