Table of Contents
Can You Drink Tap Water in Hendersonville?
Yes, Hendersonville's tap water is generally considered safe to drink as Hendersonville has no active health based violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) that we are aware of. Other factors such as lead piping in a home, or low levels of pollutants on immunocompromised individuals, should also be considered, however. To find more recent info we might have, you can check out our boil water notice page or the city's water provider website.
According the EPA’s ECHO database, from April 30, 2019 to June 30, 2022, Hendersonville's water utility, City of Hendersonville, had 0 violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act. For more details on the violations, please see our violation history section below. The last violation for Hendersonville was resolved on Nov. 30, 2012. This assessment is based on the City of Hendersonville water system, other water systems in the city may have different results.
While tap water that meets the EPA health guidelines generally won’t make you sick to your stomach, it can still contain regulated and unregulated contaminants present in trace amounts that could potentially cause health issues over the long-run. These trace contaminants may also impact immunocompromised and vulnerable individuals.
The EPA is reviewing if it’s current regulations around pollutant levels in tap water are strict enough, and the health dangers posed by unregulated pollutants, like PFAS.
Water Quality Report for Hendersonville Tap Water
The most recent publicly available numbers for measured contaminant levels in Hendersonville tap water are in its 2020 Water Quality Report. As you can see, there are levels which the EPA considers to be acceptable, but being below the maximum allowable level doesn’t necessarily mean the water is healthy.
Lead in tap water, for example, is currently allowed at up to 15ppb by the EPA, but it has set the ideal goal for lead at zero. This highlights how meeting EPA standards doesn’t necessarily mean local tap water is healthy.
EPA regulations continue to change as it evaluates the long term impacts of chemicals and updates drinking water acceptable levels. The rules around arsenic, as well as, lead and copper are currently being re-evaluated.
There are also a number of "emerging" contaminants that are not currently. For example, PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), for which the EPA has issued a health advisory. PFAS are called "forever chemicals" since they tend not to break down in the environment or the human body and can accumulate over time.
We recommend looking at the contaminants present in Hendersonville's water quality reports, or getting your home's tap water tested to see if you should be filtering your water.
Hendersonville Tap Water Safe Drinking Water Act Violation History - Prior 10 Years
Below is a ten year history of violations for the water system named City of Hendersonville for Hendersonville in North Carolina. For more details please see the "What do these Violations Mean?" section below.
From Oct. 1, 2012 to Nov. 30, 2012, Hendersonville had 2 non-health based Safe Drinking Water Act violations with the violation category being Monitoring and Reporting, more specifically, the violation code was Monitoring and Reporting (DBP) which falls into the Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule rule code group, and the Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule rule code family for the following contaminant codes: TTHM, Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5).
Is there Lead in Hendersonville Water?
Based on the EPA’s ECHO Database, 90% of the samples taken from the Hendersonville water system, City of Hendersonville, between sample start date and sample end date, were at or below, 0.0 mg/L of lead in Hendersonville water. This is 0% of the 0.015 mg/L action level. This means 10% of the samples taken from Hendersonville contained more lead.
While Hendersonville water testing may have found 0.0 mg/L of lead in its water, that does not mean your water source has the same amount. The amount of lead in water in a city can vary greatly from neighborhood to neighborhood, or even building to building. Many buildings, particularly older ones, have lead pipes or service lines which can be a source of contamination. To find out if your home has lead, we recommend getting you water tested.
No amount of lead in water is healthy, only less dangerous. As lead accumulates in our bodies over time, even exposure to relatively small amounts can have negative health effects. For more information, please check out our Lead FAQ page.
Are there PFAS in Hendersonville Tap Water?
Currently, testing tap water for PFAS isn’t mandated on a national level. We do have a list of military bases where there have been suspected or confirmed leaks. There appears to be at least one military base - AASF Upstate - near Hendersonville with suspected leaks.
With many potential sources of PFAS in tap water across the US, the best information we currently have about which cities have PFAS in their water is this ewg map, which you can check to see if Hendersonville has been evaluated for yet.
