Lead pipes in North Carolina
North Carolina's 1,982 community water systems reported 350 lead and 13,301 galvanized-requiring-replacement service lines, plus 798,788 of unknown material. That ranks #30 among states for confirmed lead lines.
- Lead <0.1%
- Galvanized (replace) 0.4%
- Unknown 22%
- Non-lead 78%
0.4% of the service lines North Carolina utilities reported are lead or galvanized requiring replacement, well below the national share of 3.1%. 22% are still unidentified (national: 21%). The largest counts are in Old North Utilities Services/Ft Bragg (1,604), City of Concord (1,449), Cherokee Water System (717). 75 systems haven't reported counts yet.
Since 2025 Q1, reported lead and galvanized lines in North Carolina went from 13,105 to 13,651 (up 546). See which systems made the most progress.
Systems with confirmed lead lines (158)
| Water system | Lead | Galv. | Unknown | % lead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old North Utilities Services/Ft BraggFayetteville | 0 | 1,604 | 4,254 | 25% |
| City of ConcordConcord | 0 | 1,449 | 0 | 3.2% |
| Cherokee Water SystemCherokee | 0 | 717 | 3 | 28% |
| City of Winston-SalemClemmons | 51 | 576 | 3,194 | 0.4% |
| City of LowellLowell | 0 | 536 | 10 | 30% |
| City of RaleighRaleigh | 60 | 367 | 10,366 | 0.2% |
| Town of WarsawWarsaw | 0 | 427 | 4 | 23% |
| City of LenoirGranite Falls | 0 | 412 | 5,864 | 3.7% |
| Town of WilliamstonWilliamston | 3 | 378 | 1,614 | 11% |
| City of Mount HollyMt Holly | 0 | 372 | 347 | 3.9% |
| Town of EdentonEdenton | 0 | 358 | 0 | 16% |
| Hamlet Water SystemHamlet | 0 | 340 | 6 | 8.0% |
| Town of Siler CitySiler City | 51 | 244 | 811 | 7.9% |
| Town of Spruce PineSpruce Pine | 0 | 283 | 1,240 | 12% |
| Fayetteville Public Works CommFayetteville | 0 | 247 | 31,568 | 0.2% |
| Havelock Water SystemHavelock | 0 | 234 | 0 | 4.3% |
| City of High PointHigh Point | 0 | 226 | 0 | 0.5% |
| City of AshevilleAsheville | 2 | 219 | 42,588 | 0.3% |
| Osprey Cove 1Jacksonville | 0 | 204 | 0 | 89% |
| Town of Mars HillMars Hill | 0 | 190 | 26 | 16% |
| City of GrahamMebane | 0 | 187 | 380 | 3.0% |
| Town of RobersonvilleRobersonville | 1 | 161 | 100 | 19% |
| City of MarionMarion | 29 | 102 | 3,189 | 2.9% |
| City of KinstonKinston | 25 | 103 | 9,459 | 1.1% |
| Town of DallasDallas | 0 | 120 | 2,018 | 3.6% |
| Town of Hot SpringsHot Springs | 0 | 116 | 105 | 30% |
| Hertford Water SystemHertford | 0 | 113 | 1 | 41% |
| Town of Kings MountainKings Mountain | 0 | 113 | 0 | 2.1% |
| City of WashingtonWashington | 4 | 107 | 2,597 | 2.4% |
| Town of Forest CityForest City | 0 | 104 | 6,017 | 1.4% |
| Orange Water & Sewer AuthorityCarrboro | 0 | 104 | 0 | 0.5% |
| Town of ElizabethtownElizabethtown | 0 | 98 | 907 | 4.1% |
| Town of RanloRanlo | 0 | 98 | 272 | 5.7% |
| Town of TroutmanTroutman | 46 | 46 | 2 | 2.2% |
| Seymour Johnson AFBSeymour Johnson | 0 | 85 | 150 | 7.5% |
| City of BurlingtonBurlington | 0 | 84 | 1,324 | 0.3% |
