DEQ PFAS Sampling of Public Water Systems

On April 10, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized Maximum Contaminant Levels for six PFAS compounds. These included a limit of 4.0 parts per trillion each for PFOA and PFOS. Public Water systems will have 5 years to meet the MCLs.  

Final PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation details
DEQ press release

North Carolina has nearly 2,000 community systems providing public water to 9.3 million customers. Beginning in 2022, DEQ conducted sampling for multiple PFAS in public water systems across the state to assess the levels of PFAS in public drinking water sources. In late 2022, DEQ’s Division of Water Resources’ Public Water Supply section performed three months of sampling at 50 municipal and county water systems identified in the 2019 PFAST Network study with PFOA/PFOS detections above the minimum reporting level indicated by the 2022 EPA interim health advisories or GenX chemicals above 10ppt. 

Public Water Supply staff sampled more than 530 additional small water systems in 2023 and more than 225 in 2024 that opted into the one-time sampling. 

The maps below include DEQ data on PFAS compounds found across more than 800 public water systems. 

Other public water systems are monitoring for PFAS voluntarily; however, their data is not reflected on this map. DEQ recommends that public water systems share PFAS results with their customers. Customers should contact their specific water provider for more information. Some known sources of information are posted below. 

• Aqua North Carolina sampling results
• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is also in the process of collecting PFAS data from communities across the country as part of the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule 5 process. Find out more here.
• 2019 PFAST Network study 

2023-24 data 
DEQ conducted sampling for PFAS compounds at 533 small water systems across the state in 2023 and 228 in 2024. Data included below includes results for PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, PFHxS and GenX. The rule also regulates mixtures of GenX chemicals, PFNA, PFHxS and PFBS through the use of a Hazard Index calculation.       

Data table - 2023 Small System Sampling 

2022 data 
DEQ conducted PFOA and PFOS sampling at 50 municipal and county water systems over a three-month period in late 2022. The systems were selected for additional sampling based on PFAS detections during the 2019 NC Collaboratory PFAST Network sampling. The full data set is linked below the map.  

Data Table - 2022 Municipal System Sampling PFOA, PFOS, GenX 
Data Table - 2022 Municipal System Sampling 1,4 Dioxane 
ReadMe 

Addressing PFAS

While public water systems have five years to comply with the EPA MCLs, several water systems sampled in 2022 have already taken steps to address PFAS or install treatment. Those include:
Cape Fear Public Utility Authority
Brunswick County Water System
Town of Pittsboro
Town of Maysville

Funding Opportunities for Water Systems

DEQ is utilizing available water infrastructure funding programs, including additional federal funding targeted to address emerging compounds, to support water systems taking actions to reduce PFAS.  A number of public water systems in North Carolina have applied for and received funding for studies or construction projects in the Spring and Fall 2023.

More information on funding opportunities to address emerging contaminants is available here.