This interactive digital map lets you explore and analyze geographic information about our drinking water. The map contains “layers” that you can turn on and off to control what is displayed. The Legend shows available layers and the values or information that each color in a layer corresponds to.

Each layer contains information that will show up on the map as colored areas. When you click on one of these, a box will pop up with more detailed information about that area for whatever layers you have turned on (e.g., the name of the water utility, number of people served by a well, etc.). Some will have links you can visit for additional information (e.g., annual water quality reports).

Public Water Systems– This layer shows the service areas covered by public drinking water systems throughout the state. You’ll notice that these do not always follow city or county boundaries. Some cities are served by multiple water service providers, and some water service providers serve multiple cities. The popups for this layer show the latest water quality report and PFAS testing data when available. We are working to add every municipality in North Carolina but there are cases where the report won’t be available. Unfortunately, not every city provides these reports publicly or they do not update them each year. If you have questions or wish to see your report added sooner than later, please reach out to Nathan Dunn (ncdunn@ncsu.edu). He will expedite the process for your municipality on request.

We know there is interest in other information about your water so we are intending to add additional layers on water bodies, private wells, and wastewater discharge.

It is not unusual for drinking water to contain a small level of contaminants that should not pose any risks to human health. For some chemicals, the US Environmental Protection Agency sets limits on the amount of certain contaminants that can be in drinking water to minimize health risks. Currently, the US EPA has legally enforceable standards for over 90 regulated contaminants in drinking water.
Click here for more information on federal drinking water regulations. 

Under the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, the US EPA requires that water systems monitor for a number of unregulated contaminants that are in commercial use,may be harmful to health, and are of interest to the public (e.g. PFAS). Currently, there are 30 unregulated contaminants, including 29 PFAS, covered by this rule. There are no legally enforceable limits for these contaminants, but measuring them helps the EPA document their occurrence and determine if future regulations are needed.
Click here for more information on the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule. 

As part of the Safe Drinking Water Act, public water systems are required to produce a water quality report, also known as a “consumer confidence report,” each year. The US Environmental Protection Agency and North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality set rules on what information must be collected and shared in each report. Each report contains information on where your drinking water comes from (source water), contaminants measured, compliance with drinking water standards, and other educational information about that water system. In North Carolina, water providers routinely monitor for over 150 contaminants, but not all of those will be detected and thus not shared in an annual report.
Click here for a template of a 2025 North Carolina report. 

Only public water systems are required to produce water quality reports, and these do not cover private wells. There are different rules depending on how many people are served by a water system; larger systems that serve 100,000 people or more must make their reports publicly available online. Drinking water systems that serve fewer than 100,000 people must share annual reports with their customers, but are not required to make the reports publicly available. As such, this dashboard includes information that we are able to access, meaning many smaller water systems may not be represented.
Click here for more information on how annual reports must be distributed and shared in North Carolina. 

Protecting our drinking water is everyone’s responsibility. Sources of drinking water include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. Understanding where your drinking water comes from and potential sources of contamination (source water awareness) can help inform how you can take action to protect water quality. 

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a nonprofit organization focused on research and advocacy related to chemicals in our homes and environment. The information that EWG compiles may help you make more informed decisions as a consumer. Click here to see EWG’s Tap Water Database for North Carolina, which will give you information on public water systems, contaminants, at-home filter options, and opportunities for advocacy. 

Throughout North Carolina, Waterkeepers work to protect our drinking water, using research and advocacy to ensure we have clean and healthy lakes, rivers, and beaches.
Click here to find your local Waterkeeper. For more information on how you can get involved locally, click here.