Is Wilmington Tap Water Safe? 2026 Water Quality Report
Short answer: No measured result is above a legal limit. CFPUA-Wilmington serves 212,227 residents.
2 water systems report serving Wilmington
This report uses the largest, CFPUA-WILMINGTON. Your water bill or annual water quality report names your actual supplier.
- Source
- Surface water
- Lead service lines
- 0 lead
Source: EPA SDWIS 2026Q2.
- CFPUA-WILMINGTONThis reportNC0465010 · 212,227 served
- THE CAPE MASTER SYSTEMNC0465199 · 11,587 served · EPA record for THE CAPE MASTER SYSTEM (opens in a new tab)
Your water utility
One detected result
CFPUA-WILMINGTON (EPA PWSID NC0465010) delivers surface water to 212,227 residents. This report reflects 29 individual PFAS result(s) from the source UCMR5 observations and the latest Lead & Copper Rule 90th-percentile result. Water hardness and disinfectant type are pending the utility's own annual report.
- Perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA)EPA UCMR 5 · 2023No federal or state limit; shown for transparency4.4ng/LDetected · no limit
30 other contaminants tested, none detected
- 11Cl-PF3OUdS
- 4:2 FTS
- 6:2 FTS
- 8:2 FTS
- 9Cl-PF3ONS
- ADONA
- HFPO-DA (GenX)
- NEtFOSAA
- NFDHA
- NMeFOSAA
- PFBA
- PFBS
- PFDA
- PFDoA
- PFEESA
- PFHpA
- PFHpS
- PFHxA
- PFHxS
- PFMBA
- PFMPA
- PFNA
- PFOA
- PFOS
- PFPeS
- PFTA
- PFTrDA
- PFUnA
- Lithium
- Lead (90th percentile)
Coverage by group
31 results on record- PFAS (forever chemicals)1 detected · 28 not detected
- Metals & lead1 not detected
- Disinfection by-productsNot monitored
- Other1 not detected
0health-based violations in the last 10 years
From EPA SDWIS. A clean violation history means no enforcement action was recorded; it does not cover contaminants without a limit.
No result is not a pass. Your utility's annual water quality report may list them, and a certified lab test covers your own tap.
Test first, then treat what was found
- 01 · TestTest your own tap
A tap test can confirm levels at your home before you choose treatment.
Certified labHow to test your tap → - 02 · PFASReverse osmosis, or carbon certified for PFAS
PFPeA 4.4 ng/L detected (no federal or state limit)
NSF/ANSI 58 or 53, with PFPeA named on the listingTreatment for PFAS →
No certified match for these concerns yet
Each card names which Wilmington findings its current certification covers, and which it doesn't.
As an Amazon Associate, PurityMap earns from qualifying purchases. A product appears here only when a current certification record covers at least one identified concern; every concern stays listed. The retail offer is looked up afterwards and never changes which products appear or their order. Affiliate disclosure.
No product in our catalogue has verified certification for these concerns yet.
Frequently asked questions
Is Wilmington tap water safe to drink?
PurityMap does not give a safe/unsafe verdict; it shows what the public records measured. For Wilmington, PFPeA 4.4 ng/L was detected, with no federal or state limit. CFPUA-WILMINGTON (PWSID NC0465010) has a Purity Score of 100/100 (confidence: moderate), assessed at the water-system level and computed only from contaminants that were measured. Water can change in your own pipes, so a certified test is the only way to know what comes out of your tap.
Who provides tap water in Wilmington?
CFPUA-WILMINGTON (PWS ID NC0465010) is the public water system on record for Wilmington, North Carolina, serving about 212,227 people. Confirm the utility on your water bill before acting on a specific finding.
Where does Wilmington get its drinking water?
Surface water (primary source of record in EPA SDWIS).
Are PFAS "forever chemicals" in Wilmington's water?
Yes. In EPA's UCMR 5 testing (2023-12-05 to 2024-09-03), PFPeA was detected at 4.4 ng/L. It has no federal or state limit, so PurityMap shows it without grading it. No PFAS with a limit was detected.
Is there lead in Wilmington's tap water?
Lead is not in Wilmington's current published record. Lead usually enters from a building's own pipes and fixtures, so a certified home test is the way to know yours.
What does the latest Wilmington water report show?
PurityMap's current record for Wilmington holds 31 findings: 1 detected with no limit and 30 not detected. Each finding links to its dated public record; a parameter that was never monitored is shown as pending, not as a pass.
