Richmond County Water Quality: 2 Cities Ranked by the Records
Richmond County, North Carolina: 2 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 2 systems4.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024) · US EPAHighest6.9 ng/L
- HAMLET WATER SYSTEM6.9 ng/LSample date: 2024-07-16 to 2025-06-19
- ROCKINGHAM, CITY OF4.9 ng/LSample date: 2023-02-15 to 2023-11-13
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)Detected in 2 systems4.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024) · US EPAHighest5.7 ng/L
- HAMLET WATER SYSTEM5.7 ng/LSample date: 2024-07-16 to 2025-06-19
- ROCKINGHAM, CITY OF4.4 ng/LSample date: 2023-02-15 to 2023-11-13
Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS)Detected in 2 systems10 ng/L federal MCL (2024) · US EPAHighest3.8 ng/L
- HAMLET WATER SYSTEM3.8 ng/LSample date: 2024-07-16 to 2025-06-19
- ROCKINGHAM, CITY OF3.2 ng/LSample date: 2023-02-15 to 2023-11-13
Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA)Detected in 1 system of 2 tested400,000 ng/L Michigan EGLE state MCL (strictest US state) · Michigan EGLEHighest3.7 ng/L
- ROCKINGHAM, CITY OF3.7 ng/LSample date: 2023-02-15 to 2023-11-13
- HAMLET WATER SYSTEMNot detected · below 3.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2024-07-16 to 2025-06-19
Perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA)Detected in 1 system of 2 testedNo federal or state limit; shown for transparencyHighest4.4 ng/L
- ROCKINGHAM, CITY OF4.4 ng/LSample date: 2023-02-15 to 2023-11-13
- HAMLET WATER SYSTEMNot detected · below 3.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2024-07-16 to 2025-06-19
26 substances tested, none detected in any systemShow
Tested in these 2 systems: HAMLET WATER SYSTEM, ROCKINGHAM, 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)
- Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS)
- Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA)
- Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA)
- Perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA)
- Perfluoroheptanesulfonic acid (PFHpS)
- Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA)
- Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA)
- 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 2 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
- RockinghamROCKINGHAM, CITY OF · NC037701512,510 served
- HamletHAMLET WATER SYSTEM · NC037701010,635 served
Frequently asked
How does Richmond County tap water compare across cities?
PurityMap ranks 2 cities in Richmond 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 Rockingham's main water system: ROCKINGHAM, CITY OF · PWSID NC0377015 · 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 Richmond County cities had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit?
2 of 2 Richmond County city reports had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit in EPA's UCMR 5 testing, including Hamlet (PFOS 6.9 ng/L), Rockingham (PFOS 4.9 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 2.
Is there lead in Richmond County tap water?
Utilities report lead as a 90th-percentile result from home taps. 0 of 2 Richmond 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.
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