Durham Water Quality Guide: Sources, PFAS, Chloramine and Filters

Where does Durham's tap water come from?

The City of Durham's Water Management department describes two main sources of raw water: Lake Michie (completed in 1926) and the Little River Reservoir (completed in 1987). Both are surface water reservoirs. Water is treated at two plants, the Brown and Williams water treatment plants, which together have a stated capacity of 64 million gallons a day (City of Durham, Water Quality and Treatment).

What about Falls Lake? Falls Lake is a large reservoir north of Durham, and Durham works with other local governments on protecting its watershed. But the City's own pages describe it as a drinking water reservoir for Raleigh and surrounding areas, and Durham's 2024 water quality report lists only Lake Michie and the Little River Reservoir as sources (City of Durham, Falls Lake). If you live in Durham, Falls Lake is not listed as your tap water source.

Durham has also looked at storing water in Teer Quarry for future use. The City says it is not using quarry water for drinking water now, that it used the quarry to store water during the 2007 and 2008 drought, and that 1,4-dioxane has been found in groundwater near the quarry but never in the quarry's own water in about 15 years of City testing (City of Durham statement). That statement dates from November 2022, so check the City for updates.

Not every Triangle address is served by Durham. Chapel Hill and Carrboro get water from OWASA, which draws on University Lake and Cane Creek Reservoir. Raleigh, Cary and others have their own utilities. Your water bill tells you which one is yours.

How is Durham water disinfected? (Chloramine and fluoride)

Durham lists chloramines for disinfection and adds fluoride to promote dental health (City of Durham). In the 2024 report, the chloramine running annual average was 2.1 ppm against a maximum allowed level of 4.0 ppm, and fluoride was reported at 0.69 ppm (City of Durham 2024 Water Quality Report).

Chloramine (chlorine combined with ammonia) lasts longer in the pipes than free chlorine, but it behaves differently with some filters and aquarium or dialysis uses. A plain carbon filter may not remove it as well as it removes chlorine, so look for a product that specifically lists chloramine reduction. The general background in our chloramine removal guide applies here too, though it was written for Charlotte.

Disinfection byproducts are formed when disinfectant reacts with natural organic matter. Durham's 2024 report lists total trihalomethanes at a highest locational average of 55.3 ppb (limit 80) and haloacetic acids at 52.5 ppb (limit 60). Both were under the limits.

How do you read Durham's annual Water Quality Report?

Every public water system must publish a Consumer Confidence Report each year. Durham's is posted by the City, and it also offers paper copies by phone at 919-560-4381.

1. Open the City of Durham's water quality page and follow the link to the annual report (the 2024 edition is here). The City's About Water page lists the contact number for copies.
2. Find the table of regulated contaminants. Compare the detected level to the legal limit (MCL) and note whether any violation is marked.
3. Look for the section on unregulated contaminants. PFAS results appear there in the 2024 edition. Check the units printed in the table before comparing any value to the EPA limits.
4. Check the lead and copper line. Durham reports lead sampling is done every three years, and the 2024 report shows a non-detect 90th percentile from sampling done June to September 2022.
5. Read the extras: pH, sodium, sulfate, fluoride and turbidity are reported. Durham's 2024 report does not list water hardness, so if you want that number, ask the utility or test at home.

Remember that the report describes water leaving the plant and in the distribution system. It cannot tell you what is in your home's pipes or fixtures.

Is there PFAS in Durham water?

Durham's 2024 report lists detections of PFOA, PFOS, PFBS and PFBA in its unregulated contaminant results. In 2025 the City told the public it is working on a PFAS treatment upgrade at its plants based on powdered activated carbon, and expects to be in compliance with the federal rule by April 2031 (City of Durham PFAS Treatment Upgrade presentation, July 2025).

The federal limits adopted in 2024 are 4.0 ppt for PFOA and PFOS and 10 ppt each for PFHxS, PFNA and GenX, plus a hazard index for mixtures (EPA PFAS drinking water page). EPA's page says it proposed in May 2026 to keep the PFOA and PFOS limits while allowing systems to request until 2031 to comply, and to rescind the other limits. These rules are still changing, so check EPA for the current status.

OWASA has tested quarterly since 2018 and posts results at owasa.org/pfas-monitoring-program. Its 2022 report listed PFOA and PFOS averages of 16.0 and 12.1 ppt in finished water and said the utility is evaluating treatment changes. See our PFAS guide for general background.

