North Carolina Water Contamination Lawsuit [2025 Update]

The North Carolina Water Contamination Lawsuit is an active lawsuit

See If You Qualify

From the Blue Ridge Mountains to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina’s water resources play a vital role in its agricultural, manufacturing, and tourism industries, but water contamination within the state is also adding health and economic costs. Some North Carolinians are fighting back against polluters by filing lawsuits.

Water supplies in the state are contaminated with lead, copper, arsenic, and PFAS. In fact, as many as 2.5 million North Carolina residents are drinking water contaminated with PFAS, which are also known as forever chemicals. PFAS pollution is often linked to military operations. This contamination has affected servicemembers and civilians, as PFAS can travel great distances in water and soil. Now, residents and municipalities are filing lawsuits against the companies responsible for their water contamination.

North Carolina Water Contamination Lawsuit Overview

North Carolina has recently been the site of some of the most talked-about water contamination cases in the U.S., including the Camp Lejeune case. While other military bases throughout the state don’t have the same issues with PCEs (Tetrachloroethylene), many are the source of another, more persistent form of water contamination—PFAS. These human-made substances, sometimes called “forever chemicals,” do not break down easily within the environment. When they end up in the body in sufficient quantities, they can also cause serious health issues like cancer, birth defects, and immune system dysfunction.

North Carolina has also faced significant issues with novel PFAS chemicals developed by Chemours Co., maker of Teflon, which have been found in drinking water drawn from the Cape Fear River.

While incoming federal guidelines are set to begin in 2029, much of North Carolina is flying blind with regard to PFAS in public and private water sources. In the meantime, individuals who have been injured by drinking water contaminated with PFAS may be eligible for compensation for economic and personal losses.

Timeline of Water Contamination in North Carolina | 2025 Update

August 2025: Environmental groups are suing the city of Asheboro and StarPet over a chemical called 1,4-dioxane, which is being dumped into a local creek that is integral to drinking water supplies. The StarPet plant sends water through the city’s treatment plant, which dumps directly into Haskett Creek without adequate filtration. Testing has revealed unusually high levels of 1,4-dioxane, which the EPA has designated as a likely human carcinogen.

May 14, 2025: After President Trump rescinded them earlier in the year, the EPA announces it will retain the previously proposed MCLs (maximum contamination levels) on PFOA and PFOS, two of the most well-studied PFAS contaminants. Public water systems throughout the country will have until 2029 (this may be extended to 2031) to comply with the new regulations, but will need to begin testing for the chemicals by 2027 if they are not already doing so.

April 2025: Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CPFUA) objects to Chemours’ (formerly DuPont) attempt to seal documents related to Chemours/DuPont’s release of GenX, a PFAS chemical, into the Cape Fear River.

April 2024: The EPA proposes the first nationwide enforceable regulations on PFAS in drinking water. The rules would set an MCL of 4 ppt (parts per trillion) for PFOS and PFOA and an MCL of 10 ppt for PFHxS, PFNA, PFBS, and HFPO-DA (GenX).

October 5, 2023: A class action lawsuit is established against Chemours, alleging that the company and its predecessor, DuPont, had been dumping PFAS chemicals into the Cape Fear River since the 1980s, despite knowing the risks of these chemicals.

March 2023: The EPA reports that animal studies of GenX (a type of PFAS) report health effects after oral exposure, including effects on the liver, kidneys, and immune system. The liver, in particular, was found to be sensitive to GenX exposure.

June 7, 2017: GenX is detected in CPFUA public drinking water systems downstream from Chemours Co. Fayetteville plant. The drinking water system taps the Cape Fear River. CPFUA reports that they have no way of filtering out the chemical. Other water systems connected to the Cape Fear River are also suspected to be contaminated with GenX.

February 2012: Water samples taken from the Cape Fear River are found to contain novel polyfluorinated compounds.

2009: DuPont begins development of a replacement chemical for PFOA in its Teflon products. That chemical, hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA), also known as GenX, was designed to be less environmentally persistent. To this day, the company claims it does not bioaccumulate. However, it would later be detected in water systems connected to the Cape Fear River.

About the North Carolina Water Contamination Lawsuit

Sources of Water Contamination in North Carolina

Drinking water contamination in North Carolina has many different sources. Runoff from agriculture, landfills, and industrial waste can enter surface water and groundwater. Pipes containing lead and copper can degrade, leeching heavy metals into drinking water within specific buildings or systems. Even chemicals used to disinfect drinking water can create toxic, volatile compounds.

