Lee County, North Carolina — public water systems
At a glance
8 active public water systems are filed under Lee County, North Carolina in EPA's SDWIS records, together reporting 56,822 people served. The largest is City of Sanford, which reports serving 48,350 people. 6 are community water systems serving people where they live; the other 2 are non-community systems, such as schools, workplaces, campgrounds and gas stations with their own supply.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO, refreshed quarterly.
Active systems
8
Population served
56.8K
Community systems
6
Groundwater share
50%
How does Lee County compare with other North Carolina counties?
Lee County has the 86th-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 56,822 people served in total, the 40th-largest county figure in the state and 0.6% of the statewide total. The average system here reports serving 7,103 people, about 3.6 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 Lee County's drinking water come from?
By primary water source, Lee County's active systems draw on groundwater (4, 50%), surface water (2, 25%) and purchased surface water (2, 25%). Overall, 50% rely mainly on groundwater (including purchased groundwater) and 50% 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 Sanford, draws primarily on surface water.
What kinds of water systems operate in Lee County?
Lee County's active systems break down as 6 community systems (75%), 1 non-transient non-community systems (13%) and 1 transient non-community systems (13%). 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 private (75%) and local government (25%).
Water systems in Lee County
🔒 Create a free account to export CSV| # | Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sanford, City of | Lee | 48,350 | Community | Surface water |
| 2 | Carolina Trace Water System | Lee | 4,516 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 3 | Broadway, Town of | Lee | 1,783 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 4 | Pilgrim`S Pride Water System | Lee | 1,040 | Non-transient non-community | Surface water |
| 5 | Quail Ridge Water System | Lee | 465 | Community | Groundwater |
| 6 | Pine Village Mhc LLC | Lee | 411 | Community | Groundwater |
| 7 | Farm Water Works | Lee | 167 | Community | Groundwater |
| 8 | Sanford First Pentecostal | Lee | 90 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
Lee County water systems: frequently asked questions
How many public water systems are in Lee County, North Carolina?
EPA's SDWIS records file 8 active public water systems under Lee County, North Carolina: 6 community systems (75%), 1 non-transient non-community systems (13%) and 1 transient non-community systems (13%).
Who supplies drinking water in Lee County, NC?
The largest community water systems filed under Lee County are City of Sanford (48,350 people served), Carolina Trace Water System (4,516 people served) and Town of Broadway (1,783 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 Lee County's drinking water come from groundwater or surface water?
Of the 8 active public water systems in Lee County, 50% draw mainly on groundwater and 50% on surface water, counting purchased supplies. The largest system, City of Sanford, uses surface water.
Where can I find a water quality report for Lee 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. 6 community systems are filed under Lee 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 Lee 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
- All North Carolina public water systems· 5,087 active
- Edgecombe County· 9 systems
- Lenoir County· 9 systems
- Davidson County· 8 systems
- Anson County· 8 systems
- Greene County· 8 systems
- Hertford County· 8 systems
- How to find out who supplies your drinking water
- How to find and read your annual water quality report
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 Lee County, North Carolina”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/north-carolina/lee (data as of October 1, 2026).