| City of JacksonvilleJacksonville | 0 | 83 | 6,417 | 0.4% |
| Town of WeavervilleWeaverville | 0 | 82 | 737 | 2.5% |
| Town of JonesvilleJonesville | 0 | 80 | 320 | 5.4% |
| Town of WoodlandWoodland | 1 | 79 | 5 | 22% |
| City of GoldsboroGoldsboro | 0 | 79 | 7,302 | 0.4% |
| Davie County Water SystemMocksville | 0 | 76 | 0 | 0.6% |
| Town of StantonsburgStantonsburg | 0 | 72 | 240 | 10% |
| Town of ChadbournChadbourn | 0 | 66 | 78 | 5.8% |
| Town of Tabor CityTabor City | 0 | 66 | 42 | 4.7% |
| Charlotte WaterCharlotte | 0 | 66 | 0 | <0.1% |
| Town of Fair BluffFair Bluff | 0 | 63 | 0 | 16% |
| Town of PittsboroPittsboro | 1 | 58 | 9 | 2.0% |
| Town of NashvilleNashville | 0 | 53 | 13 | 3.0% |
| City of WilsonWilson | 0 | 49 | 15,026 | 0.2% |
| Town of Snow HillSnow Hill | 1 | 47 | 58 | 3.7% |
| Town of SmithfieldSmithfield | 1 | 42 | 5,554 | 0.7% |
| City of RandlemanRandleman | 0 | 41 | 42 | 1.9% |
| Town of ValdeseValdese | 0 | 40 | 4,121 | 0.7% |
| City of DurhamDurham | 0 | 37 | 54,372 | <0.1% |
| City of HickoryHickory | 0 | 37 | 15,826 | 0.2% |
| City of MebaneMebane | 0 | 37 | 995 | 0.6% |
| Town of BiscoeBiscoe | 0 | 36 | 729 | 3.4% |
| Weldon Water SystemWeldon | 8 | 28 | 94 | 5.4% |
| Town of MagnoliaMagnolia | 0 | 35 | 0 | 8.8% |
| Town of OakboroOakboro | 0 | 33 | 561 | 2.4% |
| Town of GibsonGibson | 0 | 33 | 241 | 11% |
| City of ConoverConover | 0 | 31 | 2,344 | 0.5% |
| Columbus County Water Dist IVDelco | 0 | 31 | 0 | 3.2% |
| Town of Haw RiverHaw River | 0 | 27 | 428 | 2.7% |
| Town of MooresvilleMooresville | 0 | 26 | 0 | 0.1% |
| Town of Lake LureLake Lure | 1 | 23 | 106 | 7.0% |
| Town of BrunswickBrunswick | 0 | 24 | 6 | 10% |
| Town of PinebluffPinebluff | 0 | 23 | 0 | 2.2% |
| Town of SwepsonvilleSwepsonville | 0 | 22 | 62 | 1.8% |
| Town of MarshallMarshall | 0 | 22 | 0 | 4.4% |
| Town of McAdenvilleMcAdenville | 0 | 21 | 221 | 8.7% |
| City of HendersonvilleHendersonville | 0 | 20 | 21,706 | <0.1% |
| Town of LittletonLittleton | 1 | 19 | 227 | 3.4% |
| Town of ElkinElkin | 0 | 19 | 1,824 | 0.8% |
| Town of StarStar | 0 | 19 | 30 | 4.6% |
| Dutchess Forest S/DBrunswick | 0 | 19 | 1 | 51% |
| Town of MarshvilleMarshville | 0 | 18 | 4 | 1.3% |
| City of GreensboroGreensboro | 0 | 17 | 67,123 | <0.1% |
| Town of WaynesvilleWaynesville | 5 | 12 | 6,047 | 0.2% |
| Harkers Island Sanitary DistHarkers Island | 0 | 17 | 375 | 1.6% |
| Peachland Water SystemPeachland | 4 | 13 | 1 | 5.1% |
| Town of JacksonJackson | 0 | 16 | 183 | 5.0% |
| Middlesex Water SystemMiddlesex | 0 | 15 | 0 | 2.4% |
| Town of PowellsvillePowellsville | 6 | 9 | 0 | 7.7% |
| City of DunnErwin | 0 | 14 | 3,446 | 0.3% |
| Plymouth Water SystemPlymouth | 0 | 14 | 887 | 1.0% |
| Town of WintonWinton | 0 | 14 | 0 | 3.1% |
| Town of StanleyStanley | 0 | 13 | 2,401 | 0.5% |
| Town of MayodanMayodan | 0 | 13 | 1,432 | 0.8% |
| Chocowinity Water SystemChocowinity | 13 | 0 | 2 | 1.0% |
