Tap Water Quality Report
Tap water quality in CARY, North Carolina
Tap water in CARY, North Carolina receives a grade of F (58/100) from TapWaterSafety.org. It's served by CARY, 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 CARY's tap water
Top water quality concerns identified by the EPA and Environmental Working Group across the utility serving CARY.
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.
EPA compliance record
Official U.S. EPA records for CARY, TOWN OF (system ID NC0392020) for the last 3 years. Checked 2026-10-07.
| Rule | Type | Since | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revised Total Coliform Rule | Contaminant above the legal limit | 05/01/2023 | Resolved |
| Public Notice Rule and Revised PN Rule | Other (e.g. public notice) | 05/10/2023 | 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 CARY
Filters matched to the specific contaminants in CARY'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 CARY'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 |
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, 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 CARY, TOWN OF.