But one of the more concerning sources of water contamination in North Carolina comes from PFAS chemicals, which don’t degrade easily in nature. While industrial hotspots like the Chemours plant in Fayetteville can introduce them into the environment, more common sources include military bases and airports. These sites used a PFAS-based firefighting foam to suppress chemical fires throughout the 20th century. As a result, water near and under these sites frequently contains high levels of PFAS. Over time, the chemicals can migrate through groundwater and surface water.

Water Contamination From Military Installations

Military bases were among the biggest users of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), which, while very effective at smothering chemical fires, introduced large quantities of PFAS into their local environments.

Military Sites In North Carolina: Camp Lejeune, Fort Bragg, MCAS Cherry Point, MCAS New River, Pope Army Airfield, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, U.S. Army Cadet Command 4th Brigade, USAREC Raleigh Battalion, 145 AW

Current and former military sites that have notably high PFAS levels in their groundwater include:

• Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station (2022): 394,100 ppt, combined PFOS and PFOA
• Seymour Johnson Air Force Base (2017): 312,000 ppt, combined PFOS and PFOA
• Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point (2020): 23,770 ppt, combined PFOS and PFOA
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport (2019): 10,100 ppt, combined PFOS and PFOA
• Salisbury AASF #2 (2021): 2,794 ppt, combined PFOS and PFOA
• Stanly County Airport (2019): 985 ppt, combined PFOS and PFOA
• Tarheel Army Missile Plant (2023): 253 ppt, combined PFOS and PFOA
• Camp Lejeune (2017–2020): 182 ppt combined PFOS and PFOA
• Morrisville AASF #1 (2021): 396 ppt, combined PFOS and PFOA
• Fort Bragg (2016–2019): 84.1 ppt, total PFAS

North Carolina’s Regulations for Drinking Water

North Carolina follows federal EPA drinking water regulations where applicable, with interim regulations on PFAS passed ahead of the 2029 testing milestone set by that agency.

Drinking water regulations for North Carolina include regulations for contaminants like:

PFAS: Spurred on by the Cape Fear River crisis, North Carolina established interim MCLs for eight PFAS chemicals (PFOS, PFOA, GenX, PFBS, PFNA, PFHxS, PFBA, PFHxA) effective October 15, 2024. The interim MCLs for PFOS and PFOA are notably more aggressive than those proposed by the EPA and most other states, as they are set below detectable levels. GenX, which has been particularly problematic for North Carolina and may or may not be included in final EPA regulations, has been given an interim MCL of 10 ppt.

Lead: Lead MCLs are set by the EPA and are currently 15 ppb (parts per billion).

Copper: The federal action level for copper is 1.3 ppm (parts per million).

Arsenic: The EPA sets an MCL for arsenic at 10 ppb.

Contaminants Found in North Carolina Drinking Water

Drinking water systems throughout North Carolina and other states are under pressure from human activities, natural causes, and degrading infrastructure, each of which can introduce contaminants.

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)

Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a category containing thousands of manmade chemicals, are known for their strong chemical bonds and ability to repel water. PFAS have been used in a wide variety of products from the aforementioned AFFF, to clothing, to food wrappers, to carpeting, and many other fabricated products. These chemicals are highly resistant to decomposition and can accumulate in tissue. The toxicity of individual PFAS chemicals may vary, though given the huge number of them, not all are well-studied. PFOS and PFOA are two of the more well-known and toxic PFAS, though GenX–which had been touted as a safer replacement for PFOA–may be as bad or worse.

PFAS have been linked to increased risk of kidney, liver, bladder, and blood cancers, as well as thyroid disease, ulcerative colitis, immune system dysfunction, and weight gain.

Lead

Lead contamination remains a persistent challenge for aging water systems, many of which were made with plumbing containing the heavy metal. Homes and buildings built before 1986 are more likely to run into issues with lead, as well as older cities that have not yet upgraded their infrastructure.

High levels of lead can cause lead poisoning. Children are particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of lead, and there is no safe level of exposure for children. In sufficient quantities, lead can damage brain development, the kidneys, and the nervous system, and can be fatal in extreme cases.

Radium

Radium is a radioactive element that can occur naturally in groundwater with certain mining activities like fracking, potentially concentrating it in nearby water sources. Exposure to radium is linked to an increased risk of bone and lung cancer. North Carolina’s Department of Environment and Natural Resources Division of Water Quality publishes radium results for water supplies in the state.

Current Water Quality in North Carolina

EWG estimates that as many as 2.5 million North Carolinians may have drinking water containing PFAS in excess of incoming EPA limits. Individuals in proximity to military sites and airports may be at an elevated risk. Resolutions to the Cape Fear River basin crisis are still evolving, with investments being made to filter PFAS from affected water supplies.

