‘Forever chemicals’ in 86% of NC rivers tested, new study finds

Twenty-five of 29 North Carolina waterways tested by local conservation groups came back positive for PFAS, a family of toxic chemicals linked to cancer and other health problems, according to a new report from Environment America.

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The report sampled rivers and creeks across the state for several dozen different types of PFAS. Many of these rivers feed into drinking water supplies, and Reid Wilson, secretary of the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, recently estimated that 3.5 million North Carolinians are drinking water contaminated with PFAS.

Often called “forever chemicals,” PFAS are highly toxic chemicals often found in everyday items, from non-stick cookware to firefighting foam. Drinking water contaminated with PFAS can lead to cancers and developmental issues. They are extremely difficult to filter from water and can remain in the human body indefinitely.

“Every North Carolinian should be able to drink clean and safe water, free of toxic chemicals,” said Kemp Burdette, Cape Fear Riverkeeper. “But in the Cape Fear Basin, PFAS pollution is common because of industrial discharges. This has to change. We need strong regulations around PFAS pollution.”

Environment America’s report spanned 40 states and found that 83% of the over 1,600 waterways it tested nationally contained PFAS.

In North Carolina, the organization partnered with local conservation groups that collected samples from 29 rivers across the state between 2022 and 2024.

Twenty-five of those rivers tested positive for PFAS chemical compounds, and 19 had a concentration of PFAS above four parts per trillion — the legal limit for most PFAS compounds in drinking water. Thirteen rivers showed chemical levels above 10 parts per trillion, the federal limit for a handful of other PFAS compounds like GenX.

In April, the Trump administration announced plans to roll back the 10 parts per trillion limit for compounds like GenX, which had been finalized in 2024. However, scientists haven’t determined if it is safe to consume drinking water with any level of PFAS.

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In the Raleigh area, the report tested two sites on the Neuse River near Clayton, both of which came back positive for several PFAS compounds, at concentrations around 10 parts per trillion.

The test sites were about 30 miles downstream of Falls Lake, the reservoir that supplies water to Raleigh. Though of PFAS have been detected in Raleigh’s water supply, the city’s water is well below the legal limit.

Nationally, North Carolina is known as a hotbed for PFAS pollution. The chemical company Chemours, which has a factory outside Fayetteville, knowingly leaked GenX into the Cape Fear River for decades. The state recently reached a settlement with Chemours and its affiliates, requiring them to spend $590 million to clean up contaminants and repair drinking water supplies.

North Carolina is also home to several factories that produce PFAS as a byproduct of manufacturing, as well as several military bases that use materials containing PFAS.

The full results of the Environment America water testing are available online.

This story is available free to all readers thanks to financial support from the Hartfield Foundation and Green South Foundation, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners, as part of an independent journalism fellowship program. The N&O maintains full editorial control of the work. If you would like to help support local journalism, please consider a digital subscription, which you can get here.

This story was originally published October 16, 2026 at 2:36 PM with the headline “‘Forever chemicals’ in 86% of NC rivers tested, new study finds.”

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