Our stance is better safe than sorry, and that it makes sense to try to purify the tap water just in case.
Hendersonville SDWA Violation History Table - Prior 10 Years
| Compliance Period | Status | Health-Based? | Category Code | Code | Rule Code | Contaminant Code | Rule Group Code | Rule Family Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/01/2012 - 11/30/2012 | Resolved | No | Monitoring and Reporting (MR) | Monitoring and Reporting (DBP) (27) | Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule (220) | TTHM (2950) | Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule (200) | Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule (220) |
| 10/01/2012 - 11/30/2012 | Resolved | No | Monitoring and Reporting (MR) | Monitoring and Reporting (DBP) (27) | Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule (220) | Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) (2456) | Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule (200) | Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule (220) |
What do these Violations Mean?
Safe Drinking Water Act Violations categories split into two groups, health based, and non-health based. Generally, health based violations are more serious, though non-health based violations can also be cause for concern.
Health Based Violations
- Maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) - maximum allowed contaminant level was exceeded.
- Maximum residual disinfectant levels (MRDLs) - maximum allowed disinfectant level was exceeded.
- Other violations (Other) - the exact required process to reduce the amounts of contaminants in drinking water was not followed.
Non-Health Based Violations
- Monitoring and reporting violations (MR, MON) - failure to conduct the required regular monitoring of drinking water quality, and/or to submit monitoring results on time.
- Public notice violations (Other) - failure to immediately alert consumers if there is a serious problem with their drinking water that may pose a risk to public health.
- Other violations (Other) - miscellaneous violations, such as failure to issue annual consumer confidence reports or maintain required records.
SDWA Table Key
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Compliance Period | Dates of the compliance period. |
| Status |
Current status of the violation.
|
| Health-Based? | Whether the violation is health based. |
| Category Code |
The category of violation that is reported.
|
| Code | A full description of violation codes can be accessed in the SDWA_REF_CODE_VALUES (CSV) table. |
| Contaminant Code | A code value that represents a contaminant for which a public water system has incurred a violation of a primary drinking water regulation. |
| Rule Code |
Code for a National Drinking Water rule.
|
| Rule Group Code |
Code that uniquely identifies a rule group.
|
| Rule Family Code |
Code for rule family.
|
For more clarification please visit the EPA's data dictionary.
Hendersonville Water - Frequently Asked Questions
| By Mail: | 305 WILLIAMS ST CITY OF HENDERSONVILLE HENDERSONVILLE, NC, 28792 |
Existing customers can login to their City of Hendersonville account to pay their Hendersonville water bill by clicking here.
If you want to pay your City of Hendersonville bill online and haven't made an account yet, you can create an account online. Please click here to create your account to pay your Hendersonville water bill.
If you don't want to make an account, or can't remember your account, you can make a one-time payment towards your Hendersonville water bill without creating an account using a one time payment portal with your account number and credit or debit card. Click here to make a one time payment.
Moving to a new house or apartment in Hendersonville means you will often need to put the water in your name with City of Hendersonville. In order to put the water in your name, please click the link to the start service form below. Start service requests for water bills typically take two business days.
Leaving your house or apartment in Hendersonville means you will likely need to take your name off of the water bill with City of Hendersonville. In order to take your name off the water bill, please click the link to the stop service form below. Stop service for water bills requests typically take two business days.
USER SUBMITTED RATINGS
- Drinking Water Pollution and Inaccessibility
- Water Pollution
- Drinking Water Quality and Accessibility
- Water Quality
The above data is comprised of subjective, user submitted opinions about the water quality and pollution in Hendersonville, measured on a scale from 0% (lowest) to 100% (highest).
Related FAQS
Hendersonville Water Quality Report (Consumer Confidence Report)
The EPA mandates that towns and cities consistently monitor and test their tap water. They must report their findings in an annual Consumer Confidence Report. Below is the most recent water quality report from Hendersonville's Water. If you would like to see the original version of the report, please click here.