North Carolina is slightly ahead of the curve on addressing PFAS through its recent interim regulations, but action so far has been limited.

Water Treatment Efforts in North Carolina

Actions taken to address existing PFAS contamination have so far fallen to utilities like the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority, which has installed deep granular carbon activated carbon filters in its Sweeney Treatment plant at a cost of $240 million. The Chemours Consent Order aims to curtail further PFAS pollution in the region. If current EPA regulations remain in place, North Carolina water utilities will have to address PFAS contamination starting in 2029.

Health Risks and Symptoms Linked to Drinking Water in North Carolina

Health issues suffered by veterans who served on contaminated bases like Fort Ord illustrate the danger of drinking PFAS-laden water. Fort Ord veterans have rates of blood cancers, including multiple myeloma, 35% higher than the general population.

While levels off-site are unlikely to be as high, PFAS water contamination is a concern throughout the State of North Carolina. Unsafe levels of these chemicals are linked to:

• Birth defects
• Bladder cancer
• Breast cancer
• Changes in liver enzymes
• Decreased vaccine effectiveness
• Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
• Leukemia
• Lowered immune response
• Multiple-myeloma
• Kidney cancer
• Liver cancer
• Pancreatic cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Reproductive issues
• Testicular cancer
• Thyroid cancer
• Thyroid disease
• Ulcerative colitis

Eligibility Criteria for the North Carolina Water Contamination Lawsuit

Our firm is evaluating water contamination cases in North Carolina with the following criteria:

• Kidney cancer
• Liver cancer
• Testicular cancer
• Thyroid cancer
• Thyroid disease
• Ulcerative colitis

Additionally, to qualify for a lawsuit related to cancer caused by PFAS, each person will need to prove:

• Length of Exposure: Qualifying individuals must have lived or worked in North Carolina for at least a year (6 months if stationed on military bases).
• Supporting Documents: Eligible cases will be able to produce documentation to support their claim, such as proof of residence, medical records, and medical bills.

North Carolina Water Contamination Settlement and Payout Amounts

Payouts for water contamination lawsuits can vary depending on the severity of your injury, the length of your exposure, and additional factors. The typical payout falls between $30,000 and $300,000, although more and less severe cases may result in settlements outside of that range. Additionally, awards from trial verdicts may be higher should the judge or jury rule in your favor.

How to File a North Carolina Water Contamination Lawsuit

Filing a water contamination lawsuit in North Carolina is a multi-step process and one best begun as soon as you become aware of your water contamination-related injury. Here are the steps to filing a lawsuit:

1. Consult with an attorney. An experienced lawyer can evaluate your case, inform you of critical deadlines, and represent you should you move forward with litigation.
2. Collect your evidence. Documents and testimonies will support your claims during negotiations and trial (should your case proceed that far).
3. Case filing. Your case’s paperwork must be formally submitted within the statute of limitations.
4. Pre-trial procedures: This phase includes exchanging evidence and depositions with the defense. Additional interviews may also be conducted. If a settlement can be reached, it will be negotiated around this time.
5. Trial: If a settlement cannot be reached, your case will go to trial. A judge or jury will determine the outcome of the case, including compensation, should it be awarded.
6. Receive award: If a settlement was reached or you were awarded compensation in your trial, you will receive the amount agreed upon.

Evidence to Support Your North Carolina Water Contamination Claim

In order to file a successful lawsuit, you will need to provide evidence that you consumed contaminated drinking water and developed a disease associated with PFAS exposure. Key evidence to support your water contamination claim may include:

• Medical diagnoses and records
• Medical bills
• Environmental studies
• Mortgages, apartment leases, utility bills, or deployment records
• Expert and personal testimonies
• Proof of employment
• Additional receipts for expenses related to your condition

Statute of Limitations for North Carolina Water Contamination Claims

States require that lawsuits be filed within a window of time called the statute of limitations. North Carolina’s statute of limitations for personal injury cases is three years from the date of injury. In cases where the injury is not identified until a later date, the discovery rule may apply. In that case, you’d have three years from the date of discovering your injury to file.

Because the effective window of time is not always obvious, it’s generally a good idea to consult with an attorney as soon as you become aware of your injury.

North Carolina Water Contamination Lawyers

The partners at King Law have experience holding polluters accountable for injuries related to water contamination. We offer free case evaluations with no commitment and work on contingency. That means we don’t get paid unless you do. Contact us today to understand your legal options for PFAS claims.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Learn more about water contamination in North Carolina with answers to these frequently asked questions: