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Is Clemmons Tap Water Safe to Drink?

Yes! Generally Safe to Drink*

LAST UPDATED: 7:48 pm, July 24, 2022
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Table of Contents

Can You Drink Tap Water in Clemmons?

Yes, Clemmons's tap water is generally considered safe to drink as Clemmons has no active health based violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) that we are aware of. Other factors such as lead piping in a home, or low levels of pollutants on immunocompromised individuals, should also be considered, however. To find more recent info we might have, you can check out our boil water notice page or the city's water provider website.

According the EPA’s ECHO database, from April 30, 2019 to June 30, 2022, Clemmons's water utility, City of Winston-Salem, had 3 non-health-based violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act. For more details on the violations, please see our violation history section below. The last violation for Clemmons was resolved on July 31, 2021. This assessment is based on the City of Winston-Salem water system, other water systems in the city may have different results.

While tap water that meets the EPA health guidelines generally won’t make you sick to your stomach, it can still contain regulated and unregulated contaminants present in trace amounts that could potentially cause health issues over the long-run. These trace contaminants may also impact immunocompromised and vulnerable individuals.

The EPA is reviewing if it’s current regulations around pollutant levels in tap water are strict enough, and the health dangers posed by unregulated pollutants, like PFAS.

Water Quality Report for Clemmons Tap Water

The most recent publicly available numbers for measured contaminant levels in Clemmons tap water are in its 2020 Water Quality Report. As you can see, there are levels which the EPA considers to be acceptable, but being below the maximum allowable level doesn’t necessarily mean the water is healthy.

Lead in tap water, for example, is currently allowed at up to 15ppb by the EPA, but it has set the ideal goal for lead at zero. This highlights how meeting EPA standards doesn’t necessarily mean local tap water is healthy.

EPA regulations continue to change as it evaluates the long term impacts of chemicals and updates drinking water acceptable levels. The rules around arsenic, as well as, lead and copper are currently being re-evaluated.

There are also a number of "emerging" contaminants that are not currently. For example, PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), for which the EPA has issued a health advisory. PFAS are called "forever chemicals" since they tend not to break down in the environment or the human body and can accumulate over time.

We recommend looking at the contaminants present in Clemmons's water quality reports, or getting your home's tap water tested to see if you should be filtering your water.

Clemmons Tap Water Safe Drinking Water Act Violation History - Prior 10 Years

Below is a ten year history of violations for the water system named City of Winston-Salem for Clemmons in North Carolina. For more details please see the "What do these Violations Mean?" section below.

From July 1, 2021 to July 31, 2021, Clemmons had 1 non-health based Safe Drinking Water Act violation with the violation category being Monitoring and Reporting, more specifically, the violation code was Monitoring, Turbidity (Enhanced SWTR) which falls into the Microbials rule code group, and the Surface Water Treatment Rules rule code family for the following contaminant code: Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule.

From Dec. 1, 2019 to Dec. 31, 2019, Clemmons had 1 non-health based Safe Drinking Water Act violation with the violation category being Monitoring and Reporting, more specifically, the violation code was Monitoring of Treatment (SWTR-Filter) which falls into the Microbials rule code group, and the Surface Water Treatment Rules rule code family for the following contaminant code: Surface Water Treatment Rule.

From Nov. 1, 2019 to Nov. 30, 2019, Clemmons had 1 non-health based Safe Drinking Water Act violation with the violation category being Monitoring and Reporting, more specifically, the violation code was Monitoring of Treatment (SWTR-Filter) which falls into the Microbials rule code group, and the Surface Water Treatment Rules rule code family for the following contaminant code: Surface Water Treatment Rule.

Is there Lead in Clemmons Water?

Based on the EPA’s ECHO Database, 90% of the samples taken from the Clemmons water system, City of Winston-Salem, between sample start date and sample end date, were at or below, 0.062 mg/L of lead in Clemmons water. This is 413.3% of the 0.015 mg/L action level. This means 10% of the samples taken from Clemmons contained more lead.

