Cabarrus County Water Quality: 3 Cities Ranked by the Records
Cabarrus County, North Carolina: 3 city reports built from EPA and utility records. A county has many suppliers; each city shows the system that serves it.
Highest result for each contaminant
One row per contaminant: the highest result any system in the county reported, against its limit. Open a row for the systems behind it.
Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)Detected in 3 systems4.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024) · US EPAHighest10.3 ng/L
- HARRISBURG, TOWN OF10.3 ng/LSample date: 2025-01-13 to 2025-10-15
- CONCORD, CITY OF9.1 ng/LSample date: 2024-10-23 to 2025-07-01
- KANNAPOLIS, CITY OF5.4 ng/LSample date: 2024-03-13 to 2024-12-04
Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS)Detected in 2 systems of 3 tested10 ng/L federal MCL (2024) · US EPAHighest5 ng/L
- CONCORD, CITY OF5 ng/LSample date: 2024-10-23 to 2025-07-01
- HARRISBURG, TOWN OF4.9 ng/LSample date: 2025-01-13 to 2025-10-15
- KANNAPOLIS, CITY OFNot detected · below 3.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2024-03-13 to 2024-12-04
Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS)Detected in 1 system of 3 tested2,000 ng/L EPA health advisory (screening, not a legal limit) · US EPAHighest4.2 ng/L
- HARRISBURG, TOWN OF4.2 ng/LSample date: 2025-01-13 to 2025-10-15
- CONCORD, CITY OFNot detected · below 3.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2024-10-23 to 2025-07-01
- KANNAPOLIS, CITY OFNot detected · below 3.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2024-03-13 to 2024-12-04
Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA)Detected in 1 system of 3 tested400,000 ng/L Michigan EGLE state MCL (strictest US state) · Michigan EGLEHighest3.3 ng/L
- HARRISBURG, TOWN OF3.3 ng/LSample date: 2025-01-13 to 2025-10-15
- CONCORD, CITY OFNot detected · below 3.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2024-10-23 to 2025-07-01
- KANNAPOLIS, CITY OFNot detected · below 3.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2024-03-13 to 2024-12-04
Perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA)Detected in 1 system of 3 testedNo federal or state limit; shown for transparencyHighest4.1 ng/L
- HARRISBURG, TOWN OF4.1 ng/LSample date: 2025-01-13 to 2025-10-15
- CONCORD, CITY OFNot detected · below 3.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2024-10-23 to 2025-07-01
- KANNAPOLIS, CITY OFNot detected · below 3.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2024-03-13 to 2024-12-04
26 substances tested, none detected in any systemShow
Tested in these 3 systems: CONCORD, CITY OF, HARRISBURG, TOWN OF, KANNAPOLIS, CITY OF
- 11-Chloroeicosafluoro-3-oxaundecane-1-sulfonic acid (11Cl-PF3OUdS)
- 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorodecane sulfonic acid (8:2 FTS)
- 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (4:2 FTS)
- 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (6:2 FTS)
- 4,8-Dioxa-3H-perfluorononanoic acid (ADONA)
- 9-Chlorohexadecafluoro-3-oxanone-1-sulfonic acid (9Cl-PF3ONS)
- Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA) (GenX chemicals)
- Lead (90th percentile)
- Lithium
- N-ethyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid (NEtFOSAA)
- N-methyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid (NMeFOSAA)
- Nonafluoro-3,6-dioxaheptanoic acid (NFDHA)
- Perfluoro (2-ethoxyethane) sulfonic acid (PFEESA)
- Perfluoro-3-methoxypropanoic acid (PFMPA)
- Perfluoro-4-methoxybutanoic acid (PFMBA)
- Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA)
- Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA)
- Perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA)
- Perfluoroheptanesulfonic acid (PFHpS)
- Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA)
- Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA)
- Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)
- Perfluoropentanesulfonic acid (PFPeS)
- Perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTA)
- Perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA)
- Perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA)
Cities ranked by the records
Ranked by the Purity Score of each city's main water system, highest first. Scores belong to water systems; there is no county score. The score is computed only from contaminants measured in the published EPA record, so this ranks the record, not which city's water is safest. How the score works.
0of 3 cities above the 15 µg/L action level
Based on each system's 90th-percentile result. Lead from household plumbing isn't in this record.
Lead in North CarolinaLargest water systems
- ConcordCONCORD, CITY OF · NC0113010120,771 served
- KannapolisKANNAPOLIS, CITY OF · NC018006556,050 served
- HarrisburgHARRISBURG, TOWN OF · NC011302520,549 served
Frequently asked
How does Cabarrus County tap water compare across cities?
PurityMap ranks 3 cities in Cabarrus County by the Purity Score of each city's main water system, computed only from contaminants measured in the published EPA record. Scores belong to water systems, not to cities. The highest published score is Kannapolis's main water system: KANNAPOLIS, CITY OF · PWSID NC0180065 · Purity Score 68 (Fair) · Confidence: moderate · Assessed at the water-system level. The ranking compares the records, not which city's water is safest, and your own tap can differ with household plumbing.
How many Cabarrus County cities had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit?
3 of 3 Cabarrus County city reports had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit in EPA's UCMR 5 testing, including Harrisburg (PFOS 10.3 ng/L), Concord (PFOS 9.1 ng/L), Kannapolis (PFOS 5.4 ng/L). That limit is judged on a yearly average, and water systems have until 2029 to meet it, so a single sample is not a violation. PFAS were detected at any level in 3.
Is there lead in Cabarrus County tap water?
Utilities report lead as a 90th-percentile result from home taps. 0 of 3 Cabarrus County cities reported a value above zero, and none was above the 15 µg/L federal action level. Lead usually comes from a building's own pipes and fixtures, so only a test at your tap tells you what you drink.
Have Cabarrus County water systems had drinking-water violations?
1 city in Cabarrus County has a health-based violation in the federal SDWIS record within about the last ten years. Each city report lists the contaminant, year and whether it was resolved.
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