Why do some Durham homeowners still filter?

• PFAS: utility reports list detections, and the federal rules are still being finalized, so some households filter while they wait.
• Chloramine taste or smell: some people notice a chemical taste, especially in warm weather or after flushing.
• Older plumbing: pre-1986 homes may have lead solder or brass fixtures, which a utility report cannot rule out at your tap.
• Private wells: the biggest group. Well water is untreated unless you treat it.
• Preference: some simply want better-tasting drinking water at one faucet.

None of these means Durham tap water fails the rules. Whether to filter is a personal call, and our whole-house filter guide walks through the trade-offs.

What about lead pipes and older Durham homes?

EPA says lead pipes are more likely in older cities and in homes built before 1986, and that lead service lines are typically the most significant source of lead where present. In homes without a lead service line, lead solder and brass or chrome-plated brass fixtures are the most common problem (EPA lead in drinking water).

Durham reports no detectable lead in water leaving its treatment facilities, and its 2024 report shows a non-detect 90th percentile. I did not find a published count of lead service lines for Durham, so ask the City or a licensed plumber about your own line. OWASA says it removed all known lead goosenecks in the 1990s and found no detectable lead at its 30 regulatory sampling sites in 2020.

• Use cold water for drinking, cooking and baby formula. Boiling does not remove lead.
• Run the tap before drinking if water has sat in the pipes.
• Clean faucet aerators regularly.
• If you want a filter for lead, check that its packaging says it is certified to reduce lead.

Durham-area situations: what should you do?

Where you live in the Triangle changes the answer. Use this list as a starting point.

• If you are on Durham city water and mainly want better taste: a carbon-based drinking-water filter certified for the contaminants you care about is usually enough. Look for chloramine reduction on the label if that is your issue.
• If you are concerned about PFAS: read the PFAS rows in your utility's report, then consider reverse osmosis or a carbon filter certified to NSF/ANSI 53 or 58 for PFOA and PFOS, and follow the replacement schedule.
• If you are in Chapel Hill or Carrboro: read OWASA's report and PFAS monitoring page instead of Durham's. Expect a short March change in disinfectant.
• If you live in a pre-1986 home: ask about your service line and consider a lead test through a certified lab.
• If you are on a private well in Durham or Orange County: test it. The utility's report does not apply to you. See the next section.
• If you recently had construction or plumbing work: flush the lines and consider a lead test, since EPA notes construction near a lead line can release more lead.
• If you are not sure which utility serves you: check your bill or call the City at 919-560-4381 to confirm.

What if you have a private well?

Private wells in North Carolina are the owner's responsibility. The state's well water guidance says specific procedures and fees vary by county, so contact your local health department's Environmental Health program, and that you can test through the North Carolina State Laboratory or a state-certified commercial lab (NC DHHS well water FAQ).

That page recommends testing for coliform bacteria every year, heavy metals, nitrates, nitrites, lead and copper every two years, and pesticides and VOCs every five years. It also recommends testing new wells within 30 days of completion, and after flooding or repairs. It notes that many North Carolina wells have excess lead, arsenic, iron and manganese, and some have low pH.

Treatment depends on the result, so test first. Our well water filtration guide was written for the Charlotte area but explains the common systems.

When should you test your water?

• You are on a private well (at least annually for bacteria, per NC DHHS).
• Your home was built before 1986 or you are unsure about your service line.
• Taste, color or odor changes suddenly.
• There has been flooding, construction or a repair near your pipes or well.
• A young child or pregnant person lives in the home and you have a specific concern.

Use a state-certified lab and ask which contaminants the panel covers. You can also request a free local water report to go with your utility's data.

Which filter fits which concern?

For softeners versus filters, see filter vs softener. For cost background, see typical whole-house filter costs, which are Charlotte-based and approximate.

What should you ask an installer?

1. What contaminant is this system meant to address, and what test result is it based on?
2. Which NSF/ANSI standard is the product certified to, and can I see the listing?
3. What is the cartridge or media replacement schedule and yearly cost?
4. How will you handle the chloramine in Durham city water, if I am on it?
5. Will you retest after installation, and who handles warranty service?
6. Is the system sized for my household's flow and home plumbing?

Listings in our directory of water treatment companies in Durham are informational and are not endorsements.