Is Gaston, NC tap water safe?
The short answer
3 of the 5 utilities serving Gaston have a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and CDC’s records: Northampton - - Lake Gaston, Northampton - - Gaston and Northampton - - N Gaston.
Roanoke Rapids Sanitary Dist, which serves the most people here, has 1 result above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029. The worst: PFOS at 5.4 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029.
A town can be served by more than one utility, and some homes are on private wells. The name on your water bill tells you which is yours, and your ZIP code narrows it down. They are listed by how many people each serves in Gaston’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
Roanoke Rapids Sanitary Dist
North Carolina · serves 15,768 people · under 100 in Gaston
1 result above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029. The worst: PFOS at 5.4 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Northampton - - Lake Gaston
North Carolina · serves 3,984 people · under 100 in Gaston
1 result above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029. The worst: PFOS at 6.2 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029.
1 health-based violation since 2016
- Open report
Northampton - - Gaston
North Carolina · serves 1,123 people · under 100 in Gaston
Nothing in its records is above a health goal.
1 health-based violation since 2016
- Open report
Timberline Shores
North Carolina · serves 224 people · lists Gaston among the places it serves
2 results above the health goal. The worst: Uranium at 7.4 ppb, above the health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Northampton - - N Gaston
North Carolina · serves 216 people · lists Gaston among the places it serves
Nothing in its records is above a health goal.
1 health-based violation since 2016
What handles it
Each of these is certified, on a certifier’s listing, for a result above a line in Roanoke Rapids Sanitary Dist’s water, which serves the most people here. Another utility’s report names what handles its own results.
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ZeroWater 10 Cup Pitcher (ZP-010)
Pitcher
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53checked Oct. 4, 2026
Certified for: PFOS
Aquasana Claryum Direct Connect (AQ-MF-1)
Under-sink carbon
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 16, 2026
Certified for: PFOS
Express Water StreamLine Direct Connect System (USC001)
Under-sink carbon
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 16, 2026
Certified for: PFOS
Water testing near Gaston
The 3 labs North Carolina certifies closest to Gaston, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Northampton County Health Dept.
Jackson, NC · about 15 miles
Certified for bacteria
Nash County Health Department
Nashville, NC · about 38 miles
Certified for bacteria
Franklin County Health Department
Louisburg, NC · about 42 miles
Certified for bacteria
Which ZIP codes are in Gaston: Census 2020 relationship files. Which utilities serve them, and how many people: EPA SDWIS and EPA’s service area map. Each utility’s results: EPA UCMR 5, EPA SDWIS, and EPA’s and the state’s compliance monitoring, as its report lists them. How they are measured: methodology. Certified labs: North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health, certified drinking water laboratories; distances from the Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation area gazetteer.
Near Gaston
Other towns in Northampton County with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read Roanoke Rapids Sanitary Dist’s full reportEvery result with its dates, the violations, and the certification claim that handles each finding.Open the report
- Filters for PFOSRanked by certification and what they cost over five years.The best water filters for PFAS, ranked
- On a private well?No utility tests a well. A certified lab test is the first step.How to test well water