Greensboro Water Quality: What's in Your Tap Water and Whether You Need a Filter

Where does Greensboro's water come from?

Greensboro Water Resources draws from three surface-water reservoirs in northern Guilford County: Lake Townsend, Lake Brandt and Lake Higgins. Lake Higgins is used to refill Lake Brandt as needed. The city says the lakes hold about 8 billion gallons when full (Greensboro water status page).

Two plants treat that water. The Mitchell Water Treatment Plant in central Greensboro treats Lake Brandt water, and the Townsend plant northeast of the city treats Lake Townsend water. The city's 2022 report said the system served about 320,756 people.

How is Greensboro water treated: chlorine or chloramine?

Greensboro's 2022 report says the city adds chlorine and chloramines to control microbes. Chloramine is chlorine combined with ammonia. It lasts longer in pipes but behaves differently from plain chlorine when you filter, so many standard carbon filters handle it less well. Fluoride is also added; the 2022 report listed averages of 0.75 mg/L at Townsend and 0.12 mg/L at Mitchell.

If chloramine is the taste or smell you want to reduce, look for a catalytic carbon product rather than assuming any carbon filter will do. Our chloramine guide explains the difference. It is written for Charlotte, but the chemistry is the same.

Taste and odor can vary with the season in lake-fed systems. We did not find a Greensboro-specific seasonal advisory in the sources we checked, so ask the utility if you notice a change.

Is Greensboro water hard or soft?

Soft. The city's 2022 report listed average total hardness of 48 mg/L at Townsend and 44 mg/L at Mitchell and classified it as moderately soft (see the 2022 report). That is well below the range where scale buildup is a common complaint.

In practice, most city-water homes in Greensboro do not need a salt-based softener for hardness. If you see heavy scale, you are likely on a well or a different supplier. Hardness is not reported in High Point's 2025 report, so check with that utility. The softener vs. filter comparison helps you pick the right tool for the problem you actually have.

What is happening with PFAS in Greensboro water?

The city first detected PFOA and PFOS in Lake Higgins, Lake Brandt and Lake Townsend in 2014. Its PFAS updates page now lists PFOA, PFOS and PFHxS as detected above EPA's maximum contaminant levels: 4.0 ppt for PFOA and PFOS, and 10 ppt for PFHxS. PFNA and GenX were not detected or were well below their limits, according to the city's contracted lab.

• 2018: a powdered activated carbon system was installed at the Mitchell plant to reduce PFAS.
• After a pilot study of four technologies, the city chose granular activated carbon (GAC) for Mitchell and Townsend.
• Mitchell project budget: about $177 million, including other plant improvements. Phase 1 construction was scheduled to begin in spring 2026, with completion and the PFAS compliance deadline in 2031.
• Townsend upgrades are planned in the city's capital budget for fiscal years 2027 to 2029.

The city says it does not expect service interruptions during construction. Schedules can change with regulatory requirements. For background on what these chemicals are, see our PFAS explainer.

How do I read Greensboro's annual water quality report?

Every community water system must publish an annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR). Greensboro's 2025 report was announced in June 2026, and WFDD covered the release (WFDD coverage).

1. Find the current Consumer Confidence Report on the Greensboro Water Resources website and confirm the data year on the first page.
2. Find the detected-contaminants table. Compare each result with the legal limit (MCL) in the same row, not just the detection itself.
3. Look for the PFAS section. Results are reported in ng/L or ppt, and the limits for PFOA and PFOS are in the single digits.
4. Check the disinfectant section for chlorine and chloramine, and the fluoride averages.
5. Check the lead and copper results, and read any violation or notice section at the end.
6. Note hardness if the report lists it. If it does not, ask the utility.

You can also request a free local water report to go alongside your utility's data. The utility report describes water leaving the plant and sampled in the system, not what comes out of your faucet after your own pipes.

Greensboro-area situations: city water, High Point, suburbs and wells

Guilford County is served by several providers. The county lists the cities of Greensboro, High Point and Burlington, the Town of Jamestown, Sedgefield Sanitary District and the Town of Stokesdale as water and sewer providers (Guilford County). Close to 25 percent of county residents use private wells, according to the city's private wells page.

