Does Raleigh, NC Water Have PFAS in It?

Triangle Waterworks · informational guide

Direct answer: Yes — Raleigh Water's own 2025 testing found PFOS between 1.15 and 2.98 parts per trillion and PFOA between 2.21 and 2.94 ppt in finished water, every result under the EPA's 4.0 ppt limit. Detectable but compliant is exactly the case for the carbon side of an all-in-one system: it removes what's still measurably present rather than relying on staying under a legal number.

Does Raleigh, NC Water Have PFAS in It?

Yes, in measurable but low amounts, and Raleigh Water is transparent about it. The utility's PFAS page states its concentrations "have usually ranged from non-detectable to 4 ppt (PFOA) and non-detectable to 5.5 ppt (PFOS) and from non-detectable to 3.5 ppt (PFBS)," based on monitoring going back to 2013. That's a multi-year range, not a single current reading — the more useful number is Raleigh's most recent full-year data, covered below.

PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are sometimes called "forever chemicals" because they don't break down naturally in the environment or in the body. They're used in nonstick coatings, firefighting foam, and industrial processes, and they've made their way into surface water sources across the country, including the Triangle's.

How Much PFAS Is Actually in Raleigh's Water Right Now?

Raleigh Water's 2025 Perfluorinated Compounds Data Results show finished water at both treatment plants running PFOS at 1.15 to 2.98 ppt and PFOA at 2.21 to 2.94 ppt across all four quarters of testing. Both compounds carry an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of 4.0 ppt, and every single quarterly result for both plants came in under that limit.

The same report also measured PFBS at 2.58 to 3.14 ppt and PFHxS at non-detect to 0.996 ppt, neither of which has a federal MCL. PFNA and GenX were non-detect in finished water across the year. Raleigh states its Hazard Index running annual average does not exceed 1, the threshold EPA uses to combine multiple PFAS compounds into a single compliance measure, and reports no violation for the year.

Is Raleigh's PFAS Level Safe to Drink?

Legally, yes — every result is compliant with EPA's regulatory limits, and Raleigh Water isn't violating anything. That compliance is real and should be taken at face value.

But "under the legal limit" and "not present" are two different things. PFOS and PFOA showed up in every single quarter of 2025 testing at both Raleigh plants — the compounds are consistently there, just at levels the EPA currently allows. A carbon stage certified for PFAS removal addresses what's actually in the water, rather than leaving a homeowner to rely on staying under a number the utility itself doesn't control.

Does Boiling Water Remove PFAS?

No — boiling does not remove PFAS, and it can actually concentrate it. PFAS compounds don't evaporate with the water the way some other contaminants do; as water boils off, the PFAS that was dissolved in it becomes more concentrated in what's left behind, not less. Boiling is a good response to biological contamination, but it does nothing for forever chemicals and can make the PFAS reading in that glass worse, not better.

What Actually Removes PFAS From Raleigh Tap Water?

Two treatment approaches are certified to remove PFAS: activated carbon certified to NSF/ANSI 53 or P473, and reverse osmosis certified to NSF/ANSI 58. Softening resin alone does neither — a softener is ion exchange for calcium and magnesium, and it has no mechanism for pulling PFAS out of water at all.

That's the case for an all-in-one system's carbon stage specifically: it's built to address exactly what softening resin can't touch, in the same install that handles hardness.

Does Raleigh's Water Have Other Issues Besides PFAS?

Yes, and the same carbon stage that addresses PFAS handles these too. Raleigh Water's 2025 Consumer Confidence Report puts total trihalomethanes (TTHM) at an average of 34.2 parts per billion, up to 42.8, and haloacetic acids (HAA5) at an average of 22.0 ppb, up to 33.6 — both disinfection byproducts, both within the legal limits of 80 and 60 ppb.

EPA's National Primary Drinking Water Regulations table lists TTHM's potential health effect from long-term exposure above the legal limit as "Liver, kidney or central nervous system problems; increased risk of cancer," and HAA5's as "Increased risk of cancer."

That legal limit is a ceiling EPA set at the edge of its own acceptable risk, not a guarantee that everything under it is worth ignoring — the same framing that applies to PFAS. A carbon stage removes TTHM and HAA5 directly, on top of PFAS, rather than leaving either to a legal number.

Hardness is a separate issue carbon alone doesn't touch. Raleigh Water's own 2025 report averages 25.2 ppm (roughly 1.3 to 2.1 gpg) — slightly hard on the Water Quality Association scale, never plain "hard," which starts at 7 gpg. Our own testing across the service area measures 1.6 to 3.7 gpg by ZIP code, still slightly hard to moderately hard on that same scale.

That's exactly why an all-in-one system pairs softening resin with the carbon stage — one install for hardness, PFAS, and disinfection byproducts together.

See What's Actually Coming Out of Your Raleigh Tap

Raleigh Water's own numbers show PFAS and disinfection byproducts present, compliant, and worth addressing at the same time. Take the 60-second water quiz or book a free water analysis to see how an all-in-one softening-and-carbon system fits your Raleigh home.

FAQ

I just found out Raleigh's water tests positive for PFAS — should I stop drinking tap water? Raleigh's PFAS levels are legally compliant, so there's no violation to react to, but "compliant" isn't the same as "absent." A carbon stage certified for PFAS removal addresses what's still measurably there rather than requiring you to change how you use tap water.

I've been boiling my water because I heard about PFAS in Raleigh — is that helping? No, and it may be making it worse. Boiling doesn't remove PFAS; because the compounds don't evaporate with the water, boiling can concentrate whatever PFAS was already in the glass.

Does a regular water softener remove PFAS from Raleigh water? No. A softener is ion exchange built specifically for calcium and magnesium — it has no mechanism for removing PFAS at all. PFAS removal requires carbon certified to NSF/ANSI 53 or P473, or reverse osmosis certified to NSF/ANSI 58.

Is Raleigh's PFAS level higher or lower than what's allowed? Lower — every quarterly result in Raleigh Water's 2025 testing came in under the EPA's 4.0 ppt limit for both PFOA and PFOS. The compounds are present in every quarter, just within the legal range.

Does Raleigh's water have anything else I should be filtering besides PFAS? Yes — disinfection byproducts (TTHM and HAA5) show up in Raleigh's own 2025 report, and the same carbon stage that addresses PFAS removes those too. Hardness is a separate issue that the softening side of an all-in-one system handles.

How do I find out exactly what's in the water at my own Raleigh address? A free water analysis is the most direct way — it tests your actual tap rather than relying on a citywide average, and it's what determines how an all-in-one system should be sized for your home.

Sources

• Raleigh Water — Perfluorinated Chemicals Data and Information
• City of Raleigh — 2025 Perfluorinated Compounds Data Results
• City of Raleigh — Water Consumer Confidence Report 2025
• EPA — National Primary Drinking Water Regulations

Related reading: Triangle NC PFAS & Forever Chemicals Explainer | Does Activated Carbon Remove PFAS? | Does Boiling Water Remove PFAS? | Raleigh Water Hardness | How to Remove PFAS From Water