Valdese, Town of
EPA ID: NC0112010 · 13,571 people served · 4 ZIP codes
Pulled from the federal compliance ledger, 5 violations at Valdese, Town of remain without resolution — the utility delivers drinking water to roughly 13,571 residents.
Data: EPA SDWIS Last verified: 2026-04-02
Service Area Map
Coverage area for Valdese, Town of Source: EPA SDWIS service area boundaries.
Service area boundary — Grade C
Service Area Demographics
The Valdese, Town of serves a community with a median household income of $61,991 and an estimated 77,054 residents across its service area. Approximately 63% of housing stock was built before 1986, which increases the likelihood of lead service lines and older plumbing.
Environmental Justice Note: 83% of the population in this service area is classified as disadvantaged under EPA's EJScreen criteria. Communities with higher disadvantaged populations often face disproportionate environmental and health burdens, including aging water infrastructure and limited resources for remediation.
🌊 Where Does Your Water Come From?
Valdese, Town of's water is drawn from rivers, lakes, or reservoirs. Surface water sources are more exposed to agricultural runoff, stormwater, and upstream discharges, but they typically receive more intensive treatment before reaching your tap.
About 1% of homes in Burke County, North Carolina rely on private wells rather than public water systems. Private well owners are responsible for their own water testing and treatment.
Infrastructure Risk
Detected Contaminants
How Valdese, Town of compares to EPA limits
What This Means For You
Fecal Coliform at 15 presence exceeds the EPA maximum of presence.
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) at 1 mg/L exceeds the EPA maximum of 0.08 mg/L. Bladder & rectal cancer risk; reproductive concerns. Consider granular activated carbon (GAC) filtration.
Consumer Confidence Report Rule at 1 mg/L exceeds the EPA maximum of mg/L.
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) was detected in this water system. granular activated carbon (GAC) filtration can reduce exposure.
Find a certified water filter →Comparable Water Systems
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Estimated Remediation Costs
Average estimated costs across ZIP codes served by this system
Based on national averages for common remediation projects. Actual costs vary by property. Only issues flagged by EPA, FEMA, or state data for each ZIP code are included.
System Overview
Valdese, Town of (EPA ID: NC0112010) is a community water system in North Carolina that serves approximately 13,571 people from surface water sources.
This system provides water to 4 ZIP codes across 4 communities.
Average Home Safety Score: C (61/100)
Based on water quality violations, lead levels, and radon risk across all ZIP codes served by this system.
Violation History
Recent Violations
| Date | Contaminant | Type | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 1, 2024 | Fecal Coliform | Monitoring | Resolved |
| October 1, 2024 | Fecal Coliform | Monitoring | Resolved |
| August 29, 2024 | Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) | Monitoring | Resolved |
| May 1, 2024 | Fecal Coliform | Monitoring | Unresolved |
| April 1, 2024 | Fecal Coliform | Monitoring | Unresolved |
| March 1, 2024 | Fecal Coliform | Monitoring | Unresolved |
| February 1, 2024 | Fecal Coliform | Monitoring | Unresolved |
| January 1, 2024 | Fecal Coliform | Monitoring | Unresolved |
| December 1, 2023 | Fecal Coliform | Monitoring | Resolved |
| October 1, 2023 | Fecal Coliform | Monitoring | Resolved |
| June 1, 2023 | Fecal Coliform | Monitoring | Resolved |
| January 1, 2023 | Fecal Coliform | Monitoring | Resolved |
Contaminants Detected
The following contaminants have been flagged in EPA records for this water system:
| Contaminant | Category | Violations | Health-Based |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fecal Coliform | Microbiological | 15 | No |
| Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) | Disinfection Byproducts | 1 | No |
| Consumer Confidence Report Rule | Reporting Failure | 1 | No |
Lead & Copper
No Lead and Copper Rule sampling data available for this water system.
Radon Risk in Service Area
Dominant radon zone for ZIP codes served by this system: Zone 2 (Moderate Risk)
The EPA recommends testing homes in Zone 1 and Zone 2 areas for radon.
Need help with your water quality?
Typical cost: Water test: typically $20–$50 (DIY kit) · Professional inspection: $150–$400
Find the Right Water FilterFree tip: Let cold water run for 2 minutes before drinking — this helps flush lead from your pipes.
ZIP Codes Served
Coverage: Service area ZIP codes sourced from EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3 (March 2026 release). These ZIPs reflect the actual deployment footprint recorded by NC or modeled from parcel and building-footprint data.
Data Sources
This report uses public data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). View the full compliance record for Valdese, Town of (NC0112010) on EPA.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Valdese, Town of water safe to drink?
Valdese, Town of has only monitoring/reporting violations, which are procedural in nature. The system meets federal health-based standards.
How many people does Valdese, Town of serve?
Valdese, Town of serves approximately 13,571 people across 4 ZIP codes in North Carolina.
Where does Valdese, Town of get its water?
The primary water source is surface water.
Contact Your Water Utility
Public-record contact information for the water utility serving this system. Use these channels to request water quality reports, ask about service, or report issues directly.
Contact information from Town of Valdese Consumer Confidence Report.
