New Hanover County tap water is a top worry for relocating buyers, and the real story is more reassuring than the headlines. This is the New Hanover County deep dive in my Cape Fear water series. For the big-picture overview — what GenX and PFAS are and how the three counties compare — start with Water in Wilmington, NC: What Every Buyer Asks.
If you’re relocating to Wilmington and you’ve read anything about the Cape Fear River, you’ve probably landed on the big question: is the tap water actually safe? New Hanover County is where the GenX story broke in 2017, so it’s a fair thing to ask. The good news is that CFPUA’s answer today is one of the strongest in the region. Here’s the straight version.
I’m a REALTOR®, not a toxicologist — everything below is sourced from public utility records, EPA guidance, and local reporting, with links throughout.
The short answer
Yes. The Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA) — which serves the city of Wilmington and most of unincorporated New Hanover County — now filters PFAS and GenX out of its drinking water to at or near non-detect levels, and has since 2022. If you’re on CFPUA, this is about as good as public tap water gets in the Cape Fear region right now.
What CFPUA actually does
CFPUA’s Sweeney Water Treatment Plant draws raw water from the Cape Fear River — the same river that runs past the old Chemours/DuPont Fayetteville Works plant upstream. To deal with what’s in that water, CFPUA completed a major upgrade in 2022, adding eight deep-bed granular activated carbon (GAC) filters — one of the largest GAC systems of its kind in the country.
GAC is one of only two technologies (along with reverse osmosis) proven to meaningfully reduce PFAS in drinking water. Since those filters came online, CFPUA’s regular testing has shown PFAS and GenX at or near non-detect in the finished water that reaches your tap. That’s a dramatic improvement over the pre-2022 numbers that made national news.
The catch with GAC is that it loses effectiveness the longer the media is used, so CFPUA is now exchanging the carbon more frequently — which adds roughly $1 million a year to operating costs but keeps treatment aggressive. All told, CFPUA reports having spent around $91 million addressing PFAS, and it’s suing Chemours and DuPont to recover those costs rather than putting the whole bill on ratepayers.
The one wrinkle: ultrashort-chain PFAS
Here’s the honest nuance. GAC is excellent at capturing the longer-chain PFAS people worry about most (PFOA, PFOS, GenX), but it’s less effective at “ultrashort-chain” compounds like PFMOAA, PFPrA, and TFA, which CFPUA still detects in small amounts and reports transparently on its emerging contaminants page. The science and regulations on these ultrashort compounds are still developing, and no conventional treatment fully removes them yet. It’s not unique to Wilmington — it’s a frontier issue nationwide — but it’s worth knowing.
Three things every New Hanover buyer should know
1. Not every New Hanover address is on CFPUA. Most are, but pockets of the county — and some newer developments — use private wells or a small private utility. Check the top of the water bill on the seller’s disclosure to confirm who actually serves the property, or look it up by ZIP on the EWG Tap Water Database.
2. CFPUA also runs a groundwater plant. In addition to Sweeney (river water), CFPUA operates the Richardson Nanofiltration Plant, which treats groundwater from the Castle Hayne aquifer for part of the system. Different source, different treatment — both meet federal standards.
3. “Near non-detect” isn’t literally zero. CFPUA’s water comfortably meets every current federal standard, including the EPA’s 2024 limit of 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS. If you want your household exposure at functionally zero — including those ultrashort compounds — an under-sink filter is the move (see below).
What buyers can actually do
If you want to drop your home’s PFAS exposure to functionally zero regardless of utility:
- Reverse osmosis (RO) filter under the kitchen sink — $200 to $500 installed, brings PFOA, PFOS, GenX, and most other PFAS down to non-detect at the tap you actually drink from. This is the move I’d personally consider, especially for families with young kids, anyone pregnant, or anyone immunocompromised.
- Whole-house GAC system — bigger investment ($1,500–$4,000) but treats every fixture. Worth pricing if you’re already remodeling.
- On a well? Add a full PFAS panel to your inspection contingency — the standard well test won’t catch PFAS. Clean Cape Fear keeps a current list of local testing resources.
The bottom line
Of the three Cape Fear counties, New Hanover / CFPUA is the one where the public utility has already done the heavy lifting. The water meets every current federal standard and tests at or near non-detect for the PFAS most people worry about. Knowing the difference between “legally compliant” and “optimal” — and where the ultrashort-chain frontier still sits — is just good due diligence, the same way you’d check flood zones or insurance quotes before you write an offer.
House hunting in Wilmington, Ogden, Porters Neck, or anywhere in New Hanover County and want help confirming which utility serves a specific home — or a referral to a local water-testing lab? Reach out anytime at 910-983-8963.
Keep reading: Brunswick County water guide · Pender County water guide · The big-picture Wilmington water overview
Tabetha Klein is a REALTOR® with Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage in Wilmington, NC, serving New Hanover, Brunswick, and Pender counties. This post is informational and is not health, legal, or environmental advice. Always consult licensed professionals for testing and treatment decisions on your specific property.
Sources & further reading
- CFPUA: Drinking Water Quality
- CFPUA: Sweeney Treatment Enhancements Project (GAC)
- CFPUA: Latest PFAS Test Results
- CFPUA: Emerging Contaminants (ultrashort-chain PFAS)
- EPA: PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (2024)
- Clean Cape Fear: Water testing resources
- Environmental Working Group: Tap Water Database