Gaston County, NC

Water Treatment in Gastonia, NC

What Two Rivers Utilities's latest water quality report says, and what it means for a Gastonia home.

Get my quote (980) 320-2475

Local water snapshot

Two Rivers Utilities

From its 2025 water quality report · read the full report

Water source: Surface water drawn from Mountain Island Lake, an impoundment on the Catawba River; Two Rivers Utilities serves about 96,714 people.; Two Rivers Utilities (City of Gastonia), 2025
Disinfectant: Free chlorine; Two Rivers Utilities (City of Gastonia), 2025
TTHM (disinfection byproducts): 60.8 ppb; Highest running annual average (2025); federal limit 80 ppb.; Two Rivers Utilities (City of Gastonia), 2025
HAA5 (disinfection byproducts): 39.3 ppb; Highest running annual average (2025); federal limit 60 ppb.; Two Rivers Utilities (City of Gastonia), 2025
Lead (at sampled homes' taps): Not detected; Not detected (2023); 0 sampled homes above the action level. The federal action level is 15 ppb.; Two Rivers Utilities (City of Gastonia), 2025
Violations: None marked; No violation is marked in the report's results tables.; Two Rivers Utilities (City of Gastonia), 2025

What this means for your home

Gastonia is inside Two Rivers Utilities's service area on the state's water-system map.

Two Rivers Utilities's report doesn't list hardness. Most reservoir-fed systems in this region are soft, but a quick hardness test at your tap is the only way to know before anyone recommends a softener.
Two Rivers Utilities (City of Gastonia) disinfects with free chlorine. If you notice the taste or smell, NSF/ANSI 42 certified carbon reduces it.
Disinfection byproducts (TTHM) were 60.8 ppb against an 80 ppb limit. That's compliant; some households still prefer a margin, which NSF/ANSI 53 carbon or reverse osmosis provides.
52.4% of homes in Gastonia were built before 1980. EPA notes homes built before 1986 are more likely to have lead in their plumbing, so a certified-lab lead test at the tap is a sensible first step in an older home.

Recommended for Gastonia homes

Based on the data above. Your own test results always come first.

Chlorine taste & odorCertified carbon at the kitchen tap or for the whole home.Drinking-water reverse osmosisNSF/ANSI 58 RO at the kitchen tap.Water testingCertified-lab lead and full-panel testing.Whole-home filtrationSediment plus catalytic carbon for the whole house.

How it works

Step 1
Test
We read your utility's report with you, and run a certified-lab test when your home calls for one.
Step 2
Design
You get a written recommendation and quote for only what the data supports.
Step 3
Licensed install
An independent licensed plumber installs under a separate agreement with you.
Step 4
Retest
We confirm the system is doing what it's certified to do.

Gastonia at a glance

Population: 87,067; July 2025 estimate · U.S. Census Bureau, 2025
Households: 32,378; U.S. Census Bureau (via Census Reporter), 2024
Owner-occupied homes: 54.2%; U.S. Census Bureau (via Census Reporter), 2024
Median home value: $277,600; U.S. Census Bureau (via Census Reporter), 2024
Homes built before 1980: 52.4%; U.S. Census Bureau (via Census Reporter), 2024

Gastonia water questions

Who supplies water in Gastonia?

Gastonia is inside Two Rivers Utilities's service area on the state's water-system map. Its supply is surface water drawn from mountain island lake, an impoundment on the catawba river. EPA's registry lists it serving about 96,714 people.

Does Two Rivers Utilities (City of Gastonia) report PFAS?

Its latest report doesn't include PFOA or PFOS results we can publish. EPA's enforceable limits for PFOA and PFOS are 4.0 parts per trillion; other proposed PFAS limits are under review.

Do homes in Gaston County use private wells?

Gaston County Environmental Health states that there are more than 8,000 households in Gaston County using groundwater from private wells. In state testing of private wells in Gaston County, 2.79% of 2,764 private wells tested (77 wells) were above the 10 µg/L EPA drinking water standard (MCL) for arsenic. These figures describe the wells that were tested, not every well in the county.

How old are homes in Gastonia, and does that matter for water?

Census estimates put 52.4% of Gastonia homes as built before 1980. Lead usually comes from a home's own plumbing, not the utility, so in older homes a certified-lab lead test at the tap is the honest starting point.

Do you serve Gastonia?

Yes. Gastonia is about 35 minutes from our Charlotte base. Installation is performed by an independent, NC-licensed plumbing contractor under a separate agreement with you.

Do I need a permit to install a water treatment system?

Whole-house treatment is plumbing work in North Carolina. Your independent licensed plumber determines and pulls any permit Gaston County requires.

Nearby areas we serve

All of Gaston County Every county and town we serve Look up your water by ZIP

Get an honest answer about Gastonia water.

Tell us about your home and water source. We'll recommend testing first, and only the equipment your results support.