States › North Carolina › New Hanover County

New Hanover County, NC Water Quality

Water quality data for 5 public water systems serving New Hanover County, North Carolina — based on EPA SDWIS enforcement records, lead testing results, and health-based violation history.

📅 2026 Report 🔄 Data updated 2026 Q2 📍 5 water systems · 18 cities
✅
Excellent — All Systems Performing Well

Water quality across the county is outstanding with minimal violations and very low lead levels.

A

New Hanover County Earns a A

New Hanover County: 18 communities across 5 water systems. 100.0% have no open violations.

  • Median lead where detected: 5.00 ppb
  • 3 communities with a lead detection, 15 reporting none detected
  • 0 communities with PFAS above the federal limit
  • 0 with significant inspection deficiencies
  • 100.0% of communities have no open violations
5 ppb
Median Lead Level
County-wide, 90th percentile
5
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
  • Wilmington
    Not detected
    No federal limits exceeded on record
    A
  • Murraysville
    Not detected
    No federal limits exceeded on record
    A
  • Kings Grant
    Not detected
    No federal limits exceeded on record
    A
  • Porters Neck
    Not detected
    No federal limits exceeded on record
    A
  • Myrtle Grove
    Not detected
    No federal limits exceeded on record
    A
⚠ Needs Attention
  • Carolina Beach
    5.70 ppb
    Copper above the 1,300 ppb action level
    C
  • Wrightsville Beach
    Not detected
    Copper above the 1,300 ppb action level
    C
  • Sea Breeze
    3.00 ppb
    6 health-based violations since 2015
    B
  • Kure Beach
    5.00 ppb
    1 health-based violation since 2015
    B
  • Wilmington
    Not detected
    No federal limits exceeded on record
    A
County Lead Level — Median 5 ppb
Based on most recent 90th percentile lead tests across all reporting systems
0 ppb5 ppb10 ppb15 ppb
County median: 5 ppb — 33.3% of the federal action level
Systems by Lead Level
Under 5 ppb
1
5 – 10 ppb
2
No Data
15

All Cities in New Hanover County

Wilmington Not detected A
Murraysville Not detected A
Kings Grant Not detected A
Porters Neck Not detected A
Myrtle Grove Not detected A
Ogden Not detected A
Silver Lake Not detected A
Carolina Beach 5.70 ppb C
Wrightsboro Not detected A
Bayshore Not detected A
Northchase Not detected A
Wrightsville Beach Not detected C
Sea Breeze 3.00 ppb B
Kure Beach 5.00 ppb B
Skippers Corner Not detected A
Hightsville Not detected A
Castle Hayne Not detected A
Blue Clay Farms Not detected A
Showing 18 cities
No active violations Active violations

About New Hanover County Drinking Water

New Hanover County is served by 5 water systems covering 18 communities. No community here has an open violation on record.

Of the communities reporting lead results, 3 recorded a detection, with a median of 5.00 ppb — 33% of the federal action level. 15 reported none detected, which means below the laboratory limit rather than an absence of lead.

No community here has PFAS above the federal limit on record. State inspectors recorded no significant deficiencies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is New Hanover County tap water safe to drink?▼
No community in New Hanover County has an open violation on record. No community has PFAS above the federal limit on record.
What is the lead level in New Hanover County?▼
Among communities with a detection the median is 5.00 ppb, 33% of the 15 ppb action level. 15 reported none detected and 0 reported no result.
How many water systems serve New Hanover County?▼
5 community water systems serve 18 communities here.
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