No PFAS were detected in any of the 12 samples EPA's program collected.
City of Winston-salem is a public water system drawing on surface water, based in Pfafftown, North Carolina, serving about 391,900 people, including Belews Creek, Clemmons, Germanton, Lewisville, Pfafftown, Rural Hall. Under EPA's Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule it was tested for 29 PFAS and lithium 12 times across 3 sampling points between Aug 2023 and May 2024.
None of the 29 PFAS were found at or above EPA's minimum reporting levels (2 to 20 ppt depending on the compound).
Not detected: PFBA, 6:2 FTS, HFPO-DA, PFHxA, PFDoA, 9Cl-PF3ONS, 4:2 FTS, PFUnA, 8:2 FTS, PFMPA, PFPeA, PFEESA, PFDA, NFDHA, PFPeS, PFMBA, PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, PFHxS, PFBS, PFHpA, 11Cl-PF3OUdS, NMeFOSAA, PFHpS, ADONA, PFTrDA, PFTA, NEtFOSAA.
Lithium, tested in the same program: not detected.
In April 2024 EPA set enforceable limits of 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS, 10 ppt each for PFHxS, PFNA and GenX, and a hazard index of 1 for mixtures. Utilities were given until 2029 to comply. In May 2026 EPA proposed keeping only the PFOA and PFOS limits and moving that deadline to 2031. Until that proposal is final, the 2024 limits stand.
Compliance is judged on a running annual average at each entry point, so we show the average at this system's worst sampling point next to its single highest result. UCMR 5 results do not by themselves put a utility in or out of compliance.
No PFAS action is needed on these results. If your water tastes or smells of chlorine, a whole-house city water filter is the usual fix.
All 291 tested systems in North Carolina
27009 27012 27019 27023 27040 27045 27050 27051 27052 27101 27103 27104 27105 27106 27107 27109 27110 27127 27157 27235 27284 27310
As reported by the utility to EPA. Neighbouring ZIPs are often split between systems; your water bill names yours.
Well & Tap. "PFAS in City of Winston-salem water: EPA UCMR 5 results." Data: U.S. EPA Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, final release August 2026, PWSID NC0234010. https://wellandtap.com/pfas/north-carolina/city-of-winston-salem/
Source: U.S. EPA, UCMR 5 occurrence data, final release August 2026 (PWSID NC0234010). Population: EPA SDWIS. Averages count results below the reporting level as zero, the same convention EPA uses for running annual averages. Full method.
