Is Raleigh, NC tap water safe?
Supplied by City of Raleigh · serves 650,000 people (200,114 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID NC0392010
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Most of Raleigh gets its water from City of Raleigh. Parts of the city are served by 39 smaller systems: Bayleaf Master Water System (16,715 people), Stonehenge S/D Water System (1,840 people), Royal Senter Ridge S/D Water System (740 people), Mallards Crossing S/D Water System (709 people) and 35 more. Your water bill names your system.
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Detected, below limit5 of 29 PFAS found at least once. All averages below the federal limits.
- 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.
- Want to reduce what was found? Filters for these results.
- Tested your own tap? Compare your result with these numbers. Moving? Compare this system with another.
- Read City of Raleigh's water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report, from the utility). It lists every regulated contaminant tested, including ones not on this page. Questions: (919) 996-4582.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 2 entry points tested Apr 2023 to Mar 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 One sample above limit Limit 4 ppt | 2.73 ppt 68% of the limit |
| 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) Detected, below limit Limit 1 | 0.0012 |
| PFBS Detected, below limit Guideline 2,000 ppt | 2.32 ppt |
| PFBA Detected, below limit Guideline 6,000 ppt | 3.63 ppt |
| PFHxA Detected, below limit Guideline 3,000 ppt | 1.05 ppt |
| PFPeA Detected, no limit | 1.9 ppt |
29 PFAS tested, 5 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 8 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 |
| Jul 2010 – Dec 2010 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2010 – Jun 2010 | 0 ppb |
| Jul 2007 – Dec 2007 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2005 – Dec 2007 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2007 – Jun 2007 | 2 ppb |
| Jul 2006 – Dec 2006 | 3 ppb |
| Jul 2002 – Dec 2002 | 3 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 | 1.78 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.099 ppb | – |
| Strontium | 0.049 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Chlorate | 540 ppb | 210 ppb |
Where it serves
Raleigh
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 27520, 27529, 27545, 27560, 27571, 27587, 27591, 27597, 27601, 27602, 27603, 27604, 27605, 27606, 27607, 27608, 27609, 27610, 27612, 27613, 27614, 27615, 27616, 27617
Nearby utilities
- Bayleaf Master Water System Raleigh · same area · PFAS above limit
- Johnston County – West Garner · 10 mi · PFAS above limit
- Town of Cary Cary · 10 mi
- Town of Apex Apex · 15 mi
- Flowers Plantation Clayton · 16 mi · PFAS above limit
- Southgate S/D Water System Clayton · 16 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is Raleigh tap water safe to drink?
Most of Raleigh gets its water from City of Raleigh. City of Raleigh 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 Raleigh water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of City of Raleigh found 5 PFAS at least once. None of the averages were above the federal limits.
What is the lead level in Raleigh water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for City of Raleigh 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 NC0392010: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID NC0392010).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- City of Raleigh'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: (919) 996-4582.
- City of Raleigh 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.