SAFE, PLENTIFUL
& RELIABLE DRINKING WATER.
That’s what you and your family rely on. And that’s what we at the Hendersonville Utility District work around the clock to provide, 24 hours a day, every day!
In fact, Hendersonville Utility District was selected as having the “Best Tasting Water” in Tennessee Association of Utility Districts’ Region 5 in 2020. Region 5 is made up of Davidson, Sumner, Williamson, and Wilson counties.
The water quality report is designed to inform you about the series of tests we routinely conduct to ensure that the drinking water delivered to your home is of the highest quality.
We thank you for taking time to review this report and we would be happy to answer any questions.
APPOINTMENT OF COMMISSIONERS
The commissioners of Hendersonville Utility District serve four year terms. Vacancies on the Board of Commissioners are filled by appointment of the Sumner County Executive from a list of three nominees certified by the Board of Commissioners. A vacancy will exist in May, 2022 on the District’s Board of Commissioners due to the expiration of the term of a current member of the Board. The Board plans to certify a list of three nominees to the Sumner County Executive to fill this vacancy at its regular meeting in November 2021. A customer may submit a name for consideration by the Board for the list of nominees.
To be considered, the name must be received by the District’s General Manager no later than November 1, 2021. Qualifications established
by the Board for nominees are available upon request.
2021-2022
CONSTRUCTION PROJECT LIST
Water and Sewer
Improvements/Installation Projects
- District wide Sewer/Water Line Rehab
- Walton Ferry / Old Shackle Realignment
-
Anderson
Lane/Point-O-View Tank Rehab - Braxton/Wynbrooke/Walton Ferry Pump Station Rehab
- Gallatin Rd Pump Station Backup Generator
- Mallard Drive / West Main Sewer Installation
P.O. Box 180
Hendersonville, TN 37077
615.824.3717 | Fax 615.824.3797
www.hendutil.net
COMMISSIONERS:
W.C. Boyers, Ronald E. Flowers,
J.W. McMurray
GENERAL MANAGER:
Joe Rewa
Hendersonville Utility District is an
equal opportunity provider and employer.
2021 WATER QUALITY REPORT
WHAT IS THE SOURCE OF MY WATER?
Is my drinking water safe? Yes, our water meets all of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) health standards. We have conducted numerous tests for over 80 contaminants that may be in drinking water. As you will see in the chart included in this report, we only detected 12 of these substances. The water delivered to your home is surface water from Old Hickory Lake, which is fed by the Cumberland River. We are fortunate that the Old Hickory Lake source is known for its
OUR GOAL
Our goal is to protect our water from contaminants and we are working with the State to determine the vulnerability of our water source to potential contamination. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) has prepared a Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP) report for the untreated water sources serving the Hendersonville Utility District. The SWAP report assesses the susceptibility of untreated water sources to potential contamination. To ensure safe drinking water, all public water systems treat and routinely test their water. Water sources have been rated as reasonably susceptible, moderately susceptible or slightly suscepti- ble based on geologic factors and human activities in the vicinity of the water source. The Hendersonville Utility District’s sources rated as reasonably susceptible to potential contamination. An explanation of Tennessee’s SWAP program, the Source Water Assessment summaries, susceptibility scorings and the overall TDEC report to EPA can be viewed online at https://www.tn.gov/environment/pro-
WHY ARE THERE CONTAMINANTS IN MY WATER?
The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity. Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants, however, does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. Community water systems are required to disclose the detection of contaminants; however, bottled water companies are not required to comply with this regulation. More information about contaminants and potential health eects can be obtained by calling the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline
NEW SELF-SERVICE PORTAL
HUD partnered with WaterSmart and InvoiceCloud to oer our customers a modern digital portal where you can access detailed information about your household water use. You can access all of your utility data as soon as it becomes available each billing period, see how your water use compares to similar sized homes in your neighborhood, and get access to customized
recommendations on how you can save water and money.
