Public water system · NC0392020
ActiveCary, Town of
At a glance
Town of Cary (PWSID NC0392020) is an active community water system in Wake County, North Carolina. It reports serving 227,300 people through 63,261 service connections. Its primary water source is surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in May 2023.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
227,300
Service connections
63,261
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Town of Cary compare with other water systems in Wake County?
By EPA's size categories, Town of Cary is a very large system (more than 100,000 people). Wake County has 441 active public water systems, and Town of Cary is the 2nd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 86 times the county average of 2,633 people per system, and accounts for 20% of the 1,161,234 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across North Carolina, the 5,087 active systems average 1,971 people each. Nationally, the average active community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so Town of Cary is about 34 times that figure.
What does “community water system” mean?
A community water system serves at least 15 connections used by year-round residents, or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents. Homes, apartments and mobile-home parks are served by these. North Carolina has 2,031 active community water systems, 40% of the state's 5,087 active systems. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs. 132 North Carolina systems (2.6%) list surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Town of Cary?
EPA lists Town of Cary as owned by a local government. The NC state drinking water program is its primacy agency, the regulator with primary enforcement responsibility for the system under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 13 of the 441 active systems in Wake County (2.9%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Town of Cary have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in May 2023. The violations listed here began between July 2001 and May 2023. By type: 7 monitoring and reporting, 3 public notice, recordkeeping or other and 2 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (5 of them). EPA lists 12 as resolved. Resolved means at least one resolving action is on record: the system returned to compliance, the rule no longer applies, or no further action was needed.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-05-10 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-05-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, E. coli (RTCR) · code 1A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2014-12-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-11-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chloraminecode 1006 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-09-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chloraminecode 1006 | No | Resolved |
| 2006-08-19 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2006-08-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Acute (TCR) · code 21 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2002-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Asbestoscode 1094 | No | Resolved |
| 2001-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
The 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, newest first. Labels and codes come from EPA's SDWIS reference tables. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found. "Health-based" marks violations of a legal limit or required treatment.
Town of Cary: frequently asked questions
Who runs Town of Cary?
Town of Cary (PWSID NC0392020) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the NC state drinking water program.
How many people does Town of Cary serve?
Town of Cary reports serving 227,300 people through 63,261 service connections in Wake County, North Carolina.
Where does Town of Cary get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as surface water. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs.
Does Town of Cary have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in May 2023. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found.
Is Town of Cary's water safe to drink?
AquaCensus shows EPA compliance records, not current water test results, so it cannot say whether the water is safe at a given moment. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in May 2023. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the NC state drinking water program.
Where can I find Town of Cary's water quality report?
As a community water system, Town of Cary must deliver an annual water quality report, called a Consumer Confidence Report, to its customers by July 1 each year, covering the previous calendar year. The system can provide a copy on request.
Other water systems in Wake County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raleigh, City of | Wake | 650,000 | Community | Surface water |
| Apex, Town of | Wake | 83,001 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Holly Springs, Town of | Wake | 51,947 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Fuquay-Varina, Town of | Wake | 42,954 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Bayleaf Master | Wake | 16,715 | Community | Groundwater |
| New Light Master | Wake | 2,619 | Community | Groundwater |
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About this data
Source: U.S. EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and SDWA violation records, via EPA ECHO, as published October 1, 2026 — AquaCensus refreshes it quarterly. See the methodology for how records are matched, cleaned and scored.
Cite as: AquaCensus, “Cary, Town of, PWSID NC0392020, North Carolina”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/north-carolina/cary-town-of-nc0392020 (data as of October 1, 2026).