Where New Bern Water Comes From

New Bern’s drinking water comes from local groundwater sources operated by the City of New Bern Water Resources Department. The city uses water from the Castle Hayne Aquifer and the Black Creek Aquifer.

The Black Creek wells are located near Cove City, about 15 miles west of New Bern, while the city’s newer well system draws from the Castle Hayne Aquifer before treatment and distribution to homes and businesses throughout the New Bern area.

How New Bern Water Is Treated

Water from the Castle Hayne Aquifer is treated at the New Bern Water Treatment Plant, which began operation in 2010.

The treatment process includes filter/softener treatment and disinfection to address hardness, iron, manganese, and other naturally occurring groundwater characteristics. Water from the Black Creek Aquifer is high quality and requires only minor disinfection before entering the distribution system.

Official New Bern Water Quality Report

The City of New Bern publishes an annual Water Quality Report (Consumer Confidence Report) summarizing source information, treatment, and regulated testing results.

View the 2024 Report on This Page

Source: City of New Bern Water Resources — official annual Water Quality Report (Consumer Confidence Report).

Additional Water Information (EWG Database)

Some homeowners also explore third-party water databases such as the Environmental Working Group (EWG) Tap Water Database. This resource compiles publicly available testing data and presents it using its own health-based guidelines.

EWG is not a regulatory agency, and its screening levels may differ from EPA or state drinking water standards. For official compliance reporting, always refer to the City’s annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR).