States › North Carolina › Polk County

Polk County, NC Water Quality

Water quality data for 3 public water systems serving Polk County, North Carolina — based on EPA SDWIS enforcement records, lead testing results, and health-based violation history.

📅 2026 Report 🔄 Data updated 2026 Q2 📍 3 water systems · 3 cities
✅
Generally Safe — Most Systems Performing Well

The majority of water systems have no active violations and lead levels well below the federal action level.

B

Polk County Earns a B

Polk County: 3 communities across 3 water systems. 66.7% have no open violations.

  • Median lead where detected: 11.00 ppb
  • 1 communities with a lead detection, 2 reporting none detected
  • 0 communities with PFAS above the federal limit
  • 0 with significant inspection deficiencies
  • 66.7% of communities have no open violations
11 ppb
Median Lead Level
County-wide, 90th percentile
3
Water Systems
Active CWS & NTNCWS
66%
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
  • Tryon
    Not detected
    1 health-based violation since 2015
    A
  • Saluda
    11.00 ppb
    Lead at 11.00 ppb, above a third of the action level
    B
  • Columbus
    Not detected
    1 violation currently open
    C
⚠ Needs Attention
  • Columbus
    Not detected
    1 violation currently open
    C
  • Saluda
    11.00 ppb
    Lead at 11.00 ppb, above a third of the action level
    B
  • Tryon
    Not detected
    1 health-based violation since 2015
    A
County Lead Level — Median 11 ppb
Based on most recent 90th percentile lead tests across all reporting systems
0 ppb5 ppb10 ppb15 ppb
County median: 11 ppb — 73.3% of the federal action level
Systems by Lead Level
10 – 15 ppb
1
No Data
2

All Cities in Polk County

Tryon Not detected A
Columbus Not detected C
Saluda 11.00 ppb B
Showing 3 cities
No active violations Active violations

About Polk County Drinking Water

Polk County is served by 3 water systems covering 3 communities. 67% have no open violations.

Of the communities reporting lead results, 1 recorded a detection, with a median of 11.00 ppb — 73% of the federal action level. 2 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 Polk County tap water safe to drink?▼
67% of communities have no open violation. No community has PFAS above the federal limit on record.
What is the lead level in Polk County?▼
Among communities with a detection the median is 11.00 ppb, 73% of the 15 ppb action level. 2 reported none detected and 0 reported no result.
How many water systems serve Polk County?▼
3 community water systems serve 3 communities here.
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