While Clemmons water testing may have found 0.062 mg/L of lead in its water, that does not mean your water source has the same amount. The amount of lead in water in a city can vary greatly from neighborhood to neighborhood, or even building to building. Many buildings, particularly older ones, have lead pipes or service lines which can be a source of contamination. To find out if your home has lead, we recommend getting you water tested.

No amount of lead in water is healthy, only less dangerous. As lead accumulates in our bodies over time, even exposure to relatively small amounts can have negative health effects. For more information, please check out our Lead FAQ page.

Are there PFAS in Clemmons Tap Water?

Currently, testing tap water for PFAS isn’t mandated on a national level. We do have a list of military bases where there have been suspected or confirmed leaks. There appears to be at least one military base - Salisbury AASF #2 - near Clemmons with suspected leaks.

With many potential sources of PFAS in tap water across the US, the best information we currently have about which cities have PFAS in their water is this ewg map, which you can check to see if Clemmons has been evaluated for yet.

Our stance is better safe than sorry, and that it makes sense to try to purify the tap water just in case.

Clemmons SDWA Violation History Table - Prior 10 Years

Compliance Period Status Health-Based? Category Code Code Rule Code Contaminant Code Rule Group Code Rule Family Code
07/01/2021 - 07/31/2021 Resolved No Monitoring and Reporting (MR) Monitoring, Turbidity (Enhanced SWTR) (38) Long Term 1 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (122) Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (0300) Microbials (100) Surface Water Treatment Rules (120)
12/01/2019 - 12/31/2019 Resolved No Monitoring and Reporting (MR) Monitoring of Treatment (SWTR-Filter) (36) Surface Water Treatment Rule (121) Surface Water Treatment Rule (0200) Microbials (100) Surface Water Treatment Rules (120)
11/01/2019 - 11/30/2019 Resolved No Monitoring and Reporting (MR) Monitoring of Treatment (SWTR-Filter) (36) Surface Water Treatment Rule (121) Surface Water Treatment Rule (0200) Microbials (100) Surface Water Treatment Rules (120)

What do these Violations Mean?

Safe Drinking Water Act Violations categories split into two groups, health based, and non-health based. Generally, health based violations are more serious, though non-health based violations can also be cause for concern.

Health Based Violations

  1. Maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) - maximum allowed contaminant level was exceeded.
  2. Maximum residual disinfectant levels (MRDLs) - maximum allowed disinfectant level was exceeded.
  3. Other violations (Other) - the exact required process to reduce the amounts of contaminants in drinking water was not followed.

Non-Health Based Violations

  1. Monitoring and reporting violations (MR, MON) - failure to conduct the required regular monitoring of drinking water quality, and/or to submit monitoring results on time.
  2. Public notice violations (Other) - failure to immediately alert consumers if there is a serious problem with their drinking water that may pose a risk to public health.
  3. Other violations (Other) - miscellaneous violations, such as failure to issue annual consumer confidence reports or maintain required records.

