Is Gastonia, NC tap water safe?
Supplied by Two Rivers Utilities · serves 96,714 people (39,304 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID NC0136010
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Most of Gastonia gets its water from Two Rivers Utilities. Parts of the city are served by 39 smaller systems: Country Acres/Southgate Water System (665 people), Hickory Creek/ Starrland Water & Sewer (528 people), Fox Run S/D Water System (516 people), Amy Acres S/D Water System (490 people) and 35 more. Your water bill names your system.
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Not detectedNone of 29 PFAS found above EPA's reporting limits in 4 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 Jan 2026 – now, still in progress (results reported so far). Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- None health-basedNo health-based violations since 2016.
- 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 Two Rivers Utilities'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 (704) 866-6827. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 1 entry point tested Oct 2023 to Jul 2024. "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 4 samples (reporting limit 9 ppb). About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 0 ppb lead (Jan 2026 – now (in progress)). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 0.05 ppb (Dec 2025).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2026 – now (in progress) | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2023 – Dec 2025 | 0.05 ppb |
| Jan 2020 – Dec 2022 | 0 ppb |
Earlier results (8)
| Jan 2017 – Dec 2019 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2014 – Dec 2016 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2011 – Dec 2013 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2008 – Dec 2010 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2005 – Dec 2007 | 0 ppb |
| Jul 2002 – Dec 2002 | 0 ppb |
| Jul 1992 – Dec 1992 | 8 ppb |
| Jan 1992 – Jun 1992 | 17 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
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 | 0.73 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Vanadium | 0.4 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.037 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Chlorate | 150 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.13 ppb | – |
Where it serves
Gastonia
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 28016, 28032, 28034, 28052, 28053, 28054, 28055, 28056, 28098, 28101, 29710
Nearby utilities
- City of Bessemer City Bessemer City · 6 mi · PFAS above limit
- City of Lincolnton Lincolnton · 16 mi · PFAS above limit
- Charlotte Water Charlotte · 20 mi
- Lincoln County Water Treatment Plant Denver · 22 mi · PFAS above limit
- Cleveland County Water Lawndale · 24 mi
- Town of Mooresville Mooresville · 31 mi
Questions
Is Gastonia tap water safe to drink?
Most of Gastonia gets its water from Two Rivers Utilities. Two Rivers Utilities has no health-based violations since 2016. 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 Gastonia water have PFAS?
EPA tested Two Rivers Utilities for 29 PFAS between Oct 2023 and Jul 2024 and none were detected above the reporting limits (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical).
What is the lead level in Gastonia water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Two Rivers Utilities is 0 ppb, for the monitoring period that began Jan 2026 (still in progress). 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 NC0136010: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID NC0136010).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Two Rivers Utilities at (704) 866-6827, 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.