You can access the portal at www.hendutil.net.
SANITARY SURVEY
It is with great pleasure to announce that the Hendersonville Utility District has scored 599 points out of a possible 599 points for a numerical score of
CONTAMINANTS THAT MAY
BE PRESENT IN SOURCE
WATER INCLUDE:
- Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations and wildlife.
-
Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be
naturally-occurring or result from urban stormwater runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining or farming. - Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, stormwater runoff, and residential uses.
-
Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are
by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runo, and septic systems. - Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.
In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conserva- tion prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in the water provided by public water systems. FDA regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health.
For more information about your drinking water, please call John Wunner, Water Plant Superintendent at
DO I NEED TO TAKE
SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS?
Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno- compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have under- gone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about not only their drinking water but food preparation, personal hygiene, and precautions in handling infants and pets from their health care providers. EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the
Safe Drinking Water Hotline
WHAT ABOUT WATER
SYSTEM SECURITY?
We realize that our customers are concerned about the security of their drinking water. In partnership with the
2020 TEST RESULTS
ABOUT THE DATA: The data presented in the table below are “State Approved” and/or “State Certified”
laboratory test results conducted between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020.
REGULATED |
VIOLATION |
LEVEL |
RANGE OF |
DATE OF |
UNIT OF |
MCLG/ |
MCL |
LIKELY SOURCE |
CONTAMINANT |
|
DETECTED |
DETECTION |
SAMPLING |
MEASURE |
MRDLG/ |
|
OF CONTAMINATION |
|
|
|
|
|
MENT |
MRLτ |
|
|
1Turbidity |
No |
.11 |
.01 |
Daily (Jan - Dec. 2020) |
NTU |
N/A |
TT |
◊ Soil |
2Total Organic Carbon |
No |
35% Achieved |
25% Removal Req. |
1/Month |
PPM |
TT |
TT |
◊ Naturally present in the |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
environment |
Sodium Hypochlorite |
No |
1.985 Avg. |
1.23 – 2.72 |
Continuous 24/7 |
PPM |
4.0 |
4.0 |
◊ Additive used to control |
(Disinfectant) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
microbes |
Fluoride |
No |
.54 |
.41 |
Quarterly |
PPM |
4.0 |
4.0 |
◊ Erosion of natural deposits; |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
water additive which promotes |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
strong teeth; discharge from |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
fertilizer and aluminum |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
factories |
Sodium |
No |
10.2 |
10.2 |
7/24/2020 |
PPM |
N/A |
N/A |
◊ Erosion of natural deposits |
Nitrate |
No |
.50 |
.40 |
1/28/2020 |
PPM |
10.0 |
10.0 |
◊ Soil |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
septic tanks; erosion of natural |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
deposits |
3Trihalomethanes |
No |
LRAA = .02 |
.008 |
Quarterly |
PPM |
0 |
.08 |
◊ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
disinfection |
Total Haloacitic Acids |
No |
LRAA = .02 |
.006 |
Quarterly |
PPM |
0 |
.06 |
◊ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
disinfection |
4Lead |
No |
.001 |
8/19/2019 |
PPM |
0 |
AL = .015 |
◊ Corrosion of household |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
95 |
plumbing; erosion of natural |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Percentile |
deposits |
4Copper |
No |
.15 |
.002 |
8/19/2019 |
PPM |
0 |
AL = 1.3 |
◊ Corrosion of household |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
95 |
plumbing; erosion of natural |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Percentile |
deposits; leaching from wood |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
preservatives |
|
|
|
|
MICROBIAL CONTAMINANTS |
|
|
|
|
Total Coliform Bacteria |
No |
Present |
<5.0% |
60 Samples/Month |
Present/ |
0 |
>5.0% |
◊ Naturally present in the |
|
|
(repeats neg.) |
|
|
Absence |
|
Positive |
environment |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Per Month |
|
- Hendersonville Utility District (HUD) met the treatment technique for turbidity with 100% of monthly samples below the turbidity limit of 0.3 NTU. Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness of the water. HUD monitors turbidity because it is a good indicator of the eectiveness of our filtration system.