SDWA Table Key

Field Description
Compliance Period Dates of the compliance period.
Status Current status of the violation.
  • Resolved - The violation has at least one resolving enforcement action. In SDWIS, this indicates that either the system has returned to compliance from the violation, the rule that was violated was no longer applicable, or no further action was needed.
  • Archived - The violation is not Resolved, but is more than five years past its compliance period end date. In keeping with the Enforcement Response Policy, the violation no longer contributes to the public water system's overall compliance status. Unresolved violations are also marked as Archived when a system ceases operations (becomes inactive).
  • Addressed - The violation is not Resolved or Archived, and is addressed by one or more formal enforcement actions.
  • Unaddressed - The violation is not Resolved or Archived, and has not been addressed by formal enforcement.
show details
Health-Based? Whether the violation is health based.
Category Code
The category of violation that is reported.
  • TT - Treatment Technique Violation
  • MRDL - Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level
  • Other - Other Violation
  • MCL - Maximum Contaminant Level Violation
  • MR - Monitoring and Reporting
  • MON - Monitoring Violation
  • RPT - Reporting Violation
show details
Code A full description of violation codes can be accessed in the SDWA_REF_CODE_VALUES (CSV) table.
Contaminant Code A code value that represents a contaminant for which a public water system has incurred a violation of a primary drinking water regulation.
Rule Code Code for a National Drinking Water rule.
  • 110 - Total Coliform Rule
  • 121 - Surface Water Treatment Rule
  • 122 - Long Term 1 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule
  • 123 - Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule
  • 130 - Filter Backwash Rule
  • 140 - Ground Water Rule
  • 210 - Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule
  • 220 - Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule
  • 230 - Total Trihalomethanes
  • 310 - Volatile Organic Chemicals
  • 331 - Nitrates
  • 332 - Arsenic
  • 333 - Inorganic Chemicals
  • 320 - Synthetic Organic Chemicals
  • 340 - Radionuclides
  • 350 - Lead and Copper Rule
  • 410 - Public Notice Rule
  • 420 - Consumer Confidence Rule
  • 430 - Miscellaneous
  • 500 - Not Regulated
  • 111 - Revised Total Coliform Rule
show details
Rule Group Code Code that uniquely identifies a rule group.
  • 120 - Surface Water Treatment Rules
  • 130 - Filter Backwash Rule
  • 140 - Groundwater Rule
  • 210 - Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule
  • 220 - Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule
  • 230 - Total Trihalomethanes
  • 310 - Volatile Organic Chemicals
  • 320 - Synthetic Organic Chemicals
  • 330 - Inorganic Chemicals
  • 340 - Radionuclides
  • 350 - Lead and Copper Rule
  • 400 - Other
  • 500 - Not Regulated
  • 110 - Total Coliform Rules
  • 410 - Public Notice Rule
  • 420 - Consumer Confidence Rule
  • 430 - Miscellaneous
show details
Rule Family Code Code for rule family.
  • 100 - Microbials
  • 200 - Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule
  • 300 - Chemicals
  • 400 - Other
  • 500 - Not Regulated
show details

For more clarification please visit the EPA's data dictionary.

Clemmons Water - Frequently Asked Questions

DID YOU KNOW?
In 1774, the Moravians of Salem began work on one of the nation’s ￿rst water systems. Water was delivered through bored-out logs joined end-to-end, a design praised by President Washington during his 1791 visit.
HOW DO I CONTACT CLEMMONS CUSTOMER SERVICE?
To contact customer service for the Clemmons water provider, City of Winston-Salem, please use the information below.
By Mail: 2800 RIVER RIDGE RD
PFAFFTOWN, NC, 27040
HOW TO PAY BILL FOR CITY OF WINSTON-SALEM
Already have an account?

Existing customers can login to their City of Winston-Salem account to pay their Clemmons water bill by clicking here.

Want to create a new account?

If you want to pay your City of Winston-Salem bill online and haven't made an account yet, you can create an account online. Please click here to create your account to pay your Clemmons water bill.

Want to pay without an account?

If you don't want to make an account, or can't remember your account, you can make a one-time payment towards your Clemmons water bill without creating an account using a one time payment portal with your account number and credit or debit card. Click here to make a one time payment.

HOW TO START & STOP CLEMMONS WATER SERVICE
Starting Your Service

Moving to a new house or apartment in Clemmons means you will often need to put the water in your name with City of Winston-Salem. In order to put the water in your name, please click the link to the start service form below. Start service requests for water bills typically take two business days.

Start Service Form

Want to create a new account?

Leaving your house or apartment in Clemmons means you will likely need to take your name off of the water bill with City of Winston-Salem. In order to take your name off the water bill, please click the link to the stop service form below. Stop service for water bills requests typically take two business days.

