Jacksonville, NC Water Quality Report

Is Jacksonville tap water safe? See PFAS and lead contamination levels for Jacksonville, North Carolina. Compare to EPA limits and get filter recommendations.

Quick Answers

Is Jacksonville tap water safe to drink? Jacksonville tap water meets most federal EPA limits, but PFAS compounds have been detected at an average of 17.6 ppt across 1 compound. A certified pitcher filter or reverse osmosis system is recommended for sensitive populations.

What contaminants are in Jacksonville water? Top PFAS compounds detected in Jacksonville water: lithium (32.7 ppt). See the full table for all monitored contaminants and comparison to EPA limits.

What filter should I use in Jacksonville? Reverse osmosis removes 90%+ of PFAS, lead, and arsenic. NSF-53 certified pitcher and faucet filters (ZeroWater, Clearly Filtered, LifeStraw) work for smaller households. Skip standard Brita filters for PFAS removal.

Jacksonville Water Quality Summary

EPA testing has detected PFAS "forever chemicals" in Jacksonville drinking water. Recent monitoring found a peak level of 32.7 ppt across 3 water systems, representing an average of 17.6 ppt across 1 detected compound.

Contamination Level: MODERATE – Moderate contamination – PFAS detected at meaningful levels; filtration recommended.

Top Detected Compounds

  • lithium: 32.7 ppt (exceeds EPA 4 ppt limit for PFOA/PFOS)

Lead in Jacksonville Water

EPA Lead and Copper Rule testing has recorded 43 lead samples for Jacksonville water systems, with a 90th-percentile high of 0.018 mg/L (above the EPA 0.015 mg/L action level). There is no safe level of lead for children; if your home was built before 1986, a certified NSF/ANSI 53 lead-removal filter is recommended.

EPA Violations in Jacksonville

Jacksonville public water systems have 18 health-based EPA Safe Drinking Water Act violations on record, including Surface Water Treatment Rule, Total Organic Carbon, Haloacetic Acids (HAA5). Health-based violations mean a contaminant exceeded its federal limit or required treatment was not applied.

About the Data

These figures come from the EPA's Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule 5 (UCMR5) testing program, 2023-2025. UCMR5 is the most comprehensive national drinking water survey in US history, covering 66,000+ public water systems. Population of Jacksonville: approximately 72,576.

ZIP Codes Served

28540, 28541, 28546

What Jacksonville Residents Should Do

  1. Enter your exact ZIP code at knowyourexposure.com for address-level data
  2. Install an NSF/ANSI 58 reverse osmosis filter (removes 94-99% of PFAS)
  3. If you're in a high-exposure group (pregnant, young children), consider a PFAS home test kit
  4. Review your utility's Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) annually