CURRENT CONDITIONS

Current streamflow conditions in North Carolina.

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USGS IN YOUR STATE

USGS Water Science Centers are located in each state.

Water Resources of North Carolina

Welcome to the USGS North Carolina Water Science Center. These pages are your source for water-resource information collected and interpreted by the U.S. Geological Survey in North Carolina.

Click on a river basin to obtain real-time data.

Of Current Interest

Water Quality of Potential Concern in US Private Wells

More than 20 percent of private domestic wells sampled nationwide contain at least one contaminant at levels of potential health concern, according to a study by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

About 43 million people - or 15 percent of the Nation's population - use drinking water from private wells, which are not regulated by the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act. In North Carolina, about 2.3 million people, or more than 25 percent of the State, obtain drinking water from private wells.

USGS scientists sampled about 2,100 private wells in 48 states and found that the contaminants most frequently measured at concentrations of potential health concern were inorganic contaminants, including radon and arsenic. These contaminants are mostly derived from the natural geologic materials that make up the aquifers from which well water is drawn. Complete findings are available online.

The study shows that the occurrence of selected contaminants varies across the country, often following distinct geographic patterns related to geology, geochemical conditions, and land use. For example, elevated concentrations of nitrate were largely associated with intensively farmed land, such as in parts of the Midwest Corn Belt and the Central Valley of California. Radon was found at relatively high concentrations in crystalline-rock aquifers in the Northeast, in the central and southern Appalachians, and in central Colorado.

Private well owners, who generally are responsible for testing the quality of their well water and treating, if necessary, can contact local and State health agencies for guidance and information about well maintenance and siting, water quality and testing options, and in-home water treatment devices. Access the Quality of Water from Domestic Wells in the United States Web site for related links to sources of information and recommendations for private well owners.

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Recent Publications

Derivation of Nationally Consistent Indices Representing Urban Intensity within and across Nine Metropolitan Areas of the Conterminous United States By Thomas F. Cuffney and James A. Falcone Scientific Investigations Report 2008-5095

Water-resources data and hydrogeologic setting at the Raleigh hydrogeologic research station, Wake County, North Carolina, 2005-2007 By Kristen Bukowski McSwain, Richard E. Bolich, Melinda J. Chapman, and Brad A. Huffman Open-File Report 2008-1377

Simulation of water quality in the Tull Creek and West Neck Creek watersheds, Currituck Sound basin, North Carolina and Virginia By Ana María García Scientific Investigations Report 2008-5226

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