Stop Service Form

USER SUBMITTED RATINGS

Clemmons tap water
  • Drinking Water Pollution and Inaccessibility 26% Low
  • Water Pollution 42% Moderate
  • Drinking Water Quality and Accessibility 75% High
  • Water Quality 59% Moderate

The above data is comprised of subjective, user submitted opinions about the water quality and pollution in Clemmons, measured on a scale from 0% (lowest) to 100% (highest).

Related FAQS

Clemmons Water Quality Report (Consumer Confidence Report)

The EPA mandates that towns and cities consistently monitor and test their tap water. They must report their findings in an annual Consumer Confidence Report. Below is the most recent water quality report from Clemmons's Water. If you would like to see the original version of the report, please click here.

2020 Water Quality Report

Produced by Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities | P.O. Box 2511 Winston-Salem, NC 27102 | City Link 311 or 336-727-8000

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities drinking water meets all water quality standards

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities operates three water treatment facilities drawing water from both the Yadkin River and Salem Lake. Together, these water treatment facilities can produce up to 91 million gallons of drinking water per day. The Neilson and Swann Water Treatment Plants can treat 48 and 25 million gallons per day, respectively, from the Yadkin River. The Thomas Water Treatment Plant can treat 18 million gallons per day from Salem Lake and the Yadkin River.

For 2020, as in previous years, these treatment facilities have met or surpassed all state

and federal standards for drinking water quality. This accomplishment refl ects the quality and dedication of the employees who work year-round to provide adequate supplies of safe drinking water.

This report includes details about the sources of your drinking water, how it is treated, what it contains and exactly how it compares to state and federal standards. We provide this updated information annually because we are committed to delivering top-quality drinking water to our customers.

Flowing through history…

Did you know?

In 1774, the Moravians of Salem began work on one of the nation’s ￿rst water systems. Water was delivered through bored-out logs joined end-to-end, a design praised by President Washington during his 1791 visit.

Tobaccoville

 

 

 

Tank

RURAL

 

 

 

 

HALL

 

 

 

TOBACCOVILLE

 

-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stanleyville

F O R S Y T H

 

 

Tank

BETHANIA

 

WALKERTOWN

 

 

 

 

 

Oldtown

 

 

 

Swann

Tank

 

 

 

Plant

 

 

Walkertown

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tank

Kernersville

 

 

WFU

 

 

 

 

Tank

 

 

Tank

 

 

 

 

15th St.

 

LEWISVILLE

 

Tank

 

KERNERSVILLE

 

9th St.

 

Graves

Lewisville

WINSTON-

 

SALEM

Tank

 

St.

Tank

 

 

 

Tank

 

 

Thomas

 

 

 

Plant

 

 

 

Chitty

 

 

Glenn High

 

 

 

Tank

 

Tank

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clemmons

Sides Rd.

 

 

Tank

 

 

 

CLEMMONS

 

Tank

Map not to scale

 

Neilson

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plant

 

 

 

Idols Plant

 

 

 

 

Quench Your Thirst! Our water is safe and satisfying, so skip the bottle and save big $$$!

Protecting Our Water Sources

Sources of both tap and bottled drinking water include rivers, lakes, reservoirs, springs and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material. Water can also pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity.

Contaminants that may be present in source water include:

  • Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from waste- water treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations and wildlife.
  • Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can occur naturally or result from urban storm water runoff, industrial or wastewater discharges, oil and gas productions, mining or farming.
  • Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agricul- ture, urban storm water runoff and residential uses.
  • Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production and can come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff and septic systems.
  • Radioactive contaminants which can occur naturally or as a result of oil and gas production and mining activities.

To ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the Environmental Protection Agency limits the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Food

Wake Forest Water Tankand Drug Administration regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health.

Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791.

North Carolina Source Water Assessment

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Public Water Supply (PWS) Section, Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP) conducted assessments for all drinking water sources across North Carolina. The purpose of the assessments was to determine the susceptibility of each drinking water source (well or surface water intake) to Potential Contaminant Sources (PCSs). The results of the assessment are available in SWAP Assessment Reports that include maps, background informa- tion and a relative susceptibility rating of Higher, Moderate or Lower.

