Is Selma, NC tap water safe?
The short answer
4 of the 7 utilities serving Selma have a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and CDC’s records: Town of Selma, Town of Smithfield, Town of Pine Level and 1 more.
Town of Selma, which serves the most people here, has 2 results above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029. The worst: PFOS at 11 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 Selma’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
Town of Selma
North Carolina · serves 6,190 people · about 320 in Selma
2 results above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029. The worst: PFOS at 11 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029.
1 health-based violation since 2016
- Open report
Buffalo Creek S/D
North Carolina · serves 721 people · about 310 in Selma
Nothing in its records is above a health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Town of Smithfield
North Carolina · serves 12,900 people · under 100 in Selma
2 results above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029. The worst: PFOS at 7.7 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029.
1 health-based violation since 2016
- Open report
Johnston Co - West
North Carolina · serves 99,027 people · under 100 in Selma
2 results above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029. The worst: PFOS at 14.1 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Town of Pine Level
North Carolina · serves 2,413 people · under 100 in Selma
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 1.4 ppb, above the health goal.
1 health-based violation since 2016
- Open report
Paceville S/D
North Carolina · serves 58 people · under 100 in Selma
Nothing in its records is above a health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Selma, Town of (County Line)
North Carolina · serves 642 people · lists Selma among the places it serves
1 result above the legal limit and 2 results above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029. The worst: Total trihalomethanes (TTHM) at 65.5 ppb, above the legal limit.
3 health-based violations since 2016
What handles it
Each of these is certified, on a certifier’s listing, for a result above a line in Town of Selma’s water, which serves the most people here. Another utility’s report names what handles its own results.
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PUR PLUS 11-Cup Pitcher (PPT111W)
Pitcher
- NSF listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
Certified for: PFOS, PFHxS
Culligan 10-Cup Pitcher with ZeroWater Technology (ZEROP10)
Pitcher
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 9, 2026
Certified for: PFOS, PFHxS
Water testing near Selma
The 3 labs North Carolina certifies closest to Selma, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Wake County Human Services-Public Health Ctr.
Raleigh, NC · about 20 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, metals, minerals and other inorganics
NC State Lab of Public Health
Raleigh, NC · about 31 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, lead and copper, metals, minerals and other inorganics, organic chemicals, disinfection byproducts, radioactivity
Eurofins Built Env. Testing East - Cary
Cary, NC · about 32 miles
Certified for asbestos
Which ZIP codes are in Selma: 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 Selma
Other towns in Johnston County with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read Town of Selma’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