Water Treatment

Quench Your Thirst!

Our water is safe & satisfying, so skip the bottle & save big money! Visit Drink Tap for buckets of information, including the history of drinking water. Take a virtual tour of our Thomas Water Treatment Plant!

Three Water Treatment Plants

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities operates three water treatment facilities drawing water from both the Yadkin River and Salem Lake. Together, these water treatment facilities can produce up to 91 million gallons per day of drinking water. The Neilson and Swann Water Treatment Plants can treat 48 and 25 million gallons per day, respectively, from the Yadkin River. The Thomas Water Treatment Plant can treat 18 million gallons per day from Salem Lake and the Yadkin River. The water distribution system includes 14 water tanks, seven pumping stations and 2,300 miles of water lines. WSFC Utilities serves more than 377,000 residential, business and industrial customers.
Water Treatment System one sheet (PDF)

Safe Drinking Water

For more than two decades, these three treatment facilities have consistently met or surpassed all state and federal standards for drinking water quality. This accomplishment reflects the quality and dedication of the employees who work year round to provide adequate supplies of safe drinking water.

Top-Quality

View our Water Quality Reports for details about the sources of your drinking water, how it is treated, what it contains, and exactly how it compares to state and federal standards. We provide this updated information annually because we are committed to delivering top-quality drinking water to our customers.

Protecting Our Water Sources

Sources of both tap and bottled drinking water include rivers, lakes, 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. Water can also pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity.

To ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the Environmental Protection Agency limits the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Food and Drug Administration regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health.

Lead Exposure from Water

Elevated levels of lead in drinking water can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water comes primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities 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 one to two minutes before using water for drinking or cooking.

If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested by calling City Link at 311 or 336-727-8000. Information and steps you can take to minimize exposure are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791 or epa.gov/safewater/lead.