We read 15 results from City of Durham’s 2025 water quality report. No results over a legal limit; 2 above a health goal or guideline.
Serves about 322,083 people · Water system ID NC0332010 · Read the district’s 2025 report (opens in a new tab)
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Results from the 2025 report
Each number is copied from the district’s report and links to the page it’s printed on. Where the report lists several plants, wells or purchased water, the highest is shown.
| Contaminant | Result | Health goal | Legal limit | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PFOA (a PFAS)average · range 2.8 to 5.7 · Treatment plants · 2025 report, page 9 | 3.8 ppt | 0.007 ppt | 4 ppt from 2029 | Above the health goal543x the health goal |
| PFOS (a PFAS)average · range 4.6 to 7.2 · Treatment plants · 2025 report, page 9 | 5.6 ppt | 1 ppt | 4 ppt from 2029 | Above the federal limit that takes effect in 20291.4x the 4 ppt federal limit that takes effect in 2029Not a violation yet: EPA's 4 ppt limit is final, but water systems don't have to meet it until 2029. |
| Chloraminehighest running annual average · range 0.01 to 3 · Distribution system · 2025 report, page 6 | 1.5 ppm | None set | 4 ppm | Below the legal limit |
| Chlorinehighest running annual average · range ND to 2.04 · Distribution system · 2025 report, page 6 | 0.63 ppm | None set | 4 ppm | Below the legal limit |
| Copper90th percentile of homes tested, 0 over the action level · Customer taps · 2025 report, page 6 | 0.11 ppm | 0.3 ppm | 1.3 ppm (action level) | Below the health goal |
| E. colias reported · Distribution system · 2025 report, page 8 | Not detected | 0 positive samples | 0 positive samples | Not detected |
| Fluorideas reported · range 0.67 to 0.77 · Treatment plants · 2025 report, page 7 | 0.7 ppm | 1 ppm | 4 ppm | Below the health goal |
| Lead90th percentile of homes tested, 0 over the action level · Customer taps · 2025 report, page 6 | Not detected | 0.2 ppb | 15 ppb (action level) | Not detected |
| Nitrate (as N)as reported · Treatment plants · 2025 report, page 6 | Not detected | 10 ppm | 10 ppm | Not detected |
| pHas reported · range 7.4 to 7.5 · Treatment plants · 2025 report, page 9 | 7.5 | — | — | Normal range |
| Sulfateas reported · range 47.2 to 71.7 · Treatment plants · 2025 report, page 9 | 56.5 ppm | — | 250 ppm guideline | Within the guideline |
| Turbidity (cloudiness)highest measured · Treatment plants · 2025 report, page 8 | 0.1 NTU | None set | 1 NTU | Below the legal limit |
| PFBA (a PFAS)average · range 2 to 3.5 · Treatment plants · 2025 report, page 9 | 2.2 ppt | None set | None | No health limit |
| PFBS (a PFAS)average · range 3.1 to 7.7 · Treatment plants · 2025 report, page 9 | 5.9 ppt | None set | None | No health limit |
| Sodiumas reported · range 20.2 to 42.2 · Treatment plants · 2025 report, page 9 | 33.9 ppm | None set | None | No health limit |
Utility results describe the whole system, measured where water enters the pipes, not your tap. Your home’s plumbing can add lead or copper. 2 numbers we weren’t sure about are held back until a person checks.
EPA testing for PFAS and lithium
EPA’s own nationwide testing (UCMR 5) found these in City of Durham’s water between Feb 2023 and Nov 2023. These are EPA lab results, separate from the district’s report. Anything not listed was not detected.
- PFOA4.1 pptFound in 1 of 8 samples · highest resultAbove the federal limit that takes effect in 2029 (4 ppt)
- PFOS5.8 pptFound in 7 of 8 samples · highest resultAbove the federal limit that takes effect in 2029 (4 ppt)
- PFBS6.5 pptFound in 7 of 8 samples · highest resultNo federal limit in force for this one
Source: EPA UCMR 5 occurrence data. The highest single result is shown; one high sample doesn’t mean every glass is that high.
What you can do
Nothing here is an emergency notice: if the district has a violation, it must tell customers directly. If you’d like to lower these at your tap, these are the treatments that remove them, and the catalog shows the models certified for each. Ranking is by certified removal; commissions never change the order.
PFAS ("forever chemicals")
Found: PFOA (a PFAS), PFOS (a PFAS), PFOA (EPA testing), PFOS (EPA testing)
What removes it: Reverse osmosis.
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