Public water system record
City of Durham
Serves Durham and Gorman, Durham County, NC · 322,083 people served
Federal records show no health-based violations and 4 monitoring/reporting issues for City of Durham in the last ten years.
System profile
- Health-based violations, last 10 years
- 0
- Resolved
- 0
- Unresolved
- 0
- Any acute record
- No
- Monitoring issues, last 10 years
- 4
Key facts
- City of Durham draws water from 2 surface water intakes.
- Most recent formal enforcement: compliance order (no penalty) by North Carolina, March 2023.
- Record on file since 2006, with 1 health-based violation before October 19, 2016.
- Lead pipe inventory: 0 lead and 54,372 unknown out of 109,515 service lines.
Check whether City of Durham serves your address
Health-based violations
Since October 2016Violation data reflects EPA records through March 2026. For the most current status, visit the EPA ECHO database.
None since October 2016.
Monitoring and reporting issues
Since October 2016Missed tests or reports, not contaminants found above a limit.
| Issue | Start date | Status |
|---|---|---|
|
Revised Total Coliform Rule
RPT
|
Feb 11, 2023 | Resolved |
|
Consumer Confidence Rule
OTHER
|
Jul 1, 2021 | Resolved |
|
Consumer Confidence Rule
OTHER
|
Jul 1, 2020 | Resolved |
|
Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jun 1, 2018 | Resolved |
Full record since 2006
EPA's records for City of Durham go back to 2006. Before October 19, 2016 they list 1 health-based violation (1 resolved) and 64 monitoring or reporting violations.
| Violations that began in | Health-based | Monitoring and reporting |
|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1 | 42 |
| 2010 to October 18, 2016 | 0 | 22 |
| October 19, 2016 to 2019 | 0 | 1 |
| 2020s | 0 | 3 |
Most recent health-based violation before October 19, 2016: Haloacetic Acids (HAA5), began January 2009, Resolved.
Show the health-based violation before October 19, 2016
| Contaminant | Start date | Status |
|---|---|---|
|
Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)
Contaminant limit exceeded
Measured 0.064 mg/L, federal limit 0.06 mg/L (1.1 times the limit)
|
Jan 1, 2009 | Resolved |
Enforcement actions
North Carolina regulators took 6 formal enforcement actions against City of Durham between 2009 and 2023. The most recent was a compliance order (no penalty) in March 2023.
| Date | By | Action | Violations covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 1, 2023 | North Carolina | Compliance order (no penalty) | 1 violation: Revised Total Coliform Rule |
| Sep 6, 2018 | North Carolina | Compliance order (no penalty) | 1 violation: Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule |
| Oct 30, 2015 | North Carolina | Compliance order (no penalty) | 1 violation: Total Coliform |
| Feb 29, 2012 | North Carolina | Compliance order with a penalty | 21 violations: Trichloroethylene, 1,1,2-Trichloroethane, CHLOROBENZENE, Benzene, Toluene |
| Feb 7, 2012 | North Carolina | Compliance order (no penalty) | 21 violations: Trichloroethylene, 1,1,2-Trichloroethane, CHLOROBENZENE, Benzene, Toluene |
| Jul 23, 2009 | North Carolina | Compliance order (no penalty) | 1 violation (1 health-based): Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) |
Where the water comes from
City of Durham draws water from 2 surface water intakes. It also has emergency connections to Town of Hillsborough, Chatham Co-North, Orange Water & Sewer Authority, City of Raleigh and Town of Cary. 1 other community water system buys water from City of Durham. 3 other public water systems have emergency connections to City of Durham.
Emergency or part-time connections to
- Town of Hillsborough Hillsborough, NC
- Chatham Co-North Sanford, NC
- Orange Water & Sewer Authority Carrboro, NC
- City of Raleigh Raleigh, NC
- Town of Cary Cary, NC
Community systems that buy water from it
- Chatham Co-North Sanford, NC
Annual water quality report
City of Durham must give its customers an annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report) by July 1, with the levels its tests found in the previous year.
Systems serving 10,000 or more people must mail or deliver the report to every customer, and from 2027 they must send it twice a year.
Find a posted report with EPA's Consumer Confidence Report search
Testing your own water
To test the water at your tap, or a private well this record does not cover, use a laboratory certified for drinking water by North Carolina.
Certified drinking water labs by state EPA guidance for private wells