North Carolina has a worse PFAS contamination record, driven by the GenX discharge into the Cape Fear River and extensive military base contamination at Camp Lejeune and Fort Liberty. South Carolina has fewer documented contamination sites but weaker state oversight. Neither state has set PFAS limits beyond the federal standard.
The two Carolinas share a border and similar geography, but their water quality stories diverge in important ways. North Carolina became a national flashpoint for PFAS contamination when GenX compounds were discovered in Wilmington's drinking water supply. South Carolina has avoided that level of scrutiny, though its military installations and industrial sites create contamination risks of their own.
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North Carolina's Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has been more active on PFAS than most Southern states, largely because it had no choice – the Chemours facility in Fayetteville discharged GenX and other PFAS compounds into the Cape Fear River for decades before it was publicly known. That contamination affected drinking water for over 300,000 residents in the Wilmington metro area.
South Carolina's Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) manages approximately 1,100 community water systems. The state has not faced a PFAS crisis on the scale of North Carolina's Cape Fear situation, but contamination from Shaw Air Force Base, the former Charleston Naval Complex, and Parris Island Marine Corps Recruit Depot presents ongoing risks. Check your water quality by zip code for your system's data.
Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, NC is the most infamous water contamination case in U.S. military history. Decades of contamination from fuel leaks, industrial solvents, and PFAS-containing firefighting foam exposed an estimated 1 million service members and their families to contaminated water between the 1950s and 1980s. The Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 opened the door for affected veterans and families to file claims.
South Carolina's contamination sources are less publicized but real. The Savannah River Site, a nuclear facility on the SC-Georgia border, has documented groundwater contamination. Shaw Air Force Base near Sumter has confirmed PFAS in groundwater exceeding EPA limits, according to DoD testing published in 2024.
North Carolina's water supply divides between surface water in the east (including the Cape Fear River system) and groundwater-fed systems in the west. The Cape Fear River basin serves over 1.5 million people and has been the epicenter of PFAS contamination. Charlotte, Raleigh, and Durham draw from surface reservoirs that are less affected by industrial PFAS discharge but still show detections.
South Carolina relies on a mix of surface water from the Pee Dee, Santee-Cooper, and Savannah river systems, plus groundwater from the coastal plain aquifer. The state's infrastructure is newer on average than North Carolina's, with less legacy industrial contamination. However, rapid growth along the coast – Myrtle Beach, Charleston, and Hilton Head – is straining existing treatment capacity.
Both states have aging rural water systems. The EPA's 2024 drinking water needs survey estimated that North Carolina needs $14.8 billion in water infrastructure investment over the next 20 years, while South Carolina needs approximately $8.2 billion.
Neither state has set enforceable PFAS MCLs beyond the federal standard, but North Carolina has been more proactive. NC DEQ established a health goal of 140 ppt for total PFAS and required the Chemours facility to reduce PFAS discharges by 99% under a 2019 consent order. The state also funded a PFAS testing network that goes beyond UCMR5 requirements.
South Carolina has not set any state-level PFAS standards or health goals. DHEC follows the federal framework for all contaminant monitoring and enforcement. The state's regulatory approach is reactive rather than proactive – it investigates known contamination sites but doesn't conduct the kind of broad screening that North Carolina has undertaken.
South Carolina has fewer documented contamination problems, but that's partly because it tests less and investigates less. North Carolina knows where its problems are – the Cape Fear River, Camp Lejeune, Fort Liberty – because it looked. The state's higher detection rates reflect more testing, not necessarily more contamination per capita.
On paper, South Carolina's water looks cleaner. In practice, North Carolina's regulatory response gives residents more information and more protection when contamination is found. If transparency and regulatory action matter to you, North Carolina is ahead. If you just want the lowest detection rates on record, South Carolina currently has them – though that number may change as more testing is done.
Check your water quality by zip code to see your specific water system's results. Cape Fear River communities in NC should pay particular attention to GenX and PFAS results. SC residents near military installations should check for PFAS detections.
If your water shows contamination, a reverse osmosis filter like the AquaTru removes up to 99.9% of PFAS including GenX. The Brita Elite handles lead and basic PFAS at a lower cost. Compare all options on our water filter guide.
For a complete analysis, get a water quality PDF report. See state data on our North Carolina page and South Carolina page.
Which Carolina has better water quality? South Carolina has lower documented PFAS detection rates, but North Carolina has done more testing and has stronger regulatory responses. North Carolina's Cape Fear River contamination and Camp Lejeune history make it a higher-profile contamination state, but it also provides more transparency about what's in the water.
What is GenX in North Carolina water? GenX is a PFAS compound discharged into the Cape Fear River by the Chemours chemical facility near Fayetteville, NC. It contaminated drinking water for over 300,000 residents in the Wilmington area. The company was ordered to reduce discharges by 99% under a 2019 consent order.
Is Camp Lejeune water safe now? Camp Lejeune's water system has been remediated and currently meets federal drinking water standards. The historical contamination between the 1950s and 1980s exposed an estimated 1 million people to toxic chemicals. The Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 allows affected veterans and families to file claims.
Does South Carolina test for PFAS? South Carolina participates in the federal UCMR5 testing program, which tested about 220 community water systems for PFAS. The state does not conduct additional PFAS testing beyond the federal requirement and has not set state-level PFAS limits.
What filter removes GenX from drinking water? Reverse osmosis systems are the most effective at removing GenX and other PFAS compounds, with removal rates above 99%. Granular activated carbon filters also reduce GenX but are less effective than RO. The AquaTru countertop RO system is independently tested for PFAS removal.