Public water system record
Town of Cary
Serves Cary, Wake County, NC · 224,000 people served
Federal records show 1 health-based violation and 1 monitoring/reporting issue for Town of Cary in the last ten years. The most serious issue in this window was a resolved Revised Total Coliform Rule violation.
System profile
- Health-based violations, last 10 years
- 1
- Resolved
- 1
- Unresolved
- 0
- Any acute record
- Yes
- Monitoring issues, last 10 years
- 1
Key facts
- Town of Cary draws water from 1 surface water intake.
- Most recent formal enforcement: compliance order (no penalty) by North Carolina, August 2023.
- Record on file since 1993, with 1 health-based violation before October 19, 2016.
- Lead pipe inventory: 0 lead and 0 unknown out of 73,227 service lines.
Check whether Town of Cary 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.
| Contaminant | Rule family | Start date | Status | Acute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Revised Total Coliform Rule
Contaminant limit exceeded
|
110 | May 1, 2023 | Resolved | Yes |
Monitoring and reporting issues
Since October 2016Missed tests or reports, not contaminants found above a limit.
| Issue | Start date | Status |
|---|---|---|
|
Public Notice
OTHER
|
May 10, 2023 | Resolved |
Full record since 1993
EPA's records for Town of Cary go back to 1993. Before October 19, 2016 they list 1 health-based violation (1 resolved) and 12 monitoring or reporting violations.
| Violations that began in | Health-based | Monitoring and reporting |
|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0 | 3 |
| 2000s | 1 | 3 |
| 2010 to October 18, 2016 | 0 | 6 |
| 2020s | 1 | 1 |
Most recent health-based violation before October 19, 2016: Total Coliform (acute), began August 2006, Resolved.
Show the health-based violation before October 19, 2016
| Contaminant | Start date | Status |
|---|---|---|
|
Total Coliform (acute)
Contaminant limit exceeded
|
Aug 1, 2006 | Resolved |
Enforcement actions
North Carolina regulators took 3 formal enforcement actions against Town of Cary and issued 2 boil water orders between 2006 and 2023, filed as 10 records in EPA's data. The most recent was a compliance order (no penalty) in August 2023.
| Date | By | Action | Violations covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 15, 2023 | North Carolina | Compliance order (no penalty) | 1 violation: Public Notice |
| May 9, 2023 | North Carolina | Compliance order (no penalty) | 1 violation (1 health-based): Revised Total Coliform Rule |
| May 9, 2023 | North Carolina | Boil water order | 1 violation (1 health-based): Revised Total Coliform Rule |
| Feb 20, 2015 | North Carolina | Compliance order (no penalty) | 6 violations: Chloramine, Total Coliform |
| Aug 17, 2006 | North Carolina | Boil water order | 1 violation (1 health-based): Total Coliform |
What the violations mean
Revised Total Coliform Rule
1 incidentThe system did not meet a requirement of the Revised Total Coliform Rule
Coliform and E. coli rules protect against bacteria in the distribution system
Where the water comes from
Town of Cary draws water from 1 surface water intake. It also has emergency connections to City of Durham, City of Raleigh, Town of Apex and Town of Holly Springs. 3 other community water systems buy water from Town of Cary. 2 other public water systems have emergency connections to Town of Cary.
Emergency or part-time connections to
- City of Durham Durham, NC
- City of Raleigh Raleigh, NC
- Town of Apex Apex, NC
- Town of Holly Springs Holly Springs, NC
Community systems that buy water from it
- Chatham Estates MHP Shallotte, NC
- Mobile Estates Shallotte, NC
- Town of Apex Apex, NC
Annual water quality report
Town of Cary 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