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Sources and dataAll 31 records and their sourcesEPA UCMR 5 · EPA SDWIS (Lead & Copper Rule)
| Contaminant | Result | Benchmark | Sampled | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA) | 4.4 ng/L | No federal or state limit; shown for transparency | 2023-12-05 to 2024-09-03 | UCMR5 Analytical Results: CFPUA-WILMINGTON (NC0465010) |
30 other contaminants tested — none detected
Perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA)
- Result
- 4.4 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal or state limit; shown for transparency
- Sampled
- 2023-12-05 to 2024-09-03
30 other contaminants tested — none detected
11-Chloroeicosafluoro-3-oxaundecane-1-sulfonic acid (11Cl-PF3OUdS)
- Result
- < 5 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal or state limit; shown for transparency
- Sampled
- 2023-12-05 to 2024-09-03
1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorodecane sulfonic acid (8:2 FTS)
- Result
- < 5 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal or state limit; shown for transparency
- Sampled
- 2023-12-05 to 2024-09-03
1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (4:2 FTS)
- Result
- < 3 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal or state limit; shown for transparency
- Sampled
- 2023-12-05 to 2024-09-03
1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (6:2 FTS)
- Result
- < 5 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal or state limit; shown for transparency
- Sampled
- 2023-12-05 to 2024-09-03
4,8-Dioxa-3H-perfluorononanoic acid (ADONA)
- Result
- < 3 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal or state limit; shown for transparency
- Sampled
- 2023-12-05 to 2024-09-03
9-Chlorohexadecafluoro-3-oxanone-1-sulfonic acid (9Cl-PF3ONS)
- Result
- < 2 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal or state limit; shown for transparency
- Sampled
- 2023-12-05 to 2024-09-03
Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA) (GenX chemicals)
- Result
- < 5 ng/L
- Benchmark
- 10 ng/L federal MCL (2024)
- Sampled
- 2023-12-05 to 2024-09-03
- Result
- Non-Detect (ND)
- Benchmark
- 15 µg/L federal action level
- Sampled
- 2026–2028 monitoring period (still open)
- Result
- < 9 µg/L
- Benchmark
- 10 µg/L EPA health reference level (screening, not a legal limit)Screening level, not a legal limit
- Sampled
- 2023-12-05 to 2024-09-03
N-ethyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid (NEtFOSAA)
- Result
- < 5 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal or state limit; shown for transparency
- Sampled
- 2023-12-05 to 2024-09-03
N-methyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid (NMeFOSAA)
- Result
- < 6 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal or state limit; shown for transparency
- Sampled
- 2023-12-05 to 2024-09-03
Nonafluoro-3,6-dioxaheptanoic acid (NFDHA)
- Result
- < 20 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal or state limit; shown for transparency
- Sampled
- 2023-12-05 to 2024-09-03
Perfluoro (2-ethoxyethane) sulfonic acid (PFEESA)
- Result
- < 3 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal or state limit; shown for transparency
- Sampled
- 2023-12-05 to 2024-09-03
Perfluoro-3-methoxypropanoic acid (PFMPA)
- Result
- < 4 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal or state limit; shown for transparency
- Sampled
- 2023-12-05 to 2024-09-03
Perfluoro-4-methoxybutanoic acid (PFMBA)
- Result
- < 3 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal or state limit; shown for transparency
- Sampled
- 2023-12-05 to 2024-09-03
Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS)
- Result
- < 3 ng/L
- Benchmark
- 2,000 ng/L EPA health advisory (screening, not a legal limit)Screening level, not a legal limit
- Sampled
- 2023-12-05 to 2024-09-03
- Result
- < 5 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal or state limit; shown for transparency
- Sampled
- 2023-12-05 to 2024-09-03
- Result
- < 3 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal or state limit; shown for transparency
- Sampled
- 2023-12-05 to 2024-09-03
Perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA)
- Result
- < 3 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal or state limit; shown for transparency
- Sampled
- 2023-12-05 to 2024-09-03
Perfluoroheptanesulfonic acid (PFHpS)
- Result
- < 3 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal or state limit; shown for transparency
- Sampled
- 2023-12-05 to 2024-09-03
Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA)
- Result
- < 3 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal or state limit; shown for transparency
- Sampled
- 2023-12-05 to 2024-09-03
Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS)
- Result
- < 3 ng/L
- Benchmark
- 10 ng/L federal MCL (2024)
- Sampled
- 2023-12-05 to 2024-09-03
Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA)
- Result
- < 3 ng/L
- Benchmark
- 400,000 ng/L Michigan EGLE state MCL (strictest US state)
- Sampled
- 2023-12-05 to 2024-09-03
- Result
- < 4 ng/L
- Benchmark
- 10 ng/L federal MCL (2024)
- Sampled
- 2023-12-05 to 2024-09-03
Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)
- Result
- < 4 ng/L
- Benchmark
- 4.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024)
- Sampled
- 2023-12-05 to 2024-09-03
- Result
- < 4 ng/L
- Benchmark
- 4.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024)
- Sampled
- 2023-12-05 to 2024-09-03
Perfluoropentanesulfonic acid (PFPeS)
- Result
- < 4 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal or state limit; shown for transparency
- Sampled
- 2023-12-05 to 2024-09-03
Perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTA)
- Result
- < 8 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal or state limit; shown for transparency
- Sampled
- 2023-12-05 to 2024-09-03
Perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA)
- Result
- < 7 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal or state limit; shown for transparency
- Sampled
- 2023-12-05 to 2024-09-03
Perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA)
- Result
- < 2 ng/L
- Benchmark
- No federal or state limit; shown for transparency
- Sampled
- 2023-12-05 to 2024-09-03
Every value is the published result from the cited public record. A reporting limit is the lowest level the method could reliably quantify; a non-detect is not a guarantee of zero.
UCMR5 Analytical Results
UCMR5 Analytical Results: CFPUA-WILMINGTON (NC0465010)
US EPA
State SDWIS Compliance Record
Lead & Copper Rule 90th-percentile: CFPUA-WILMINGTON (NC0465010)
US EPA SDWIS
Methodology: how we analyze water. Prepared with AI assistance and reviewed by the PurityMap Editorial Team before publication.
Something off with your water's smell, color or taste?
Start with the hot-or-cold tap check. Where CFPUA-Wilmington reported something related, it's shown below.
- Rotten-egg smell
- Cloudy or milky water
- Chlorine smell
- Brown or yellow water
- Metallic taste
Lead at CFPUA-Wilmington: not detected (90th percentile, 2026–2028 monitoring period (still open)). Lead has no taste, so a taste neither shows nor rules it out.