City of Winston-Salem water quality
Clemmons, NC · serves 391,900 people (147,043 connections) · Surface water · Local government · EPA ID NC0234010
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Buys water from Davidson Water Inc. 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
- 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 City of Winston-Salem's water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report, from the utility). It lists every regulated contaminant tested, including ones not on this page. Questions: (336) 397-7727.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 3 entry points tested Aug 2023 to May 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 12 samples (reporting limit 9 ppb). About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 0 ppb lead (Jan 2023 – Dec 2025). Below action level
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2023 – Dec 2025 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2020 – Dec 2022 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2017 – Dec 2019 | 0 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2014 – Dec 2016 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2011 – Dec 2013 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2010 – Dec 2010 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2008 – Dec 2010 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2005 – Dec 2007 | 0 ppb |
| Jul 2003 – Dec 2003 | 4 ppb |
| Jul 2000 – Dec 2000 | 2 ppb |
| Jul 1992 – Dec 1992 | 4.9 ppb |
| Jan 1992 – Jun 1992 | 10 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 | 2.6 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Vanadium | 1 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.077 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Chromium-6 | 0.15 ppb | – |
| Chlorate | 230 ppb | 210 ppb |
Where it serves
Clemmons
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 27009, 27012, 27019, 27023, 27040, 27045, 27050, 27051, 27052, 27101, 27103, 27104, 27105, 27106, 27107, 27109, 27110, 27127, 27157, 27235, 27284, 27310
Nearby utilities
- Davidson Water Inc Lexington · 17 mi
- City of High Point High Point · 22 mi · PFAS above limit
- Town of Jamestown Jamestown · 25 mi · PFAS above limit
- City of Archdale Archdale · 25 mi · PFAS above limit
- City of Greensboro Greensboro · 32 mi · PFAS above limit
- Iredell Water Corporation Statesville · 32 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is City of Winston-Salem water safe to drink?
City of Winston-Salem 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 City of Winston-Salem water have PFAS?
EPA tested City of Winston-Salem for 29 PFAS between Aug 2023 and May 2024 and none were detected above the reporting limits (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical).
What is the lead level in City of Winston-Salem water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for City of Winston-Salem 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 NC0234010: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID NC0234010).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- City of Winston-Salem's water quality report: the utility's own annual report, including contaminants EPA's national database doesn't carry (link checked Nov 14, 2026). Phone: (336) 397-7727.
- City of Winston-Salem website
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.