Drinking Water and Human Health in North Carolina
North Carolina citizens have historically enjoyed plentiful high-quality drinking water supplies in rivers, lakes, and underground aquifers. With rapid population increases in some areas of the state, water supplies are facing greater risk of depletion and 
contamination. Groundwater levels are lowering in some Coastal Plain regions, resulting in water use restrictions. Low-rainfall conditions are causing some Piedmont communities to implement water conservation measures and search for new water supplies. Major water quality threats include contamination of poorly-constructed private wells, urban storm water runoff into water supply reservoirs, and wastewater discharges into streams and groundwater supplies.
Conditions in Your Watershed
The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and county health departments are responsible for ensuring adequate safe drinking water for all citizens. Also, the US Environmental Protection Agency maintains online information on public water systems.
Resources and Programs
North Carolina State University (NCSU) education and Extension programs are available to the public to address drinking water quality concerns. These programs also may be designed to provide water quality information to specific audiences such as youth, farmers and other rural citizens, small businesses and other audiences.
The North Carolina Cooperative Extension provides educational programs to help citizens take action to protect their drinking water supplies. Programs developed by NC State University in Raleigh and NC A&T State University in Greensboro are being used in every county to provide water quality information to homeowners, youth, farmers, communities, businesses, and news media.
Extension Outreach
The NC Home*A*Syst and Farm*A*Syst programs have provided water quality information to more than 3,000 homeowners, farmers, and other residents. The program is reaching out to other government agencies and businesses to inform the public of the need for good water quality. By providing self-assessment sheets, the citizens of North Carolina are able to evaluate their pollution risks on their property. The topics cover well protection, septic tank maintenance, storm water management, and lawn care.
Scientific Research
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at NCSU provides research-based information to help communities ensure clean and safe water supplies. Water quality research and educational efforts span the state's geography as well as its demographics, with programs in areas ranging from mountain streams to marine estuaries, from the self-employed farmer to the state's largest industry. Information is available on current research and education programs.
College and University Education
Youth and continuing adult education are critical to develop new talent and human resources to address the water quality issues of the future. Educational curricula in drinking water and human health are available within several departments at NCSU. Graduate and undergraduate courses in key departments include:
- ARE 309: Environmental Law and Economic Policy
- ARE(EC) 436: Environmental Economics
- ARE(EC) 336: Introduction to Resource and Environmental Economics.
- BAE 050: Soil and Water Environmental Management
- BAE 323: Water Management
- BAE 471: Land Resources Environmental Engineering
- BAE 472/572: Irrigation and Drainage
- BAE 473/573: Introduction to Surface/Water Quality Modeling
- BAE 578: Agricultural Waste Management
- BAE(SSC) 590Q: Water Quality Applications
- BAE(SSC) 671: Theory of Drainage - Saturated Flow
- BAE(SSC) 674: Theory of Drainage - Unsaturated Flow
- CE 280: Principles of Environmental Engineering
- CE 375: Civil Engineering Systems
- CE 383: Hydrology and Urban Water Systems
- CE 384: Introduction to Environmental Engineering
- CE 470: Physical Processes of Environmental Engineering
- CE 480: Water Resources Engineering Project
- CE 484: Water Supply and Waste Water Systems
- CE 487: Introduction to Coastal and Ocean Engineering
- CE 584: Hydraulics of Ground Water
- CE 585: Urban Stormwater Managemant
- CE 644: Groundwater Contaminant Transport
- EC(ARE)336: Introduction to Resource and Environmental Economics
- EC(ARE)436: Environmental Economics
- ES 100: Introduction to Environmental Sciences
- ES 400: Environmental Sciences Projects
- FOR(FW,ZO) 221: Conservation of Natural Resources
- FOR 485: Natural Resources Advocacy
- FOR 553: Environmental Remote Sensing
- FOR 601: Advanced Hydrology
- MDS 201: Environmental Ethics
- MDS 220: Oceans: Our Continuing Frontier
- MDS 303: Humans and the Environment
- MEA 300: Environmental Geography
- PHI 322: Philosophical Issues in Environmental Ethics
- PS 320: U.S. Environmental Law and Politics
- PS 336: Global Environmental Politics
- PS 536: Global Environmental Law and Policy
- SSC(BAE) 323: Water Management
- SSC 361: Role of Soils in Environmental Management
- SSC 562: Environmental Applications of Soil Science
- SSC 680: Transport and Fate of Chemicals in Soils and Natural Waters
- ZO(FW)221: Conservation of Natural Resources