Fayetteville, NC Water Quality (ZIP 28301)

EPA-tested PFAS, lead, and regulated contaminants for ZIP 28301 in Fayetteville, NC, served by FAYETTEVILLE PUBLIC WORKS COMM.

Quick Answers

Is ZIP 28301 tap water safe to drink? PFAS compounds have been detected in 28301's water at an average of 10.31 ppt across 11 compounds. A certified pitcher filter or reverse osmosis system is recommended, especially for sensitive populations.

What filter should I use in 28301? A reverse osmosis system (NSF/ANSI 58) removes 90%+ of PFAS, lead, and arsenic. For smaller households, a pitcher certified to NSF-53 for PFAS (ZeroWater, PUR PLUS) works. Standard Brita cartridges are not certified for PFAS.

ZIP 28301 Water Quality Summary

EPA testing has detected PFAS "forever chemicals" in the water systems serving ZIP 28301 (Fayetteville, NC). Monitoring found a peak of 34 ppt across 2 systems, averaging 10.31 ppt over 11 detected compounds. These levels come from individual EPA UCMR 5 water samples (2023-2025). The EPA's 4 ppt limit for PFOA and PFOS is enforced on a running annual average, so a sample above it shows real exposure but is not by itself a violation.

Contamination Level: MODERATE – Moderate contamination – PFAS detected at meaningful levels; filtration recommended.

Top Detected Compounds in ZIP 28301

  • HFPO-DA: 34 ppt (exceeds the EPA 10 ppt limit)
  • PFOA: 30 ppt (exceeds the EPA 4 ppt limit)
  • PFPEA: 29 ppt (exceeds the EPA 4 ppt limit)
  • PFHXA: 25 ppt (exceeds the EPA 4 ppt limit)
  • PFOS: 21.8 ppt (exceeds the EPA 4 ppt limit)

Lead in ZIP 28301 Water

EPA Lead and Copper Rule testing recorded 8 lead samples for the systems serving 28301, with a 90th-percentile high of 0.001 mg/L (within the EPA 0.015 mg/L action level). There is no safe level of lead for children; homes built before 1986 should use a certified NSF/ANSI 53 lead filter.

EPA Violations Affecting ZIP 28301

The water systems serving 28301 has 1 health-based EPA Safe Drinking Water Act violation on record, including Combined Radium (226 + 228). A health-based violation means a contaminant exceeded its federal limit or required treatment was not applied.

About the Data

Source: EPA UCMR5 monitoring (2023-2025), Lead and Copper Rule samples, and SDWIS violation records tied to the water system that serves 28301 in Fayetteville, NC.

Beyond water: other exposures in Fayetteville, NC

Drinking water is one exposure route. These are the other federal datasets that cover ZIP 28301 and Cumberland County, NC.

Radon risk in Cumberland County, NC

The EPA places Cumberland County, NC in Zone 3 - the EPA's lowest-risk category, with a predicted average indoor radon level below 2 pCi/L. Zone maps predict the radon potential of an area from geology and existing indoor readings - they do not describe any individual home. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among people who have never smoked, and the only way to know your own level is a test kit.

Lead paint risk in Cumberland County, NC

Census figures show 40% of homes in Cumberland County, NC were built before 1980, and 4% before 1950. Lead-based paint was banned for residential use in 1978, so older housing stock is the strongest available proxy for lead-paint exposure. This is a statistic about the county's housing, not a test of any particular property - if your home predates 1980, a lead swab test is the way to check.

Air quality in Cumberland County, NC

Modelled annual fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) for Cumberland County, NC averages 7.8 µg/m³, within the EPA's annual PM2.5 standard of 9 µg/m³. PM2.5 is the pollution fraction small enough to reach deep into the lungs. These are CDC modelled estimates for the county as a whole, not a reading taken at this ZIP code.

Superfund sites near 28301

There is 1 EPA Superfund (National Priorities List) site within about five miles of 28301: Carolina Transformer Co. (about 2.4 miles). Distances are measured from the ZIP code's geographic centre, so the distance from a specific address will differ. Proximity to a listed site is a fact about location - it is not itself evidence of exposure.

Industrial releases near 28301

EPA Toxics Release Inventory data for 2023 records 5 reporting facilities within about five miles of 28301, together reporting roughly 820,486 pounds of on-site chemical releases that year. TRI covers facilities above federal reporting thresholds, so smaller sources are not included, and a reported release is not the same as a measured concentration in air or water.