Water Quality Report · Updated May 12, 2026
WINSTON-SALEM, CITY OF
WINSTON-SALEM, CITY OF delivers tap water graded F (48/100) by TapWaterSafety.org. The utility serves approximately 388,060 residents in CLEMMONS, 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; Haloacetic acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline. For questions, the utility can be reached at 336-397-7727.
Is CLEMMONS tap water safe to drink?
WINSTON-SALEM, CITY OF delivers tap water that earns a grade of F (48/100) from TapWaterSafety.org — a poor rating, with significant contamination concerns and/or recent violations.
The utility serves 388,060 residents in CLEMMONS, drawing from surface water.
Public testing data identifies 16 contaminants in this water above EWG's health-based guidelines, including: Haloacetic acids (HAA9), Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Haloacetic acids (HAA5), Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS), Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), Trichloroacetic acid, Bromodichloromethane, Chloroform, Dichloroacetic acid, Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), Perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA), Perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA), Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), Dibromochloromethane, Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), Chromium (hexavalent). 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 CLEMMONS residents
Top concerns in this water
Based on the most recent EPA and EWG data, these are the most significant water quality issues for WINSTON-SALEM, CITY OF.
PFAS contamination
Severe concernPerfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) 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 31.2 ppb, 521x above the EWG health guideline of 0.06 ppb.
Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernTotal trihalomethanes (TTHMs) detected at 47.2 ppb, 315x above the EWG health guideline of 0.15 ppb.
Haloacetic acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernHaloacetic acids (HAA5) detected at 30.0 ppb, 300x above the EWG health guideline of 0.1 ppb.
Contact WINSTON-SALEM, CITY 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 CLEMMONS
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 48/100 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 |
31.2 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 521× over |
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct |
47.2 ppb | 0.15 | 80.0 | 100 | — | — | — | 315× over |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct |
30.0 ppb | 0.1 | 60.0 | 60 | — | — | — | 300× over |
| Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS) PFAS |
0.247 ppt | 0.001 | 10.0 | — | — | — | — | 247× over |
| Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) PFAS |
1.12 ppt | 0.006 | — | — | — | — | — | 187× over |
| Trichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
11.9 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 119× over |
| Bromodichloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
6.94 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 116× over |
| Chloroform Disinfection byproduct |
39.9 ppb | 0.4 | — | — | — | — | — | 100× over |
| Dichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
17.6 ppb | 0.2 | — | — | — | — | — | 88× over |
| Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) PFAS |
0.173 ppt | 0.006 | 10.0 | — | — | — | — | 29× over |
| Perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA) PFAS |
0.167 ppt | 0.006 | — | — | — | — | — | 28× over |
| Perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA) PFAS |
0.447 ppt | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 7.5× over |
| Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) PFAS |
0.578 ppt | 0.09 | 4.0 | 100 | 100 | 0.007 | — | 6.4× over |
| Dibromochloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
0.39 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 3.9× over |
| Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) PFAS |
0.923 ppt | 0.3 | 4.0 | 100 | 100 | 1 | — | 3.1× over |
| Chromium (hexavalent) Heavy metal |
0.0523 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | — | — | 2.6× over |
| Chlorate Disinfection byproduct |
129.5 ppb | 210.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluoropentane sulfonic acid (PFPeS) PFAS |
0.067 ppt | 1.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Vanadium Other |
0.432 ppb | 21.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Monochloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
0.556 ppb | 53.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Manganese Heavy metal |
0.195 ppb | 100.0 | — | 50 | 80 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluoropentanoic Acid (PFPeA) PFAS |
1.16 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorohexanoic Acid (PFHxA) PFAS |
0.993 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorobutanoic Acid (PFBA) PFAS |
0.587 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHPA) PFAS |
0.4 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Strontium Radiological |
0.0443 ppb | 1500.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Fluoride Inorganic |
0.766 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.
WINSTON-SALEM, CITY OF service area
This water system serves 1 community in Forsyth County, North Carolina. Click any city for its dedicated tap water quality page.
Find the right filter for CLEMMONS water
Browse filter categories by water-quality concern. Each option below is NSF-certified for the matched contaminant type.