Tap Water Quality Report
Tap water quality in APEX, North Carolina
Tap water in APEX, North Carolina receives a grade of D (61/100) from TapWaterSafety.org. It's served by APEX, TOWN OF. 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. Data sources: EPA SDWIS, EPA ECHO, EWG Tap Water Database.
What's in APEX's tap water
Top water quality concerns identified by the EPA and Environmental Working Group across the utility serving APEX.
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 24.7 ppb, 412x above the EWG health guideline of 0.06 ppb.
Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernTotal trihalomethanes (TTHMs) detected at 35.5 ppb, 237x above the EWG health guideline of 0.15 ppb.
Bromodichloromethane significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernBromodichloromethane detected at 12.3 ppb, 205x above the EWG health guideline of 0.06 ppb.
EPA compliance record
Official U.S. EPA records for APEX, TOWN OF (system ID NC0392045) for the last 3 years. Checked 2026-10-07.
| Rule | Type | Since | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule | Missed testing or reporting | 07/01/2024 | Resolved |
Source: U.S. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO), from the Safe Drinking Water Information System. See EPA's full report.
Recommended filters for APEX
Filters matched to the specific contaminants in APEX's water supply.
Filter certified for PFOA/PFOS (NSF/ANSI 53 or 58)
$180-$750Reverse osmosis and some carbon block filters reduce PFAS. Look for certification to NSF/ANSI 53 or 58 for PFOA/PFOS.
Carbon filter certified for VOCs (NSF/ANSI 53)
$180-$599Activated carbon is effective for disinfection byproducts. Look for NSF/ANSI 53 VOC reduction.
Disclosure: TapWaterSafety earns a commission from purchases made through these links. This does not influence our scoring methodology or filter selection.
All contaminants detected in APEX's tap water
Every contaminant identified, compared side-by-side against US EPA legal limits, the EU Drinking Water Directive (2020/2184), WHO Guidelines, and California's Public Health Goal. 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 |
24.7 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 412× over |
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct |
35.5 ppb | 0.15 | 80.0 | 100 | — | — | — | 237× over |
| Bromodichloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
12.3 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 205× over |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct |
15.2 ppb | 0.1 | 60.0 | 60 | — | — | — | 152× over |
| Dibromoacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
3.9 ppb | 0.03 | — | — | — | — | — | 130× over |
| Dibromochloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
10.8 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 108× over |
| Dichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
8.18 ppb | 0.2 | — | — | — | — | — | 41× over |
| Bromate* Disinfection byproduct |
3.49 ppb | 0.1 | 10.0 | 10 | 10 | 0.1 | — | 35× over |
| Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)* PFAS |
2.86 ppt | 0.09 | 4.0 | 100 | 100 | 0.007 | — | 32× over |
| Trichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
2.61 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 26× over |
| Chloroform Disinfection byproduct |
10.0 ppb | 0.4 | — | — | — | — | — | 25× over |
| Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS)* PFAS |
3.79 ppt | 0.3 | 4.0 | 100 | 100 | 1 | — | 13× over |
| Bromoform Disinfection byproduct |
2.31 ppb | 0.5 | — | — | — | — | — | 4.6× over |
| 1,4-Dioxane Semi-volatile organic compound |
0.763 ppb | 0.35 | — | — | 50 | 1 | — | 2.2× over |
| Chlorate Disinfection byproduct |
112.8 ppb | 210.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Chromium (hexavalent) Heavy metal |
0.00875 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluoro-2-methyl-3-oxahexanoic acid (GenX) * PFAS |
0.208 ppt | 1.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Monobromoacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
0.513 ppb | 25.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Manganese Heavy metal |
1.53 ppb | 100.0 | — | 50 | 80 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluoropentanoic Acid (PFPeA) PFAS |
5.38 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorohexanoic Acid (PFHxA) PFAS |
4.38 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorobutanoic Acid (PFBA) PFAS |
4.13 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHPA)* PFAS |
2.56 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Vanadium Other |
0.05 ppb | 21.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Monochloroacetic acid* Disinfection byproduct |
0.0271 ppb | 53.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) PFAS |
1.0 ppt | 2000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Strontium Radiological |
0.064 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, California OEHHA PHGs, EWG Tap Water Database.
Treatment plant contact info
For service issues, water quality concerns, or to request a Consumer Confidence Report from APEX, TOWN OF.