Water Filtration in Albemarle & Stanly County, NC

Stanly County is lake country, with Badin Lake, Tuckertown, and Lake Tillery all along its edges. Those lakes supply the city water, but a lot of homes here, especially lake properties, are on private wells, and well water in Stanly County deserves a closer look than most.

Where Stanly County’s Water Comes From

• City of Albemarle: two treatment plants, one drawing from Badin Lake (the Narrows Reservoir) and one from Tuckertown Reservoir, both on the Yadkin River. Water from the two plants is blended into one system.
• Stanly County Utilities: buys its water from Albemarle and Norwood and distributes it to districts across the county.
• Private wells: common in rural areas and on lake properties around Badin Lake and Lake Tillery.

Common Water Concerns in Stanly County

• Arsenic in private wells. Stanly County sits in the Carolina Slate Belt, and researchers who studied tens of thousands of North Carolina well tests named Stanly County as a place for targeted arsenic monitoring. Arsenic has no taste, color, or smell.
• Disinfection byproducts. In past years, some county water districts reported trihalomethane (TTHM) levels above the federal limit. These byproducts form when chlorine reacts with natural material in lake and river water, and activated carbon reduces them.
• Iron, manganese, and sulfur smell in well water, especially common around the lakes.

Questions From Stanly County Homeowners

Is arsenic really an issue in Stanly County wells?

It shows up more often here than in most of the state, which is why researchers singled out Stanly County. Most wells are fine, but the only way to know yours is to test it. The EPA recommends regular testing for private wells, and the county health department can point you in the right direction.

We have a lake house on Badin Lake. Can you help?

Yes. Lake homes are often on wells with iron or sulfur problems. We’ll ask what you’re seeing and set you up with the right system, whether it’s your full-time home or a weekend place.