Tap Water Quality Report
Tap water quality in Raleigh, North Carolina
Tap water in Raleigh, North Carolina receives a grade of D (67/100) from TapWaterSafety.org. It's served by RALEIGH, CITY OF. The most significant water quality concerns are: PFAS contamination; Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline; Haloacetic acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline; Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) significantly above health guideline. Data sources: EPA SDWIS, EPA ECHO, EWG Tap Water Database.
What's in Raleigh's tap water
Top water quality concerns identified by the EPA and Environmental Working Group across the utility serving Raleigh.
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 19.9 ppb, 332x above the EWG health guideline of 0.06 ppb.
Haloacetic acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernHaloacetic acids (HAA5) detected at 15.7 ppb, 157x above the EWG health guideline of 0.1 ppb.
Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernTotal trihalomethanes (TTHMs) detected at 21.7 ppb, 145x above the EWG health guideline of 0.15 ppb.
EPA compliance record
Official U.S. EPA records for RALEIGH, CITY OF (system ID NC0392010) for the last 3 years. Checked 2026-10-07.
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 Raleigh
Filters matched to the specific contaminants in Raleigh'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 Raleigh'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 |
19.9 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 332× over |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct |
15.7 ppb | 0.1 | 60.0 | 60 | — | — | — | 157× over |
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct |
21.7 ppb | 0.15 | 80.0 | 100 | — | — | — | 145× over |
| Bromodichloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
5.23 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 87× over |
| Dichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
11.4 ppb | 0.2 | — | — | — | — | — | 57× over |
| Trichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
3.9 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 39× over |
| Chloroform Disinfection byproduct |
14.5 ppb | 0.4 | — | — | — | — | — | 36× over |
| Dibromochloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
2.02 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 20× over |
| Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) PFAS |
1.5 ppt | 0.3 | 4.0 | 100 | 100 | 1 | — | 5.0× over |
| Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) PFAS |
0.344 ppt | 0.09 | 4.0 | 100 | 100 | 0.007 | — | 3.8× over |
| Chromium (hexavalent) Heavy metal |
0.056 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | — | — | 2.8× over |
| Dibromoacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
0.0545 ppb | 0.03 | — | — | — | — | — | 1.8× over |
| Chlorate Disinfection byproduct |
230.6 ppb | 210.0 | — | — | — | — | — | 1.1× over |
| Simazine Pesticide/Herbicide |
0.0171 ppb | 0.1 | 4.0 | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Monochloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
0.357 ppb | 53.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorobutanoic Acid (PFBA) PFAS |
3.89 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Manganese Heavy metal |
0.253 ppb | 100.0 | — | 50 | 80 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Monobromoacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
0.0453 ppb | 25.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) PFAS |
1.84 ppt | 2000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluoropentanoic Acid (PFPeA) PFAS |
0.844 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorohexanoic Acid (PFHxA) PFAS |
0.833 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHPA) PFAS |
0.167 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Strontium Radiological |
0.04 ppb | 1500.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Bromide Other |
35.8 ppb | — | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Fluoride Inorganic |
0.638 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 RALEIGH, CITY OF.
General Contact
Treatment Plant
ZIP codes served
Raleigh's public water systems serve the following ZIP codes: