Graham County, North Carolina: drinking water report. Graham County – Robbinsville – is the least populous county in this list, with about 8,500 residents
Graham County – Robbinsville – is the least populous county in this list, with about 8,500 residents in the far western tip of North Carolina. Water comes from mountain streams in the Nantahala and Cherokee National Forests. The county's extreme isolation and forest cover make it one of the cleanest water environments in the eastern United States.
Graham County's water sources are pristine mountain streams with essentially zero industrial or agricultural contamination. UCMR5 data shows no PFAS detections. According to NC DEQ's 2024 data, systems met all standards.
Graham County's water is as clean as municipal water gets in the eastern US.
Check your water for data confirming quality. Our water filter guide covers options. Pull your detailed report, and visit our North Carolina page for statewide data.
Drinking water is one exposure route. These federal datasets also cover Graham County, NC.
The EPA places Graham County, NC in Zone 2 - a moderate-risk category, with a predicted average indoor radon level between 2 and 4 pCi/L. Zone maps predict an area's radon potential from geology and existing indoor readings; they say nothing about a specific house. Testing is the only way to know your own level.
37% of homes in Graham County, NC were built before 1980, and 7% before 1950. Residential lead paint was banned in 1978, so housing age is the strongest available proxy for lead-paint exposure. This describes the county's housing stock, not any one home.
Modelled annual fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) in Graham County, NC averages 6.1 µg/m³, within the EPA's annual standard of 9 µg/m³. These are CDC modelled county estimates rather than readings from a specific monitor.
How radon zones work · Air quality by county · Lead exposure guide