Safe
North Carolina, United States
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Last reviewed:
Is Tap Water Safe to Drink in Winston-Salem?
Yes, tap water in Winston-Salem is safe to drink. The city-county utility treats Yadkin River and Salem Lake water at three plants, and the finished water meets all EPA standards with soft Piedmont character.
Hardness
Soft
pH
7.2–7.8
TDS
70–150 mg/L
Utility
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities
Soft
Moderate
Hard
Very Hard
Water Source
The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County City-County Utility Commission draws primarily from the Yadkin River and Salem Lake, treating water at the R.A. Thomas, P.W. Swann, and R.W. Neilson plants.
EPA Compliance Status
Meets all federal Safe Drinking Water Act standards.
Notable Contaminants & Context
- •Disinfection byproducts from river-sourced water are monitored and kept within EPA limits
- •Legacy lead plumbing exists in some older Ardmore and West End era homes; corrosion control keeps measured levels low
- •Sediment and turbidity spikes after heavy Piedmont rains are handled by conventional filtration
How It Compares
Winston-Salem's Yadkin River intake sits upstream of the heavy industrial corridors farther down the Yadkin–Pee Dee basin, giving it cleaner raw water than many downstream users.
Tips
- •No softener needed; the water is naturally soft
- •Older homes can request lead testing through the utility commission
- •The annual water quality report covers all three treatment plants
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources & References
The safety rating and guidance on this page draw on the following sources. See our full methodology.
- •US EPA Safe Drinking Water Act regulations
- •EWG Tap Water Database
- •The utility's most recent Consumer Confidence Report (CCR)
- •WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality