Is Asheville, NC tap water safe?
Supplied by City of Asheville · serves 157,431 people (61,981 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID NC0111010
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Most of Asheville gets its water from City of Asheville. Parts of the city are served by 7 smaller systems: Town of Biltmore Forest (1,356 people), Johnson-Siler MHP (150 people), Hazelwood Homeowners Association (100 people), Wedgefield Acres MHP (100 people) and 3 more. Your water bill names your system.
Buys water from City of Hendersonville. Treated water bought from another system can carry that system's contaminants.
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Not detectedNone of 29 PFAS found above EPA's reporting limits in 12 samples (2023–2025).
- Lead
- Below action level0 ppb (parts per billion) at the 90th percentile: 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below it. Action level 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb in Nov 2027. Monitoring period ending Dec 2025. Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- Resolved1 health-based violation since 2016, most recently Oct 2024.
- Built before 1986, or not sure what your service line is made of? Check your service line and test your tap. Utility data can't show your pipes.
- Tested your own tap? Compare your result with these numbers. Moving? Compare this system with another.
- Read City of Asheville's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report). It lists every regulated contaminant tested and is usually on the utility's website or mailed with your bill, and you can also request it at (828) 259-5957. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 3 entry points tested Mar 2024 to Apr 2025. "Average" is the highest entry-point average (non-detects counted as zero), the way EPA compares UCMR 5 results to the limits. ppt = parts per trillion. These results do not determine compliance.
| Contaminant | Highest average |
|---|---|
| PFOA Not detected Limit 4 ppt | – |
| PFOS Not detected Limit 4 ppt | – |
| PFHxS Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| PFNA Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| Hazard Index (a combined score for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and PFBS, where above 1 is over the limit) Not detected Limit 1 | – |
| PFBS Not detected Guideline 2,000 ppt | – |
| PFBA Not detected Guideline 6,000 ppt | – |
| PFHxA Not detected Guideline 3,000 ppt | – |
29 PFAS tested, 0 detected at least once. "Not detected" means below EPA's reporting limit (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical), not proven zero. PFAS not listed were not detected. The limits for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and the Hazard Index were proposed for rescission in May 2026. That proposal is not final. Systems have until 2029 to meet the limits.
Lithium
Not detected in 12 samples (reporting limit 9 ppb). About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 0 ppb lead (Jul 2025 – Dec 2025). Below action level
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jul 2025 – Dec 2025 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2023 – Dec 2025 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2025 – Jun 2025 | 0 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2020 – Dec 2022 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2017 – Dec 2019 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2014 – Dec 2016 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2011 – Dec 2013 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2009 – Jun 2009 | 0 ppb |
| Jul 2008 – Dec 2008 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2008 – Dec 2008 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2007 – Dec 2007 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2006 – Dec 2006 | 5 ppb |
Lead comes from pipes and fixtures, not the source water, so it varies home to home. The 90th percentile means 9 in 10 sampled homes were at or below it. More on lead.
Violations
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| Oct 2024 | A required step to remove or kill germs (filtration, disinfection or fixing a contaminated well) was not done properly. EPA record: Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule · Treatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) (limit ) Resolved |
Health-based violations mean a contaminant exceeded a limit or a required treatment step was missed. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or reports were late or missing, so the water's quality during that time is unknown. The total includes every violation in EPA's records, most of them paperwork.
Earlier EPA testing (2013–2020)
| Contaminant | Highest | Guideline |
|---|---|---|
| Manganese | 4.09 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.08 ppb | – |
| Vanadium | 0.3 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Chlorate | 260 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.016 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
Where it serves
Asheville
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 28704, 28711, 28715, 28730, 28732, 28759, 28778, 28801, 28802, 28803, 28804, 28805, 28806
Nearby utilities
- City of Hendersonville Hendersonville · 18 mi
- Grassy Pond Water Corporation Cliffside · 49 mi · PFAS above limit
- Cleveland County Water Lawndale · 57 mi
- City of Hickory Hickory · 70 mi
- City of Bessemer City Bessemer City · 74 mi · PFAS above limit
- City of Lincolnton Lincolnton · 74 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is Asheville tap water safe to drink?
Most of Asheville gets its water from City of Asheville. City of Asheville had 1 health-based violation since 2016, all since resolved. EPA testing found no PFAS above the federal limits. Federal data can't tell you about your own pipes: lead comes from service lines and plumbing, so test your tap if your home was built before 1986. For the official word, read the utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report.
Does Asheville water have PFAS?
EPA tested City of Asheville for 29 PFAS between Mar 2024 and Apr 2025 and none were detected above the reporting limits (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical).
What is the lead level in Asheville water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for City of Asheville is 0 ppb, for the period ending Dec 2025. The federal action level is 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb in November 2027. The 90th percentile means 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below this number. Individual homes can be higher.
Check these numbers yourself
Every figure on this page comes from public EPA records. You don't have to take our word for it:
- EPA's own report for NC0111010: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID NC0111010).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask City of Asheville at (828) 259-5957, or see EPA's guide to finding it.
Found something that doesn't match? Tell us and we'll check it against EPA's records. How we check our data.
Source: U.S. EPA drinking water records and PFAS testing (UCMR 5). How we read the data.