Oak Island, NC Water Safety: 67/100 (2026)
1 ZIP code · 1 water system · Updated 2026-06-03
Drilling into federal monitoring figures for Oak Island in NC, the pattern is middle-of-the-road — some utilities have documented MCL exceedances or treatment technique violations in recent years, while others have operated without a single flag, making the city's grade a genuine average rather than a rounded-down high.
How Oak Island Compares
Data: EPA SDWIS Last verified: 2026-06-03
Oak Island Water: The Quick Version
- Homes built before 1986: 34% — older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $1,800 per household.
- CDC health risk index: 14.3 — above typical levels.
Water Systems Serving Oak Island
While 1 water system appear in federal records for Oak Island, NC, one provider supplies the majority of residential connections — making it the central point of infrastructure and compliance accountability for most households.
Overview
We track water quality and home safety data for 1 ZIP code in Oak Island, North Carolina (population ~8,689), covering 1 community water system serving approximately 26,924 people region-wide.
No EPA violations recorded across any ZIP codes in Oak Island — an excellent indicator of water quality.
Home Safety Score
Average Home Safety Score for Oak Island: C (67/100)
The score combines three factors:
| Factor | What It Measures |
|---|---|
| Water Quality | EPA violations and compliance history |
| Lead Levels | 90th percentile lead concentration vs EPA action level |
| Radon Risk | EPA radon zone classification |
Water Sources
Oak Island water systems draw from: Surface water.
Lead & Copper
- Lead data: not yet available for Oak Island
- 0 ZIP codes exceed the EPA lead action level
Radon Risk
Dominant radon zone: Zone 3 (Low Risk)
Areas with No Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | System | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28465 | C | Oak Island, Town of | 26,924 |
All ZIP Codes in Oak Island
- 28465 [C]
Data Sources
- Water quality: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS)
- Lead/copper: EPA Lead and Copper Rule sampling data
- Radon: EPA Map of Radon Zones
Updated daily.
CDC Health Data for Oak Island
Source: CDC PLACES (County-level estimates). Water contamination can correlate with respiratory and chronic health conditions.
Compared to National Average
Vertical line = national average. ■ Above national · ■ Below national
How Old Is Oak Island's Housing Stock?
Housing age data helps assess potential lead pipe and infrastructure risks. Newer housing stock generally means lower plumbing-related contamination risk.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS).
Housing Age Profile
Because Oak Island's housing stock spans a wide range of construction eras, the median build year of 1996 lands in a zone where two distinct risk populations share the same residential market. Homes built before 1986 may have lead-soldered copper plumbing joints — that practice was federally prohibited in 1986 but remained standard until then. The fraction built before 1970 face an additional risk: lead pipes used for service line connections were common before that decade, meaning both the pipe and the solder may be lead-containing in the oldest structures. Residents in mid-century or earlier homes face a different risk environment than neighbors in houses built after 1986, even if they drink from the same utility's supply — and that property-level divergence is what makes the age distribution above more diagnostic than the city-wide median alone.
Most homes in Oak Island were built after 1986, reducing the risk of lead contamination from plumbing. Older homes should still be tested.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS B25034.
Oak Island: Remediation Cost in Perspective
In Oak Island, the equity impact of remediation is proportionally small — not the kind of financial commitment that rises to the level of a genuine planning constraint, but a minor share of what most properties here are worth.
Remediation costs in Oak Island are relatively low compared to home values. The $1,200–$2,600 estimated range is a small fraction of median property value. Home values are 85% above the North Carolina average.
Protecting Children from Lead in Oak Island
Why children are most at risk: The CDC states there is no safe level of lead exposure for children. Children under 6 absorb lead more readily than adults, and even low levels can cause developmental delays, learning difficulties, and behavioral problems.
In recent monitoring under the Lead and Copper Rule, citywide samples for Oak Island have approached or crossed the regulatory action level on multiple occasions. Combined with 34% of stock dating from the pre-rule era, the picture supports baseline single-tap reads as a standard household-level step.
Sources: EPA Lead and Copper Rule, U.S. Census Bureau ACS, CDC childhood lead poisoning prevention guidelines.
Climate-Related Water Risk for Oak Island
Oak Island's flood profile — 2853 NFIP claims over the program's multi-decade period and 100% of ZIP codes within FEMA-designated flood zones — reflects a community where flooding has shaped the local risk landscape in sustained ways. That sustained exposure has specific consequences for water quality that don't apply to lower-exposure areas. Treatment facilities handling intake from flood-saturated watersheds face contaminant loads that can exceed normal filtration capacity. Private wells in FEMA-designated zones face surface infiltration risk during every significant event. Distribution systems in areas that flood repeatedly accumulate backflow stress over time. None of these represent constant threats to water quality, but they are activated by the kinds of events that the NFIP record shows have occurred here, repeatedly, over many years.
Oak Island has a significant flood history with 2,853 FEMA flood insurance claims on record, averaging $9,496 per claim. With 100% of ZIP codes in FEMA-designated flood zones, flood risk is a major concern for homeowners and water quality.
How flooding affects water quality: Flood events can introduce sewage, agricultural runoff, and industrial chemicals into water supplies. Even after floodwaters recede, contamination can persist in wells and aging infrastructure. Flood damage can add significantly to the estimated <strong>$1,800</strong> remediation cost per household.
Residents in flood-prone areas should consider flood insurance even outside FEMA zones — over 25% of flood claims come from low-to-moderate risk areas. After any flood event, test your water before drinking.
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data, FEMA flood zone designations.
What You Can Do in Oak Island
- Test your water at home. City-level data shows averages — your tap may differ. NSF-certified test kits cost $20-40 and give results in days.
- Install a certified water filter. An NSF-certified pitcher or under-sink filter removes most common contaminants.
- Check your home's plumbing. With 34% of homes built before 1986, lead solder is a real possibility.
Deep Dive Reports
Detailed analysis for Oak Island, NC