WHAT’S BEYOND THE TAP

North Carolina · water system · PWSID NC0326332

Cliffdale West: drinking water record

Two things here need attention.

One thing could not be determined from the record.

What EPA and state records show about this community water system — compliance, PFAS testing, lead sampling, and where its water comes from. Serving about 15,220 people in Cumberland County.

15,220people served
1health-based violations since 2021
1without recorded resolution
1administrative (paperwork) records

What the records flag

Needs attention

1 health-based violation with no recorded resolution

A health-based violation means a contaminant limit or a required treatment step wasn't met.

Health-based, since 2021
1
Without recorded resolution
1

Official record for your water system · U.S. EPA — Safe Drinking Water Act compliance records · retrieved 2026-08-16 · source

Needs attention

PFOS measured at 19.5 ppt — above the 4 ppt limit systems must meet by 2029

This is not a violation today. EPA's PFAS limits take effect in 2029 (an extension to 2031 has been proposed).

PFHxS
12.5 ppt (limit 10)
PFOA
16.3 ppt (limit 4)
PFOS
19.5 ppt (limit 4)

Measured in your water system · U.S. EPA — UCMR5 nationwide PFAS monitoring · retrieved 2026-08-15 · source

Lead & copper sampling

Lead: latest 90th-percentile result 0 ppb — below the 10 ppb action level (sampled 2025-12-31, 3 results in the 10-year window).

The 90th-percentile result means 9 out of 10 sampled homes were at or below this level. It measures the water system's corrosion control — it cannot tell you whether your own home's plumbing adds lead. Results older than 10 years, future-dated compliance periods, and physically implausible values are excluded.

PFAS testing

29 PFAS compounds tested under EPA's UCMR5 program; 7 detected.

  • PFHxS: up to 12.5 ppt — above the 10 ppt limit systems must meet by 2029.
  • PFOA: up to 16.3 ppt — above the 4 ppt limit systems must meet by 2029.
  • PFOS: up to 19.5 ppt — above the 4 ppt limit systems must meet by 2029.

UCMR5 sampling (2023–2026) at entry points to the distribution system. 'Not detected' means below the reporting limit (~4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS), not zero. A result above a future MCL is not a violation today — compliance deadlines are 2029 (2031 extension proposed).

Where the water comes from

Groundwater.

Also holds emergency-only connections (Fayetteville Public Works Comm) — backup interconnections, not routine supply.

What the record doesn’t establish

  • Whether your home's own plumbing adds lead or copper — no dataset covers indoor pipes.

Common questions

Does Cliffdale West have drinking water violations?

EPA compliance records list 1 health-based violation since 2021, 1 without a recorded resolution. Administrative (paperwork) records are counted separately and never added in.

Has Cliffdale West been tested for PFAS?

Yes — 29 PFAS compounds under EPA's UCMR5 program, with 7 detected. PFHxS measured up to 12.5 ppt, above the 10 ppt limit that takes effect in 2029; PFOA measured up to 16.3 ppt, above the 4 ppt limit that takes effect in 2029; PFOS measured up to 19.5 ppt, above the 4 ppt limit that takes effect in 2029. Samples are taken at entry points to the distribution system — treated water, not source water.

How many people does Cliffdale West serve?

EPA records list about 15,220 people served in Cumberland. Service-area boundaries have known errors — a water bill is the ground truth for any single address.

Sources

DatasetAgency versionRetrieved
EPA/state ATTAINS waterway assessmentsATTAINS_Assessment ArcGIS snapshot (gispub.epa.gov)2026-08-15
ATTAINS waterway geometryATTAINS_Assessment ArcGIS lines + areas (gispub.epa.gov)2026-08-16
Census TIGER county boundariesCensus TIGERweb Counties (current vintage)2026-08-16
NC DEQ PFAS monitoringNC DEQ DWR EQuIS export, samples through 2025-07-292026-08-17
Census TIGER place boundariesCensus TIGERweb Places (Incorporated + CDP, current vintage)2026-08-16
EPA water system service areasEPA PWS Service Areas v3 (hosted layer, item 80c6912ef14f46e480f5afd807767b4b)2026-08-15
EPA Safe Drinking Water Act compliance recordsECHO SDWA quarterly bulk download2026-08-16
EPA standards & benchmarks2026-08 curation2026-08-15
EPA UCMR5 PFAS monitoringUCMR5 occurrence data (collections through 2025-12-10)2026-08-15
USGS watershed boundariesUSGS WBD via National Map MapServer2026-08-15

Records lag their agencies' refresh cycles — a recent change may not appear yet. Absence from a dataset is absence of a record, never evidence that water is clean.

Go deeper

Search any address this system serves for the full report — the waters around it, what's permitted upstream, and every term explained.

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