Wilmington, NC Water Quality Report

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

Quick Answers

Is Wilmington tap water safe to drink? Wilmington tap water meets most federal EPA limits, but PFAS compounds have been detected at an average of 4.42 ppt across 10 compounds. A certified pitcher filter or reverse osmosis system is recommended for sensitive populations.

What contaminants are in Wilmington water? Top PFAS compounds detected in Wilmington water: PFHpA (47 ppt), PFOA (31 ppt), lithium (15.7 ppt). See the full table for all monitored contaminants and comparison to EPA limits.

What filter should I use in Wilmington? 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.

Wilmington Water Quality Summary

EPA testing has detected PFAS "forever chemicals" in Wilmington drinking water. Recent monitoring found a peak level of 47 ppt across 4 water systems, representing an average of 4.42 ppt across 10 detected compounds.

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

Top Detected Compounds

  • PFHpA: 47 ppt (exceeds EPA 4 ppt limit for PFOA/PFOS)
  • PFOA: 31 ppt (exceeds EPA 4 ppt limit for PFOA/PFOS)
  • lithium: 15.7 ppt (exceeds EPA 4 ppt limit for PFOA/PFOS)
  • PFBS: 0.01 ppt
  • PFHxS: 0.01 ppt

Lead in Wilmington Water

EPA Lead and Copper Rule testing has recorded 36 lead samples for Wilmington water systems, with a 90th-percentile high of 0.0103 mg/L (within 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 Wilmington

Wilmington public water systems have 27 health-based EPA Safe Drinking Water Act violations on record, including Total Organic Carbon, Nitrate, Haloacetic Acids (HAA5), Surface Water Treatment Rule, Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs). 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 Wilmington: approximately 115,451.

ZIP Codes Served

28401, 28402, 28403, 28404, 28405

What Wilmington 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