States › Delaware › New Castle County

New Castle County, DE Water Quality

Water quality data for 6 public water systems serving New Castle County, Delaware — based on EPA SDWIS enforcement records, lead testing results, and health-based violation history.

📅 2026 Report 🔄 Data updated 2026 Q2 📍 6 water systems · 25 cities
⚠️
Caution Advised — Some Systems Need Attention

Some systems have elevated lead levels or active violations. Check your specific city below.

C

New Castle County Earns a C

New Castle County: 25 communities across 6 water systems. 100.0% have no open violations.

  • Median lead where detected: 1.00 ppb
  • 21 communities with a lead detection, 4 reporting none detected
  • 23 communities with PFAS above the federal limit
  • 13 with significant inspection deficiencies
  • 100.0% of communities have no open violations
1 ppb
Median Lead Level
County-wide, 90th percentile
6
Water Systems
Active CWS & NTNCWS
100%
Violation-Free
No active violations on record
How we grade counties: MyWaterIQ uses EPA SDWIS enforcement data — actual MCL violations and lead test results — not the aspirational MCLG targets used by some sites. A grade reflects real compliance history, not theoretical risk. Learn more →

Cities by Water Quality

⭐ Best Performing
  • New Castle
    Not detected
    No federal limits exceeded on record
    A
  • Delaware City
    1.00 ppb
    1 significant inspection deficiency
    B
  • Wilmington
    Not detected
    PFAS above the limit at 2 of 2 sampling points
    C
  • Edgemoor
    Not detected
    PFAS above the limit at 2 of 2 sampling points
    C
  • Greenville
    Not detected
    PFAS above the limit at 2 of 2 sampling points
    C
⚠ Needs Attention
  • Newark
    1.00 ppb
    PFAS above the limit at 1 of 2 sampling points
    D
  • Bear
    1.00 ppb
    PFAS above the limit at 3 of 21 sampling points
    D
  • Glasgow
    1.00 ppb
    PFAS above the limit at 3 of 21 sampling points
    D
  • Hockessin
    1.00 ppb
    PFAS above the limit at 3 of 21 sampling points
    D
  • Pike Creek Valley
    1.00 ppb
    PFAS above the limit at 3 of 21 sampling points
    D
County Lead Level — Median 1 ppb
Based on most recent 90th percentile lead tests across all reporting systems
0 ppb5 ppb10 ppb15 ppb
County median: 1 ppb — 6.7% of the federal action level
Systems by Lead Level
Under 5 ppb
21
No Data
4

All Cities in New Castle County

Wilmington Not detected C
Newark 1.00 ppb D
Bear 1.00 ppb D
Glasgow 1.00 ppb D
Brookside 2.00 ppb C
Hockessin 1.00 ppb D
Pike Creek Valley 1.00 ppb D
Claymont 2.00 ppb C
North Star 1.00 ppb D
Pike Creek 1.00 ppb D
Middletown 1.00 ppb D
Wilmington Manor 1.00 ppb D
Edgemoor Not detected C
Elsmere 1.00 ppb D
New Castle Not detected A
Greenville Not detected C
Townsend 1.00 ppb D
Delaware City 1.00 ppb B
St. Georges 2.00 ppb C
Bellefonte 2.00 ppb C
Newport 2.00 ppb C
Arden 2.00 ppb C
Odessa 1.00 ppb D
Ardentown 2.00 ppb C
Ardencroft 2.00 ppb C
Showing 25 cities
No active violations Active violations

About New Castle County Drinking Water

New Castle County is served by 6 water systems covering 25 communities. No community here has an open violation on record.

Of the communities reporting lead results, 21 recorded a detection, with a median of 1.00 ppb — 7% of the federal action level. 4 reported none detected, which means below the laboratory limit rather than an absence of lead.

23 of 25 communities have PFAS above the limits EPA set in 2024, measured as a running annual average at each sampling point. State inspectors recorded significant deficiencies at 13 of them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is New Castle County tap water safe to drink?▼
No community in New Castle County has an open violation on record. 23 of 25 have PFAS above the federal limit, which is the main open concern.
What is the lead level in New Castle County?▼
Among communities with a detection the median is 1.00 ppb, 7% of the 15 ppb action level. 4 reported none detected and 0 reported no result.
How many water systems serve New Castle County?▼
6 community water systems serve 25 communities here.
← Back to Delaware water quality overview