Is Morehead City, NC Tap Water Safe? Quality & Contaminants

What was found in Morehead City's water

The level at the city's main supplier, the highest level anywhere in the city, the EPA limit for each, and where every figure comes from.

Contaminant	Level vs EPA limit	Suppliers	Source
Copper	1292 µg/L 99% of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L Main supplier: MOREHEAD CITY, TOWN OF · 18,846 people · 2017	3/4	SYR4
Fluoride	762.5 µg/L 19% of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L Main supplier: MOREHEAD CITY, TOWN OF · 18,846 people · 2017	4/4	SYR4
TTHM	13.1 µg/L 16% of the EPA limit 80 µg/L Main supplier: MOREHEAD CITY, TOWN OF · 18,846 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 129.515 µg/L — BRANDYWINE BAY · 2,245 people · 2019	4/4	SYR4
Chloroform	10.9 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: MOREHEAD CITY, TOWN OF · 18,846 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 113.4 µg/L — BRANDYWINE BAY · 2,245 people · 2019	4/4	SYR4
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)	19.965 µg/L 33% of the EPA limit 60 µg/L Main supplier: MOREHEAD CITY, TOWN OF · 18,846 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 94.45 µg/L — BRANDYWINE BAY · 2,245 people · 2019	4/4	SYR4
Trichloroacetic Acid	1.59 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: MOREHEAD CITY, TOWN OF · 18,846 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 55.075 µg/L — BRANDYWINE BAY · 2,245 people · 2019	4/4	SYR4
Dichloroacetic Acid	9.95 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: MOREHEAD CITY, TOWN OF · 18,846 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 26.19 µg/L — BRANDYWINE BAY · 2,245 people · 2019	4/4	SYR4
Lead	22.9 µg/L 153% of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 15 µg/L Main supplier: MOREHEAD CITY, TOWN OF · 18,846 people · 2017	2/4	SYR4
Lithium	10.6 µg/L No EPA limit set Highest in the city: PINE KNOLL SHORES · 4,800 people · 2025	1/4	UCMR-5
Bromodichloromethane	1.72 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: MOREHEAD CITY, TOWN OF · 18,846 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 9.905 µg/L — BRANDYWINE BAY · 2,245 people · 2019	4/4	SYR4
Gross Beta Particle Activity	9.79 pCi/L No EPA limit set Highest in the city: BRANDYWINE BAY · 2,245 people · 2013	1/4	SYR4
Monochloroacetic Acid	2.3 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: MOREHEAD CITY, TOWN OF · 18,846 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 3.86 µg/L — BRANDYWINE BAY · 2,245 people · 2019	2/4	SYR4
Combined Radium (-226 And -228)	2.2 pCi/L 44% of the EPA limit 5 pCi/L Main supplier: MOREHEAD CITY, TOWN OF · 18,846 people · 2019	1/4	SYR4
Xylenes, Total	0.7000 µg/L 0% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Main supplier: MOREHEAD CITY, TOWN OF · 18,846 people · 2019	1/4	SYR4
Lead	0.0 mg/L 0% of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L Main supplier: MOREHEAD CITY, TOWN OF · 18,846 people · 2025 Highest in the city: 0.0030 mg/L — BRANDYWINE BAY · 2,245 people · 2023	4/4	LCR

Each bar shows the measured level as a share of the EPA limit: green is well under, amber is close to it, red is over. For lead and copper the limit applies to exactly the 90th-percentile figure shown, so red there means a real exceedance. For everything else the limit applies to a running annual average while the figure is the 95th percentile of the system's samples — over 100% is worth reading, but is not by itself a violation. Formal violations are listed separately. These are the utilities' own EPA-reported results, not a city-wide average. A detection means the lab measured the substance — it isn't the same as exceeding a legal limit. Hover a source tag to see the EPA program and years behind each figure.

Water suppliers serving Morehead City

Supplier	Population served
MOREHEAD CITY, TOWN OF	18,846
PINE KNOLL SHORES	4,800
BRANDYWINE BAY	2,245
BALLOU MHP	95

Frequently asked questions about Morehead City tap water

Is Morehead City tap water safe to drink?

EPA testing detected 15 contaminants in the water serving Morehead City. A detection isn't the same as a violation — most detected levels are within federal limits. Check the level and source for each contaminant above, and your utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report for the official compliance status.

How many water suppliers serve Morehead City?

4 public water suppliers report drinking-water monitoring for Morehead City, North Carolina to the EPA. Each is listed above with its population served.

What contaminants are in Morehead City's water?

The contaminants EPA monitoring detected in Morehead City include Copper, Fluoride, TTHM, Chloroform, Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5). The full list, with the level at the main supplier and the data source, is in the table above.

Where does this data come from?

Every figure is official EPA drinking-water monitoring — the Lead & Copper Rule, the UCMR-5 nationwide testing program, and the EPA Six-Year Review — not our own testing. Each number is labelled with its source and period.