Municipal water – your drinking water – is regulated by law under the Safe Drinking Water Act. In addition to annual reports which should be mailed to you, all of the testing results can be viewed via a simple search at this link.
Private wells are not required to be tested, but the NC Department of Health and Human Services recommends annual testing for bacteria by the owners.
Contact your local Waterkeeper, health department, or use online tools like https://bewellinformed.info/workbench to interpret the results.
There are a number of reasons why water in our streams and rivers may be orange. One main reason is due to the color of our soils (clay). When it rains, water hits the ground and collects and moves dirt and other pollutants downhill until it reaches a waterway. The soils in North Carolina contain a lot of clay that is naturally orange in color and that transfers to the water. This is nothing to be overly concerned about unless there is a significant amount from a single source (e.g., an active construction site).
Another reason you may see discoloration is a result of something called iron oxidizing bacteria. These bacteria naturally exist in soils and feed off of iron. The result is, like metal rusts when left outside, an orange-red color that can form slimy mats in the water. While it may be unpleasant to see, there is no threat to human health.
If any waterway is significantly colored orange when it has not rained recently, is coming from a specific source as mentioned above, or is any other color that does not seem natural, please reach out to your County stormwater department or your local Waterkeeper organization to report the issue.
We hate to hear that! Commonly referred to as “fish kills,” these can happen for a number of reasons such as a lack of oxygen, excess nutrients, toxic algal blooms, chemical spills, etc. The best thing that you can do is take photos, take note of the specific location, and reach out to the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and your local riverkeeper. The DEQ has a fish kill reporting tool linked here. Additionally, if you want to monitor current and past issues, you can view the DEQ Fish Kill & Algal Bloom Report Dashboard here.
The most likely reason for neon green water is an algal bloom. These occur naturally, but are fueled by nutrients and can become a bigger problem when there is an excess of those in the water. If you see this, please submit a report on the DEQ algal bloom reporter.
It should always be the case that you do your best to keep pets away from water that does not seem “normal;” this includes algal blooms of any color. For more information, you can read this article from the American Veterinary Medial Association.
We appreciate your concern. Waterkeepers Carolina and/or your local Waterkeeper group (find them here) can help you find the best local authority to contact based on the location and details of the issue. Should it be deemed necessary, testing would be done to attempt to determine the cause and remediate the problem.
It depends on the problem. Similar to above, you can contact your local Waterkeeper and talk through the problem you are seeing to find the best route forward. You can also directly contact an agency, for example:
For fish kills and algal blooms, reach out to DEQ
For any kind of spill, reach out to the Department of Waste Management
For active construction runoff or other concerns, contact your county stormwater department.
Between Memorial Day and Labor Day each summer, Waterkeeper organizations conduct the Swim Guide program to test and report results for E. coli (poop) bacteria in popular swimming locations. The US EPA has the Beach Advisory and Closing (BEACH) notification system which you can find here. Additionally, NC DEQ has a page for recreational water quality that could provide more information. You can check these websites while planning your swim day.
As a common safety practice, you should never get in the water if it has an unusual color or smell or if there is a fish kill or algal bloom.
NC Wildlife Resources Commission provides a map of free/public boating access areas. When on the water, it is important to obey all water laws and regulations, including wake considerations and no wake zones.
American Whitewater provides a short synopsis of the legality around navigability.
The best resource for this is NC Wildlife Resources Commission’s map of free/public boating access areas.
The best resource for this is NC Wildlife Resources Commission’s map of free/public boating access areas. You would be able to put smaller/personal vessels in anywhere that motor boats are allowed. For more local or lesser known spots, you can contact your local Waterkeeper who may be able to provide additional insights.
If you are unable to find rental locations via an internet search, feel free to reach out to your local Waterkeeper who may have some suggestions.
Yes. Permits are required for shoreline activities. They are issued by Duke Energy or Dominion Energy depending on where you are.
This may vary depending on each specific development. We suggest reaching out to your County’s planning and development department or City’s planning and zoning department (or similar). Be sure to have the location address and any additional useful information ready.
Yes. Permits are required for shoreline activities. For lakes, permits are issued by Duke Energy or Dominion Energy depending on where you are. You may also need a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
County and City websites are the best resources to find this information. You may want to reach out to your local City Council or County planning and development department.
The simple answer is everyone, on different levels and in different ways. Everyone has the potential to pollute waters, from littered trash to lawn fertilizer to car brake dust and beyond. Though on a smaller scale, any and all efforts to reduce personal pollution will only benefit your waterways.
On a larger scale, pollution can come from industries, construction, and accidents, whether companies have permits to discharge waste or not. Every operation that meets certain criteria is required to have a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit that regulates the amount and type of pollutants that are allowed. Read the following question for additional details on that subject.
The EPA publishes all existing NPDES information on their Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) page. There, you can search and find any place, near or far from home, that discharges into waterways and read details about their history and operations.
Not all operators cause notable problems; many go unnoticed, operating consistently per laws and procedures and when there is a violation, oftentimes the impacts are minimal. A problematic polluter or industry could be identified by consistent, significant violations as reported on ECHO or if someone in the community takes notice of an issue occurring in real time. In those cases, information would likely end up on the news.
As always, you can reach out to your local Waterkeeper group and ask additional questions or report any concerns.
The best thing you can do if you are interested in opposing an activity in your community is to act early and often. One great way to do so is by reaching out to your local officials and county councils that you can find on the County website, and state officials which can be found on here on the the North Carolina General Assembly’s website. You can also attend council meetings, as many of these big decisions get voted on and would be on their agendas.
There is a chance your Waterkeeper may not be aware of these more localized things, so informing them is never a bad idea, and they may be able to help further.
The most reliable information will most likely always come from the source. Pay attention to NC DEQ information on their website and social media. You can also sign up for the newsletter from your local Waterkeeper that provides regular information about what’s going on with water in your area. If contamination occurred as a result of a single large event, it is likely that news stations would pick that up as well, e.g., a truck or train accident that spilled chemicals or a large fire at an industry location or one that would need to be put out using more than just water.