High Point is a different system

High Point draws from Oak Hollow Lake and Arnold Koonce City Lake, treated at the Ward plant, and in 2025 also bought water from PTRWA and Davidson Water (High Point report page). Its 2025 data showed chloramines averaging 2.55 ppm and chlorine 1.99 ppm. The report lists several PFAS compounds, for example PFOS averaging 5.0 ppt with a range from not detected to 11.0 ppt. It also discloses that on January 16, 2024 the system did not meet a required disinfection treatment technique; customers were notified on March 17, 2025 that boiling was not required.

PTRWA's own 2025 report describes Randleman Lake water treated with chlorine and then chloramine, fluoride averaging 0.70 ppm, and a design-build project for advanced treatment of PFAS and 1,4-dioxane (PTRWA 2025 report).

Summerfield, Oak Ridge, Colfax and Jamestown

Do not assume which supplier you have from the mailing address. A Summerfield town planning document says all residents and businesses there rely on groundwater from individual or community wells, with no town-wide system. We did not find the equivalent confirmation for Oak Ridge or Colfax, and the county page does not list them as providers. Jamestown is listed as its own provider. Look at your water bill, or ask the town, to see who supplies you.

Private wells near the airport area

PFAS were found in Horsepen and Brush creeks, which drain the airport industrial area. In December 2018 the county and NCDEQ sampled 42 wells. Three had PFOA and PFOS below EPA's old 70 ng/L advisory, and others had estimated levels well below it. Another 64 wells were sampled from December 2022 to January 2023. The page also notes a pilot NCDEQ PFAS reimbursement program for private well owners.

• On Greensboro city water and just curious: read the CCR first. A pitcher or faucet filter certified to NSF/ANSI 53 or 58 is a low-cost way to address specific concerns.
• Want to reduce chloramine taste: choose catalytic carbon certified to NSF/ANSI 42.
• On a private well, anywhere in the county: schedule bacteria and inorganic testing through Guilford County Environmental Health, then decide on treatment based on the results.
• On a well near Horsepen or Brush creeks, or near the airport area: ask the county about PFAS testing and the NCDEQ reimbursement program.
• High Point, Jamestown or another supplier: get that utility's report, not Greensboro's.
• Home built before 1986: ask your utility about service line materials and test for lead at the tap.

Why do some Greensboro homeowners still filter?

• PFAS: the permanent plant upgrade is years away, with a 2031 compliance deadline, so some households choose point-of-use treatment in the meantime.
• Taste and smell from chloramine or lake-water seasons.
• Well water: bacteria, nitrate, metals, and sediment depend on the individual well and bedrock.
• Older plumbing or fixtures that may contribute lead.
• Peace of mind, especially for infant formula or immune-compromised household members, where you should ask your doctor.

Whole-house systems are a bigger decision. Our guide to whether you need a whole-house filter and the whole-house cost article walk through it, and typical costs vary widely by system type and home.

What about lead pipes and household plumbing?

Greensboro's 2022 report said the 90th percentile lead result was below 0.003 mg/L and all sampled homes were below the 0.015 mg/L action level. That describes a sample of at-risk homes, not every house. EPA says lead service lines are more likely in older homes, especially those built before 1986, and that brass fixtures and lead solder are common sources in other homes (EPA lead information).

EPA recommends asking your utility first about your service line, flushing pipes when water has sat, using cold water for drinking and cooking, and using only filters certified to reduce lead. Boiling does not remove lead.

When should I test my water?

• You use a private well, and have never tested it, or the well was newly drilled or repaired.
• You notice a change in taste, color or smell, or staining on fixtures.
• You live in an older home and want to know your lead level.
• You are near the airport-area creeks and want PFAS results.
• You are about to buy a treatment system and want a baseline.

Guilford County Environmental Health visits your home to collect well samples. As posted on its water quality page, it tests bacteria, inorganics (including nitrate and nitrite), petroleum and pesticides, with a trip charge and per-test fees. The county lab cannot test for PFOS or PFOA but can refer you to labs that do. Call 336-641-7613 for current fees and scheduling.

Which treatment fits which concern?

Read the performance data sheet for the exact contaminant you care about. A certification covers only the claims listed on it.

What should I ask a water treatment installer?

1. Which test results are you basing the recommendation on, and can I see them?
2. Which NSF/ANSI standard and which contaminant claims is this product certified for?
3. What does maintenance cost each year, and how often do cartridges or media need replacing?
4. Will it change my water pressure, and does it need drain or electrical connections?
5. How does it handle chloramine, if that is my concern?
6. What warranty and service are included, and who handles repairs?

Directory listings on our site are informational, not endorsements. Browse water treatment companies in Greensboro and compare quotes against your own test results.