NC / New Bern
NC · Tap water records
New Bern tap water, in plain English
Here is what the EPA's own data shows about tap water in New Bern. According to EPA SDWIS data retrieved June 2026, New Bern is served by 2 active community water systems, together reported to serve about 75,732 people.
As of June 2026, EPA records show 25 violations across the community water system(s) serving New Bern, going back to the earliest EPA record. 6 of these are classified by the EPA as health-based (a contaminant recorded above the limit the EPA tracks); the rest are monitoring or reporting violations. Each is listed by system below, with its status.
What the EPA has on record, by system
New Bern, City Of
37,884 served · groundwater · PWSID NC0425010 - Monitoring Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded once in April 2008. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
- Monitoring Consumer Confidence Rule: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 3 times between July 2003 and October 2005. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
Craven County Water System
37,848 served · groundwater · PWSID NC0425055 - Health-based LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISIONS: a health-based violation (a contaminant recorded above the limit the EPA tracks), recorded 2 times in October 2024. The EPA record for these does not include a measured level. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
- Health-based TTHM: a health-based violation (a contaminant recorded above the limit the EPA tracks), recorded 4 times between July 2014 and April 2015. The EPA record lists a level of 0.083 MG/L; the limit (MCL) is 0.08 MG/L. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
- Monitoring LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISIONS: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in October 2024. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
- Monitoring E. COLI: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded once in June 2022. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring Public Notice: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 4 times between October 2003 and August 2019. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
- Monitoring OXAMYL: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in April 2018. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
- Monitoring Carbofuran: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in April 2018. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
- Monitoring Consumer Confidence Rule: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 3 times between July 2002 and October 2006. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
- Monitoring Lead and Copper Rule: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded once in July 1992. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
What this means
A health-based violation means a contaminant was recorded above the limit the EPA tracks for it. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was late or missed — not that a contaminant was measured above a limit. “Returned to compliance” means the EPA recorded the issue as resolved.
This page summarizes the EPA's own records and does not assess whether your water is safe to drink. For the most current details, you can verify every record directly with the EPA, and contact your water system with questions.
Source: U.S. EPA Envirofacts SDWIS, retrieved June 2026. Records cover the EPA's full reporting history for these systems. Verify at EPA ECHO.