The relative susceptibility rating of each source for the City of Winston-Salem (PWSID

0234010) was determined by combining the contaminant rating (number and location

of PCSs within the assessment area) and the inherent vulnerability rating (i.e., charac-

teristics or existing conditions of the well or watershed and its delineated assessmentSalem Lake Marina area). The assessment fi ndings are summarized in the table below:

Source Water Assessment Program Results Summary

 

Inherent

Contaminant

Susceptibility

Source Name

Vulnerability

Rating

Rating

 

Rating

 

 

 

Salem Lake

Moderate

Higher

Higher

Yadkin River (Idols Dam)

Higher

Moderate

Higher

Yadkin River

Higher

Lower

Moderate

(PW Swann WTP)

 

 

 

Table 2 of SWAP Report for Winston-Salem * Water Treatment Plant (WTP)

The complete SWAP Assessment report for the City of Winston-Salem may be viewed on the Web at: ncwater.org/?page=600. Please indicate your system name (Win- ston-Salem, City of) and number (0234010).

Note that because SWAP results and reports are periodically updated by the PWS Section, the results available on this web site may differ from the results that were available at the time this report was prepared.

If you are unable to access your SWAP report on the web, you may mail a written request for a printed copy to:

Source Water Assessment Program – Report Request, 1634 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1634, or email requests to swap@ncdenr.gov.

Please indicate your system name (Winston-Salem, City of), number (0234010), and provide your name, mailing address and phone number.

If you have any questions about the SWAP report please contact the Source Water

Assessment staff by phone at 919-707-9098.

It is important to understand that a susceptibility rating of “higher” does not imply poor water quality, only the system’s potential to become contaminated by PCSs in the assessment area.

Glenn High School Water Tank

Treated Water Quality

The following substances were detected in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities public water supply during the 2020 calendar year.

Regulated at the Treatment Plant

Substance

Highest Level Allowed

Ideal Goals (EPA's

Range of

Average Level

(EPA's MCL1)

MCLG2)

Detections

Detected

 

Barium, ppb4

2000

2000

13.0 - 21.0

16.0

Fluoride, ppm5

4.06

4.0

0.01 - 1.01

0.79

Orthophosphate, ppm

N/A

0.50 – 5.0012

0.37 - 1.01

0.86

Total Organic Carbon, ppm

Treatment Technique7

N/A

0.79 - 1.53

1.03

Turbidity, NTU8

Treatment Technique9

N/A

0.02 - 0.35

0.05

Source

Natural geology; drilling operations; metal refinery wastes

Erosion of natural deposits; Water addi- tive, promotes strong teeth

Water treatment additive to prevent pipe corrosion

Naturally present in the environment Soil erosion

Regulated in the Distribution System

Total Trihalomethanes, ppb

80

LRAA10

0.0

18.2 - 98.8

53.4

Byproducts of drinking water disinfection

Total Haloacetic Acids (5), ppb

60

LRAA

0.0

16.4 - 54.8

32.2

Byproducts of drinking water disinfection

Chlorine, ppm

4.0

 

4.0

0.04 - 1.86

0.97

Water treatment additive for disinfection

Total Coliforms

Less than 5% positive

0.0

ND - 0.54%11

0.05%

Naturally present in the environment

Unregulated Substances at the Treatment Plant - Point of Entry

Geosmin, ppt3

Not Regulated

2-methylisoborneol, ppt

Not Regulated

Unregulated Substances at the Treatment Plant - Source Water

Geosmin, ppt

Not Regulated

2-methylisoborneol, ppt

Not Regulated

DEFINITIONS:

  1. Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) - The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water.
  2. Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) - The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health.
  3. ppt - One part per trillion. - (For example, one penny in $10,000,000,000.)
  4. ppb - One part per billion. - (For example, one penny in $10,000,000.)
  5. ppm - One part per million. - (For example, one penny in $10,000.)
  6. The EPA’s maximum contaminant level for fluoride is 4.0 mg/L, however the State of North Carolina has established a maximum contaminant level of 2.0 mg/L.
  7. Treatment technique - Treatment technique for total organic carbon was complied throughout 2019.
  8. NTU - nephelometric turbidity unit, a measure of the cloudiness of water.

