Whole-House Water Filtration in Greensboro, High Point & Guilford County

Guilford County’s water is different from the rest of our service area in one big way: it comes from the headwaters of the Cape Fear River basin, not the Yadkin, and the two biggest cities disinfect it with chloramine instead of plain chlorine.

Where Guilford County’s Water Comes From

• Greensboro: three reservoirs in northern Guilford County, Lake Townsend, Lake Brandt, and Lake Higgins, treated at the Mitchell and Townsend water plants.
• High Point: Oak Hollow Lake and City Lake, fed by the forks of the Deep River at the very top of the Cape Fear River system.
• Randleman Lake: a regional reservoir on the Deep River, completed in the early 2000s, that adds supply for Greensboro, High Point, Jamestown, and neighboring towns.
• Private wells: common in the northern part of the county around Oak Ridge and Summerfield.

Common Water Concerns in Guilford County

• Chloramine. Greensboro and High Point use it as their standard disinfectant. It doesn’t boil off or fade if water sits out, and basic pitcher filters struggle with it. Read our chloramine guide.
• Taste changes a few weeks a year. The regional utilities periodically switch to free chlorine for system maintenance, and many people notice a stronger pool smell during that time.
• Aquariums and ponds. Chloramine is toxic to fish, so tap water has to be treated before it goes in.
• Well water in the north county: iron staining, sediment, and hardness are the most common complaints.

Questions From Guilford County Homeowners

Why does my Greensboro water smell stronger some months?

That’s usually the regional free-chlorine conversion. The cities temporarily swap chloramine for free chlorine to keep the pipe system in good shape, then switch back. It’s safe, but it’s often when people first notice the taste. A whole-house system handles both.

Will a fridge or pitcher filter remove chloramine?

Not reliably. Chloramine needs more contact time with carbon than plain chlorine, and small filters don’t hold enough. They also only treat the water you drink, not your shower.