- HUD met the Treatment Technique requirement for Total Organic Carbon in 2020.
- Some people who drink water containing Trihalomethanes in excess of the MCL over many years may experience problems with their liver, kidneys, or central nervous systems, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer.
-
Lead and Copper: During the most recent round of lead and copper testing, not a single household sampled contained lead or copper concentrations exceeding the action level.
SPECIAL NOTE: “If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. Hendersonville Utility District is responsible for providing high quality drinking water but, cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have you water tested. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the
Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.”
EPA, Homeland Security and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation we have and continue to take active steps to protect the precious resources and system that serves our community. You can help! We urge you and your neighbors to report any suspicious activity at any utility facility – including fire hydrants, pumping stations, etc. – to
HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED?
Issues of drinking water are important for any healthy, thriving community and are best managed through an informed and involved customer base and community.
The Hendersonville Utility District Board of Commissioners typically meets on the third Monday of every month, beginning at 4:00 p.m. We encourage you to come to these meetings to learn more about the systems and people that serve you, or call Joe Rewa, General Manager at
You may also visit our website at www.hendutil.net.
TABLE DEFINITIONS
AL Action Level, or the concentration of a contaminant which, when exceeded, triggers treatment or requirements which a water system must follow.
LRAA Local Running Annual Average
mg/l Milligrams Per Liter
MCLG Maximum Contaminant Level Goal, or the level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health, MCLG’s are for a margin of safety.
MCL Maximum Contaminant Level, or the highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCL’s are set as close the MCLG as feasible using the best available treatment technology.
MRDL Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level, the highest level a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary to the control of microbial contaminants.
MRDLG |
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal, the |
|
level of a drinking water disinfectant below which |
|
there is no known or expected risk to health. |
|
MRDLG’s do not reflect the benefits of the use of |
|
disinfectant to control microbial contaminants. |
|
|
MRLτ |
Maximum Residual Limit – EPA has demonstrated it |
|
can achieve these report limits in reagent water, |
|
but cannot document them in all sample matrices |
|
|
MPN |
Most Probable Number |
|
|
NTU |
Nephelometric Turbidity Unit |
|
|
PPM |
Parts Per Million, or milligrams per liter (1 part per |
|
million = 1 penny in $10,000.00. |
- Treatment Technique or a required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.
THINK |
Flushing unused or expired medicines can be harmful to your drinking |
water. Properly disposing of unused or expired medication helps protect |
|
BEFORE YOU |
ways by disposing in one of our permanent pharmaceutical take back bins. |
|
you and the environment. Keep medications out of Tennessee’s water- |
FLUSH! |
There are nearly 100 take back bins located across the state, to find a |
convenient location please visit: http://tdeconline.tn.gov/rxtakeback/ |
Contaminants
City of Hendersonville
EWG's drinking water quality report shows results of tests conducted by the water utility and provided to the Environmental Working Group by the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, as well as information from the U.S. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History database (ECHO). For the latest quarter assessed by the U.S. EPA (January 2019 - March 2019), tap water provided by this water utility was in compliance with federal health-based drinking water standards.
Utility details
- Serves: 55000
- Data available: 2012-2017
- Data Source: Surface water
- Total: 13
Contaminants That Exceed Guidelines
- Bromodichloromethane
- Chloroform
- Dichloroacetic acid
- Radium%2C combined (-226 & -228)
- Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
- Trichloroacetic acid
Other Detected Contaminants
- Chlorate
- Chromium (hexavalent)
- Dibromoacetic acid
- Fluoride
- Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
- Strontium
- Uranium
Reminder
Always take extra precautions, the water may be safe to drink when it leaves the sewage treatment plant but it may pick up pollutants during its way to your tap. We advise that you ask locals or hotel staff about the water quality. Also, note that different cities have different water mineral contents.