ND - 7.1

3.10

Byproduct of algae growth13

ND - 5.8

1.60

Byproduct of algae growth13

ND - 7.7

2.8

Byproduct of algae growth

ND - 40.4

8.1

Byproduct of algae growth

  1. Treatment technique - 95% of the measurements taken in one month must be below 0.3 NTU. Turbidity treatment technique was complied with throughout 2020.
  2. Locational running annual average - average of last four quarters of samples collected at each location at 12 monitoring sites.
  3. 1 TC positive sample out of 185 in August 2020 = 0.54%
  4. A corrosion study was conducted that determined the ideal orthophosphate range for reducing lead and copper corrosion in our system was between 0.50 – 5.00 ppm.
  5. These compounds are created by algae in raw water that can cause an earthy/musty taste or odor in drinking water. While some people may find this unpleasant, there are no known negative health impacts associated with their consumption.

ND= not detected

Physical & Mineral Characteristics Calendar Year 2020

CONSTITUENT

ANNUAL RANGE

ANNUAL AVERAGE

DETECTED

 

 

Alkalinity, ppm

15.00

- 26.00

20.60

Aluminum, ppm

0.006

- 0.027

0.011

Calcium, ppm

3.21 - 4.580

3.90

Carbon Dioxide, ppm

1.00

- 9.50

3.40

Chlorine, ppm

0.75

- 1.82

1.42

Conductivity, micromhos/cm

78.80 - 130.40

96.20

Copper, ppm

ND - 0.021

0.002

Hardness, ppm

10.0 - 26.00

17.60

Iron, ppm

ND - 0.011

<0.010

Lead, ppm

ND - 0.001

<0.001

Magnesium, ppm

1.17

- 1.72

1.42

Manganese, ppm

ND - 0.011

0.001

Nickel, ppm

ND - 0.001

<0.001

pH, Standard Units

6.80

- 8.30

7.50

Phosphate, ppm

0.68

- 1.04

0.86

Potassium, ppm

1.34

- 3.24

1.78

Silica, ppm

3.78 - 16.90

10.50

Sodium, ppm

7.94 - 16.40

10.20

Zinc, ppm

0.173

- 0.273

0.215

ND = Not detected

Swann Water Treatment Plant

Cryptosporidium sp. This is a microscopic organism that, when ingested, can cause diarrhea, fever and other gastrointestinal symptoms. The organism occurs naturally in surface waters (lakes & streams)

and comes from animal waste. Cryptosporidium sp. is eliminated by an effective treatment combination of coagulation, sedimentation, filtration and disinfection.

We have completed two rounds of 24-month sampling at all of our water sources and have not detected any cryptosporidium. In addition, Crypto- sporidium sp. has never been detected in our treated drinking water.

Special Concerns Some people may be more vulnerable to contam- inants in drinking water than the general population. People whose immune systems have been compromised – such as people undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly and infants – can be particularly at risk for infections.

These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. Environmental Protection Agency and Centers for Disease Control guidelines on appropriate means to lessen risk of infection by Cryptosporidium sp. and other microbiological contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791.

En Español Si desea recibir una copia de este reporte en Español o si tiene preguntas con respecto a la calidad del agua que consume, por favor comuniquese con el departamento the servicios públicos durante las horas de trabajo, el teléfono es 336-727-8000 o visite cityofws.org/wqr2020espanol.

Sides Road Water Tank

Lead Exposure from Water

Elevated levels of lead in drinking water can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water comes primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing.

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities is responsible for providing high-quality drinking water, but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components.

When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to two minutes before using water for drinking or cooking.

If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested by calling City Link 311 (336-727-8000). Information and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791 or epa.gov/ safewater/lead.

