Tap Water Quality Report
Tap water quality in CARRBORO, North Carolina
Tap water in CARRBORO, North Carolina receives a grade of F (55/100) from TapWaterSafety.org. It's served by ORANGE WATER & SEWER AUTHORITY. The most significant water quality concerns are: PFAS contamination; Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline; Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) significantly above health guideline; Haloacetic acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline. Data sources: EPA SDWIS, EPA ECHO, EWG Tap Water Database.
What's in CARRBORO's tap water
Top water quality concerns identified by the EPA and Environmental Working Group across the utility serving CARRBORO.
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 13.8 ppb, 229x above the EWG health guideline of 0.06 ppb.
Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernTotal trihalomethanes (TTHMs) detected at 21.2 ppb, 141x above the EWG health guideline of 0.15 ppb.
Haloacetic acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernHaloacetic acids (HAA5) detected at 11.4 ppb, 114x above the EWG health guideline of 0.1 ppb.
Recommended filters for CARRBORO
Filters matched to the specific contaminants in CARRBORO's 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.
All contaminants detected in CARRBORO'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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) PFAS |
8.92 ppt | 0.09 | 4.0 | 100 | 100 | 0.007 | — | EPA violation |
| Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) PFAS |
4.9 ppt | 0.3 | 4.0 | 100 | 100 | 1 | — | EPA violation |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA9) Disinfection byproduct |
13.8 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 229× over |
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct |
21.2 ppb | 0.15 | 80.0 | 100 | — | — | — | 141× over |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct |
11.4 ppb | 0.1 | 60.0 | 60 | — | — | — | 114× over |
| Bromodichloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
5.45 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 91× over |
| Dichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
7.8 ppb | 0.2 | — | — | — | — | — | 39× over |
| Chloroform Disinfection byproduct |
13.5 ppb | 0.4 | — | — | — | — | — | 34× over |
| Trichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
3.31 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 33× over |
| Dibromochloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
1.94 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 19× over |
| Chlorate Disinfection byproduct |
440.0 ppb | 210.0 | — | — | — | — | — | 2.1× over |
| Chromium (hexavalent) Heavy metal |
0.04 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | — | — | 2.0× over |
| Nitrate and nitrite Inorganic |
0.19 ppm | 0.14 | 10.0 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | — | 1.4× over |
| Dibromoacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
0.0406 ppb | 0.03 | — | — | — | — | — | 1.4× over |
| Nitrate Inorganic |
0.127 ppm | 0.14 | 10.0 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | — | Below guideline |
| Bromoform Disinfection byproduct |
0.0454 ppb | 0.5 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Monochloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
0.305 ppb | 53.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Manganese Heavy metal |
0.189 ppb | 100.0 | — | 50 | 80 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Strontium Radiological |
0.0623 ppb | 1500.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Fluoride Inorganic |
0.517 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 ORANGE WATER & SEWER AUTHORITY.