Public water system · NC0471015
ActiveSurf City, Town of
At a glance
Town of Surf City (PWSID NC0471015) is an active community water system in Pender County, North Carolina. It reports serving 9,730 people through 3,831 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2026.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
9,730
Service connections
3,831
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Town of Surf City compare with other water systems in Pender County?
By EPA's size categories, Town of Surf City is a medium system (3,301 to 10,000 people). Pender County has 54 active public water systems, and Town of Surf City is the 2nd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 8.4 times the county average of 1,152 people per system, and accounts for 16% of the 62,229 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 Surf City is about 45% above 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. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers. 4,566 North Carolina systems (90%) list groundwater as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Town of Surf City?
EPA lists Town of Surf City 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. 7 of the 54 active systems in Pender County (13%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Town of Surf City have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2026. The violations listed here began between October 2014 and January 2026. By type: 5 monitoring and reporting, 3 public notice, recordkeeping or other, 2 contaminant level above the legal limit, 1 required treatment not met and 1 reporting. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Lead and Copper Rule (5 of them). EPA lists 11 as resolved and 1 as addressed. 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. Addressed means the violation is not resolved or archived and is covered by formal enforcement.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingLead Consumer Notice · code 66 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Addressed |
| 2025-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingLead Consumer Notice · code 66 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-10-17 | Required treatment not metLSL Inventory · code 2E | Lead and Copper Rule Revisionscode 5200 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2024-10-17 | ReportingLSL Reporting · code 4G | Lead and Copper Rule Revisionscode 5200 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingLead Consumer Notice · code 66 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2022-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2019-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2015-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingLead Consumer Notice · code 66 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2015-04-02 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2015-04-02 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2014-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | 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 Surf City: frequently asked questions
Who runs Town of Surf City?
Town of Surf City (PWSID NC0471015) 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 Surf City serve?
Town of Surf City reports serving 9,730 people through 3,831 service connections in Pender County, North Carolina.
Where does Town of Surf City get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as groundwater. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers.
Does Town of Surf City have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2026. 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 Surf City'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, 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2026. 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 Surf City's water quality report?
As a community water system, Town of Surf City 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 Pender County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pender County Utilities | Pender | 32,302 | Community | Surface water |
| Burgaw, Town of | Pender | 4,250 | Community | Groundwater |
| Topsail Beach, Town of | Pender | 3,495 | Community | Groundwater |
| Belvedere Plantation | Pender | 3,462 | Community | Groundwater |
| Scott`S Hill Baptist Ch-Front | Pender | 1,600 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Maple Hill Water District | Pender | 968 | Community | Purchased 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, “Surf City, Town of, PWSID NC0471015, North Carolina”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/north-carolina/surf-city-town-of-nc0471015 (data as of October 1, 2026).