High Point
High Point, NC water profile — supply sources, drought status, wastewater reuse, and the key water issues facing the city.
high point, city of
surface water (rivers/reservoirs) · local government · PWSID NC0241020
Below EPA's 15 ppb lead action level at last testing.
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) · 2026 Q1
With about 110,268 residents, High Point ranks as the 10th-largest city in North Carolina and a mid-sized city. Water in High Point is sourced chiefly from rivers, reservoirs, and coastal aquifers, the backbone of North Carolina's supply.
The defining water pressure here mirrors the state's: pfas contamination. The GenX/PFAS crisis on the Cape Fear River made North Carolina a national contamination case study.
Statewide, North Carolina recycles about 8% of its wastewater with developing reuse programs. Locally, High Point faces severe to extreme drought conditions.
The North Carolina state profile covers the regional supply outlook; the issues below detail what's driving High Point's water future.
Guilford County water quality
Source: EPA SDWIS · 2026 Q1
At a glance
- Population ~110,268 (10th-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 High Point?
High Point's largest water system, HIGH POINT, CITY OF, serves about 118,399 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 High Point get its water?
HIGH POINT, 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.
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