| Town of ClaytonClayton | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0.1% |
| Moore Co Public Util-VassVass | 0 | 13 | 0 | 1.9% |
| Town of Banner ElkBanner Elk | 0 | 12 | 465 | 1.7% |
| City of ClaremontClaremont | 0 | 12 | 392 | 1.1% |
| Town of CarthageCarthage | 0 | 12 | 5 | 0.7% |
| Town of Elm CityElm City | 0 | 12 | 0 | 1.9% |
| Town of FranklinFranklin | 0 | 10 | 11 | 0.3% |
| Town of River BendRiver Bend | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0.6% |
| Town of WilkesboroWilkesboro | 0 | 9 | 1,651 | 0.4% |
Showing the 100 with the most. All North Carolina water systems
No confirmed lead, but unknown lines remain (677)
Showing 50. See all
No lead or unknown lines reported (182)
Systems serving 1,000 or more people. Systems without counts on file are listed as 0.
Showing the 50 largest. See all
Lead pipes in North Carolina cities
- Charlotte66 lead + galv. lines
- Raleigh427 lead + galv. lines
- Greensboro17 lead + galv. lines
- Durham37 lead + galv. lines
- Fayetteville247 lead + galv. lines
- Cary2 lead + galv. lines
- Wilmingtonno lead reported
- High Point226 lead + galv. lines
- Concord1,449 lead + galv. lines
- Greenvilleno lead reported
- Asheville221 lead + galv. lines
- Gastonia2 lead + galv. lines
- Apexno lead reported
- Jacksonville204 lead + galv. lines
- Huntersville66 lead + galv. lines
- Chapel Hill104 lead + galv. lines
- Burlington84 lead + galv. lines
- Kannapolis13,350 unknown
- Wake Forest25 unknown
- Rocky Mount15,560 unknown
- Mooresville26 lead + galv. lines
- Holly Springsno lead reported
- Wilson49 lead + galv. lines
- Fuquay-Varinano lead reported
- Hickory37 lead + galv. lines
- Indian Trailno lead reported
- Monroe6,313 unknown
- Garner427 lead + galv. lines
- Salisburyno lead reported
- Goldsboro79 lead + galv. lines
North Carolina lead pipe questions
How many lead pipes are in North Carolina?
North Carolina's community water systems reported 350 lead service lines and 13,301 galvanized lines that must be replaced, for 13,651 in total. Another 798,788 lines are of unknown material.
Which North Carolina water systems have the most lead pipes?
Old North Utilities Services/Ft Bragg (1,604), City of Concord (1,449), Cherokee Water System (717). Counts are lead plus galvanized-requiring-replacement lines.
What share of North Carolina service lines are lead?
0.4% of reported service lines in North Carolina are lead or galvanized requiring replacement, well below the national figure of 3.1%. 22% are still unknown, compared with 21% nationally.
How do I find out if my North Carolina home has a lead service line?
Search for your water system or ZIP code above, then open your utility's address-level inventory map. You can also check the pipe where it enters your home with a scratch and magnet test.
Source: EPA SDWIS service line inventory, 2026 Q3. Smaller systems with no lead or unknown lines are omitted. See also national rankings.