Regulated at the Consumers Tap - 2019 Compliance Samples

Substance

Highest Level

Ideal Goals (EPA's

Allowed (EPA's MCL1)

MCLG2)

 

Lead, ppb3

15.0 (action level4)

0.0

Copper, ppb

1300.0 (action level)

1300.0

Unregulated at the Consumers Tap - 2020 Customer Samples

Lead, ppb

15.0 (action level)

0.0

Copper, ppb

1300.0 (action level)

1300.0

Number of Sites Sampled

53

53

17

17

Number of Sites

90th Percentile

Above the Action

Concentration, ppb

Level

 

1

<3.0

0

<50.0

0

<3.0

0

<50.0

Source (both lead and copper)

Corrosion of household plumbing. Erosion of natural deposits.

DEFINITIONS:

  1. Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) - The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water.
  2. Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) - The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health.
  3. ppb - One part per billion. - (For example, one penny in $10,000,000.)
  4. Action Level - The concentration of a contaminant that triggers treatment or other requirement that a water system must follow. Action levels are reported as the 90th percentile, which is the concentration that 90 percent of the locations sampled falls below. In 2019, our 90th percentile values were lead <3.0 and copper 0.56 ppb.
    ND= not detected

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities is governed by the WSFC Utility Commission, which meets on the second Monday of each month. Meeting details at cityofws.org/utilitycommission. For questions about this report or the quality of our drinking water, call City Link 311 or 336-727-8000.

CITY OF WINSTON-SALEM

Mayor: Allen Joines

Denise D. Adams, Mayor Pro Tempore, North Ward

Barbara Hanes Burke, Northeast Ward

Robert C. Clark, West Ward

John C. Larson, South Ward

Jeff MacIntosh, Northwest Ward

Kevin Mundy, Southwest Ward

Annette Scippio, East Ward

James Taylor, Jr., Southeast Ward

City Manager: Lee D. Garrity

FORSYTH COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

David R. Plyler, Chair

Don Martin, Vice Chair

Fleming El-Amin

Ted Kaplan

Richard V. Linville

Tonya D. McDaniel

Gloria D. Whisenhunt

County Manager: Dudley Watts, Jr.

WSFC UTILITY COMMISSION

Randall S. Tuttle, Chair

L. Wesley Curtis, Jr., Vice Chair

Harold E. Day

Tom Griffin

Yvonne H. Hines

Duane Long

Hugh W. Jernigan

Chris Parker

Donald R. Stewart

Charles Wilson

Allan Younger

Produced by Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities P.O. Box 2511

Winston-Salem, N.C. 27102 City Link 311 or 336-727-8000

PWSID 0234010

Copies of this report are available at cityofws.org/ waterquality2020 or cityofws.org/wqr2020espanol.

Contaminants


City of Winston-Salem

EWG's drinking water quality report shows results of tests conducted by the water utility and provided to the Environmental Working Group by the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, as well as information from the U.S. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History database (ECHO). For the latest quarter assessed by the U.S. EPA (January 2019 - March 2019), tap water provided by this water utility was in compliance with federal health-based drinking water standards.

Utility details

  • Serves: 312773
  • Data available: 2012-2017
  • Data Source: Surface water
  • Total: 17

Contaminants That Exceed Guidelines

  • Bromodichloromethane
  • Chloroform
  • Chromium (hexavalent)
  • Dibromochloromethane
  • Dichloroacetic acid
  • Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
  • Trichloroacetic acid

Other Detected Contaminants

  • Atrazine
  • Chlorate
  • Dibromoacetic acid
  • Fluoride
  • Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
  • Monochloroacetic acid
  • Nitrate
  • Nitrate and nitrite
  • Strontium
  • Vanadium

Reminder

Always take extra precautions, the water may be safe to drink when it leaves the sewage treatment plant but it may pick up pollutants during its way to your tap. We advise that you ask locals or hotel staff about the water quality. Also, note that different cities have different water mineral contents.

Sources and Resources

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