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility, does not act as its agent, and does not provide customer support for it. Contact details shown are public-record information from CCR filings. For service issues, contact the utility directly using the information above.
Water Source & Treatment
Where this water originates and how it's treated before reaching your tap.
Source: Town of Valdese Consumer Confidence Report.
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility. Treatment and source data are sourced from the utility's published CCR filings.
The Town of Valdese's source water (Lake Rhodhiss) has a 'Higher' susceptibility rating due to higher inherent vulnerability and higher contaminant rating per the NC DEQ SWAP assessment.
Treatment regime
How this utility classifies its treatment process and what each reported treatment chemical does.
Treatment chemicals and what each one does
Chemical names are reported verbatim by the utility. Purpose categories are ZipCheckup annotations based on standard drinking-water treatment practice.
Watershed exposure sources reported
Land-use and natural conditions identified in the utility's source-water assessment as potential contamination sources upstream of treatment.
Treatment classification and chemical list sourced from Town of Valdese Consumer Confidence Report.
Treatment intensity is a ZipCheckup-derived classification based on the chemicals and processes the utility reports. Chemicals and contamination sources are taken verbatim from the utility's CCR filing. Routine federal monitoring and contaminant testing shown elsewhere on this page determine whether the water meets safety standards, not the treatment classification.
Federal UCMR5 PFAS Monitoring: Tested Clean
This water system was tested under the federal EPA Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR5). No PFAS compounds were detected.
Current MCL reflects the lowest state-enforceable limit (NYS 10 ppt for PFOA/PFOS, effective August 2020). The federal final MCL of 4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS (EPA April 2024 rule) is not enforceable until April 2029. Detections above 4 ppt but below 10 ppt are below current MCL but above the future federal limit.
Source: U.S. EPA UCMR5 (Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, 5th cycle) — per-system federal sampling, 2023–2025. EPA UCMR5 monitoring program →
Feed of blended phosphate protects service lines from leeching and contaminating water. Slightly basic pH (~7.5) maintained to prevent corrosion.
Lead Service Line Replacement Tracker
This water utility's lead service line (LSL) replacement program is tracked from public Consumer Confidence Report filings. Email signup notifies subscribers when the utility files an updated replacement plan or progress milestone.
Town of Valdese
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility. LSL replacement-program data is sourced from public CCR filings published by the utility. Subscription notifications are based on automated parsing of subsequent CCR releases.
Learn more about Lead and Copper Rule replacement requirements →
Lead Service Line Inventory
Service line breakdown reported under the federal Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) inventory requirement:
Federal LCRI rule (effective October 2024) requires every public water system to inventory its service lines and complete lead-line replacement within 10 years.
Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Service Line Inventory (Phase 2) · Submitted 2026
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with the utility or state agency. Inventory figures render verbatim from the public LCRI submission cited above; ZipCheckup does not perform inspections or replacements.
Aesthetic water quality
These measurements describe the look, taste, and feel of the water this utility delivers. They are not contaminant violations — they sit alongside federal Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels (SMCLs) which the EPA publishes as non-enforceable guidance.
Aesthetic measurements from Town of Valdese Consumer Confidence Report.
Aesthetic measurements are reported by the utility from its annual sampling. EPA Secondary MCLs are advisory thresholds — values outside them indicate aesthetic concerns such as taste or appearance, not health violations. Federal contaminant testing is shown in the sections above.
Notable events and violations
This section summarizes events the utility chose to disclose in its most recent Consumer Confidence Report, plus any federal compliance violations the utility recorded against itself. Both lists are utility-authored — ZipCheckup does not audit, judge, or reorder them.
Federal compliance violations on record
These entries are taken verbatim from the utility's CCR violations section. EPA defines four broad violation categories: Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL), Treatment Technique (TT), Monitoring & Reporting (M&R), and Public Notification (PN).
-
reporting · Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)2024-08-28
Failed to generate the Operational Evaluation Level (OEL) report for HAA5 MCL exceedances reported in Q2 2024 as required.
-
monitoring · Turbidity2022-2024
Failed to report turbidity monitoring results for multiple compliance periods (Jan-Mar 2022, Oct 2022, Jan 2023, Jul 2023, Oct 2023, Dec 2023-May 2024, Oct 2024-Jan 2025).
Violations record from Town of Valdese Consumer Confidence Report.
Notable events from the utility's CCR
These bullet entries are the utility's own narration of operational, regulatory, or infrastructure events during the reporting period.
- Operational Evaluation Level (OEL) exceedance reported late for HAA5 in Q2 2024
- Failed to report turbidity monitoring results in multiple compliance periods spanning 2022-2024
ZipCheckup note: items above reflect what the utility published in its most recent CCR. Federal violation records are also tracked separately by the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) — the SDWIS record is the authoritative federal source for any specific regulatory action.
Frequently Asked Questions
What You Can Do
Test your water
Home test kits can detect lead, bacteria, and other contaminants at your tap. Find the right filter →
Check your specific ZIP code
Water quality can vary within a system. View nearest ZIP report →
Contact your utility
Valdese, Town of (EPA ID: NC0112010) — request the latest Consumer Confidence Report or ask about specific contaminants.