Asheville
Asheville, NC water profile — supply sources, drought status, wastewater reuse, and the key water issues facing the city.
asheville city of
surface water (rivers/reservoirs) · local government · PWSID NC0111010
Below EPA's 15 ppb lead action level at last testing.
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) · 2026 Q1
Asheville, NC is a small but growing city, with a population near 88,512 and the 12th-largest community in North Carolina. Like much of North Carolina, Asheville draws its water primarily from rivers, reservoirs, and coastal aquifers.
Asheville's water outlook is shaped most by pfas contamination — the issue that dominates planning across North Carolina. The GenX/PFAS crisis on the Cape Fear River made North Carolina a national contamination case study.
Asheville sits in a state that reuses roughly 8% of treated wastewater (developing programs) and currently experiences severe to extreme drought.
For the bigger picture, see the North Carolina state water profile and the related issues below.
Buncombe County water quality
Source: EPA SDWIS · 2026 Q1
At a glance
- Population ~88,512 (12th-largest in North Carolina)
- Primary sources: rivers, reservoirs, and coastal aquifers
- Drought: severe to extreme conditions
- State reuse rate: ~8% of wastewater
Statewide drought history
% of North Carolina in severe+ drought (Extreme (D3) now).
Source: U.S. Drought Monitor
Common questions
Is tap water safe in Asheville?
Asheville's largest water system, ASHEVILLE CITY OF, serves about 157,431 people. EPA records show 1 health-based violation(s) since 2016 and a most-recent 90th-percentile lead level of 0 ppb (EPA action level is 15 ppb). Always check your own provider's annual Consumer Confidence Report.
Where does Asheville get its water?
ASHEVILLE CITY OF draws primarily from surface water (rivers/reservoirs), part of North Carolina's supply from rivers, reservoirs, coastal aquifers.
Related water issues
PFAS Contamination
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances persist in water supplies for decades. New federal limits are forcing utilities nationwide to invest in advanced treatment.
ExploreSaltwater Intrusion
As coastal aquifers are over-pumped and seas rise, saltwater pushes inland and contaminates freshwater supplies for cities from Florida to California.
ExploreAging Infrastructure
Much of America's water infrastructure is decades past its design life, leaking trillions of gallons a year and demanding hundreds of billions in reinvestment.
Explore