Is Wilmington, NC tap water safe?
The short answer
3 of the 7 utilities serving Wilmington have a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and CDC’s records: The Cape Master System, Figure 8 Island and Oyster Point S/D.
Cfpua - Wilmington, which serves the most people here, has nothing above a health goal in EPA’s and CDC’s records. That data covers what its report lists, not everything.
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 Wilmington’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
Cfpua - Wilmington
North Carolina · serves 212,227 people · about 82,100 in Wilmington
Nothing in its records is above a health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
The Cape Master System
North Carolina · serves 11,587 people · about 4,900 in Wilmington
1 result above the legal limit, 1 result above the health goal and 1 result above EPA’s health benchmark. The worst: Total trihalomethanes (TTHM) at 59 ppb, above the legal limit.
6 health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Glynnwood MHP
North Carolina · serves 208 people · about 160 in Wilmington
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 2.0 ppb, above the health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
South Ridge MHP
North Carolina · serves 115 people · under 100 in Wilmington
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 6.0 ppb, above the health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Figure 8 Island
North Carolina · serves 999 people · lists Wilmington among the places it serves
Nothing in its records is above a health goal.
1 health-based violation since 2016
- Open report
Oyster Point S/D
North Carolina · serves 99 people · lists Wilmington among the places it serves
Nothing in its records is above a health goal.
2 health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Mason Landing S/D
North Carolina · serves 61 people · lists Wilmington among the places it serves
Nothing in its records is above a health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
Water testing near Wilmington
The 3 labs North Carolina certifies closest to Wilmington, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Cape Fear Analytical, LLC
Wilmington, NC · about 4 miles
Certified for organic chemicals
Environmental Chemists, Inc.
Wilmington, NC · about 4 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, lead and copper, metals, minerals and other inorganics, organic chemicals, disinfection byproducts, radioactivity
Onterris Laboratories, LLC- Wilmington
Wilmington, NC · about 4 miles
Certified for PFAS
Which ZIP codes are in Wilmington: 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 Wilmington
Other towns in New Hanover County with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read Cfpua - Wilmington’s full reportEvery result with its dates, the violations, and the certification claim that handles each finding.Open the report
- Decide if you want a filter at allA filter for taste or chlorine is a preference, not a need. The standards say what each kind can do.NSF/ANSI standards, decoded
- On a private well?No utility tests a well. A certified lab test is the first step.How to test well water