Catawba County, North Carolina: drinking water report. Catawba County – Hickory – serves about 160,000 residents in the western Piedmont foothills.
Catawba County – Hickory – serves about 160,000 residents in the western Piedmont foothills. The county draws from Lake Hickory on the Catawba River. The furniture and fiber optic cable manufacturing industries have shaped the local economy and environmental landscape.
Lake Hickory provides a reliable surface water source. UCMR5 data shows minimal PFAS detections. The county's manufacturing legacy includes some industrial contamination sites, but these have primarily affected soils rather than the lake-based drinking water supply.
According to NC DEQ's 2024 monitoring data, county systems met all federal standards. The Catawba River's overall health benefits from the series of reservoirs along its length, which act as settling basins for sediment and some contaminants.
Catawba County benefits from a lake-based supply in the western Piedmont. Water quality is consistently good.
Check your water for data specific to your area. A basic carbon filter improves taste. Our water filter guide covers options. Pull your detailed report, and visit our North Carolina page for statewide data.