Water Quality Report · Updated May 12, 2026
CARY, TOWN OF
CARY, TOWN OF delivers tap water graded D (55/100) by TapWaterSafety.org. The utility serves approximately 224,000 residents in CARY, North Carolina using surface water. The most significant water quality concerns are: PFAS contamination; Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline; Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) significantly above health guideline; Bromodichloromethane significantly above health guideline. For questions, the utility can be reached at 919-469-4303.
Is CARY tap water safe to drink?
CARY, TOWN OF delivers tap water that earns a grade of D (55/100) from TapWaterSafety.org — a below-average rating, with multiple concerns including pfas contamination.
The utility serves 224,000 residents in CARY, drawing from surface water.
Public testing data identifies 13 contaminants in this water above EWG's health-based guidelines, including: Haloacetic acids (HAA9), Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Bromodichloromethane, Haloacetic acids (HAA5), Dibromochloromethane, Dibromoacetic acid, Bromate, Dichloroacetic acid, Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), Trichloroacetic acid, Chloroform, Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), Bromoform. For most residents, a properly certified home filter at the kitchen tap is the most cost-effective way to reduce exposure to whatever's in your water. See our filter recommendations below, matched specifically to this utility's contaminant profile.
Quick actions for CARY residents
Top concerns in this water
Based on the most recent EPA and EWG data, these are the most significant water quality issues for CARY, TOWN OF.
PFAS contamination
Severe concernPerfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) detected. PFAS are persistent chemicals linked to cancer and immune effects with no known safe exposure threshold.
Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernHaloacetic acids (HAA9) detected at 27.5 ppb, 458x above the EWG health guideline of 0.06 ppb.
Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernTotal trihalomethanes (TTHMs) detected at 38.2 ppb, 255x above the EWG health guideline of 0.15 ppb.
Bromodichloromethane significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernBromodichloromethane detected at 12.9 ppb, 215x above the EWG health guideline of 0.06 ppb.
Contact CARY, TOWN OF
Reach the utility directly for service issues, water quality concerns, or to request your Consumer Confidence Report.
General Contact
Treatment Plant
Recommended water filters for CARY
Filters matched to the specific contaminants in this water supply.
Reverse Osmosis or NSF P473 certified carbon
$80-$750Activated carbon and RO are the only technologies proven to remove PFAS at certified levels.
Carbon block (NSF/ANSI 42 + 53)
$40-$750Activated carbon is highly effective for disinfection byproducts like TTHM and HAA5.
Disclosure: TapWaterSafety earns a commission from purchases made through these links. This does not influence our scoring methodology or filter selection.
Score breakdown
This utility's overall score of 55/100 breaks down across five weighted components. Read the full methodology →
Contaminants detected — international standards comparison
Every contaminant detected, compared side-by-side against US EPA legal limits, the EU Drinking Water Directive (2020/2184), WHO Guidelines, and California's Public Health Goal (the strictest US benchmark). Why we show multiple standards →
| Contaminant | Detected | EWG US health-based |
EPA US legal |
EU DWD Europe |
WHO global |
CA PHG strictest US |
Tested sample year |
Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haloacetic acids (HAA9) Disinfection byproduct |
27.5 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 458× over |
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct |
38.2 ppb | 0.15 | 80.0 | 100 | — | — | — | 255× over |
| Bromodichloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
12.9 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 215× over |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct |
13.5 ppb | 0.1 | 60.0 | 60 | — | — | — | 135× over |
| Dibromochloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
12.4 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 124× over |
| Dibromoacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
3.0 ppb | 0.03 | — | — | — | — | — | 100× over |
| Bromate Disinfection byproduct |
3.49 ppb | 0.1 | 10.0 | 10 | 10 | 0.1 | — | 35× over |
| Dichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
6.79 ppb | 0.2 | — | — | — | — | — | 34× over |
| Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) PFAS |
2.86 ppt | 0.09 | 4.0 | 100 | 100 | 0.007 | — | 32× over |
| Trichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
3.08 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 31× over |
| Chloroform Disinfection byproduct |
9.54 ppb | 0.4 | — | — | — | — | — | 24× over |
| Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) PFAS |
3.79 ppt | 0.3 | 4.0 | 100 | 100 | 1 | — | 13× over |
| Bromoform Disinfection byproduct |
3.23 ppb | 0.5 | — | — | — | — | — | 6.5× over |
| Chromium (hexavalent) Heavy metal |
0.015 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Chlorate Disinfection byproduct |
108.9 ppb | 210.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| 1,4-Dioxane Semi-volatile organic compound |
0.167 ppb | 0.35 | — | — | 50 | 1 | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluoro-2-methyl-3-oxahexanoic acid (GenX) PFAS |
0.208 ppt | 1.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Manganese Heavy metal |
2.65 ppb | 100.0 | — | 50 | 80 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Monobromoacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
0.574 ppb | 25.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorobutanoic Acid (PFBA) PFAS |
10.0 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluoropentanoic Acid (PFPeA) PFAS |
10.0 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorohexanoic Acid (PFHxA) PFAS |
7.7 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Vanadium Other |
0.0625 ppb | 21.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHPA) PFAS |
2.56 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Monochloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
0.0271 ppb | 53.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Strontium Radiological |
0.0613 ppb | 1500.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Fluoride Inorganic |
0.68 ppm | — | 4.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 | — | — | Below guideline |
All values in the unit of the detected level. Red cells indicate the detected level exceeds that standard. Some contaminants have limits in some jurisdictions but not others (shown as —). The "Tested" column shows the year each contaminant sample was collected.
Sources: US EPA, EU Drinking Water Directive 2020/2184, WHO Guidelines (4th ed.), California OEHHA PHGs, EWG Tap Water Database.
CARY, TOWN OF service area
This water system serves 1 community in Wake County, North Carolina. Click any city for its dedicated tap water quality page.
Find the right filter for CARY water
Browse filter categories by water-quality concern. Each option below is NSF-certified for the matched contaminant type.