Craven County, North Carolina — public water systems

At a glance

15 active public water systems are filed under Craven County, North Carolina in EPA's SDWIS records, together reporting 125,817 people served. The largest is City of New Bern, which reports serving 37,884 people. 12 are community water systems serving people where they live; the other 3 are non-community systems, such as schools, workplaces, campgrounds and gas stations with their own supply.

Dataset updated October 2026 . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO, refreshed quarterly.

Active systems

Population served

125.8K

Community systems

Groundwater share

100%

How does Craven County compare with other North Carolina counties?

Craven County has the 71st-most active public water systems among the 137 counties listed for active North Carolina systems in EPA records; among the 102 with 3 or more systems, the median has 29. Its systems report 125,817 people served in total, the 22nd-largest county figure in the state and 1.3% of the statewide total. The average system here reports serving 8,388 people, about 4.3 times the North Carolina average of 1,971. Population figures are what each system reports; people served by more than one system, such as a wholesaler and the town that buys from it, are counted by each.

Where does Craven County's drinking water come from?

By primary water source, Craven County's active systems draw on groundwater (14, 93%) and purchased groundwater (1, 6.7%). Overall, all rely mainly on groundwater (including purchased groundwater) and none on surface water, compared with 91% and 9.1% across North Carolina. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers. The county's largest system, City of New Bern, draws primarily on groundwater.

What kinds of water systems operate in Craven County?

Craven County's active systems break down as 12 community systems (80%), 2 non-transient non-community systems (13%) and 1 transient non-community systems (6.7%). 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. A non-transient non-community water system regularly serves at least 25 of the same people for more than six months a year, but not where they live. Schools, factories, office buildings and hospitals with their own supply are typical examples. A transient non-community water system serves places where people do not stay long, such as gas stations and campgrounds, and regularly serves at least 25 people a day for at least 60 days a year. EPA lists their owner types as local government (53%), private (40%) and federal government (6.7%).

Water systems in Craven County

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Active public water systems in Craven County, North Carolina
#	Water system	County	Population served	Type	Source
1	New Bern, City of	Craven	37,884	Community	Groundwater
2	Craven County Water System	Craven	37,848	Community	Groundwater
3	Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point	Craven	17,144	Community	Groundwater
4	Havelock Water System	Craven	14,925	Community	Groundwater
5	First Craven Sanitary District	Craven	6,325	Community	Groundwater
6	Fairfield Harbour	Craven	5,514	Community	Groundwater
7	Town of River Bend	Craven	2,846	Community	Groundwater
8	Vanceboro Water System	Craven	1,864	Community	Groundwater
9	Cove City, Town of	Craven	440	Community	Purchased groundwater
10	Dover, Town of	Craven	425	Community	Groundwater
11	Global Cellulose Fibers - New Bern Mill	Craven	375	Non-transient non-community	Groundwater
12	Norris MHP	Craven	91	Community	Groundwater
13	River Bend Marina	Craven	72	Transient non-community	Groundwater
14	Sanderson`S MHP	Craven	34	Community	Groundwater
15	Global Cellulose Fibers Administative Sy	Craven	30	Non-transient non-community	Groundwater

Craven County water systems: frequently asked questions

How many public water systems are in Craven County, North Carolina?

EPA's SDWIS records file 15 active public water systems under Craven County, North Carolina: 12 community systems (80%), 2 non-transient non-community systems (13%) and 1 transient non-community systems (6.7%).

Who supplies drinking water in Craven County, NC?

The largest community water systems filed under Craven County are City of New Bern (37,884 people served), Craven County Water System (37,848 people served) and Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point (17,144 people served). Which system serves a particular address depends on its service area, which EPA's SDWIS records do not include; a water bill or the local utility can confirm it.

Does Craven County's drinking water come from groundwater or surface water?

Of the 15 active public water systems in Craven County, all draw mainly on groundwater and none on surface water, counting purchased supplies. The largest system, City of New Bern, uses groundwater.

Where can I find a water quality report for Craven County?

Each community water system must deliver an annual water quality report, called a Consumer Confidence Report, to its customers by July 1, covering the previous calendar year. 12 community systems are filed under Craven County, so the report to look for is the one from the system that supplies your address.

How can I check violations for a water system in Craven County?

Open the system's profile from the list on this page. Each profile shows the most recent Safe Drinking Water Act violations in EPA's records, with plain-English labels and whether each one is resolved. For current compliance status, EPA ECHO is the primary source.

More North Carolina water systems

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, “Public water systems in Craven County, North Carolina”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/north-carolina/craven (data as of October 1, 2026).