We believe that safe, affordable water is a right for all North Carolinians! Our staff works to organize with communities, research the impacts of water privatization and pricing practices, and advocate for health-protective, sustainable statewide water quality policies.


The water people drink in NC comes from many sources! Some residents drink groundwater from private or municipal wells, while others use treated surface water (from rivers, lakes, and streams, etc.) or spring water.

Some of the problems that can affect drinking water for families in North Carolina are water contamination, high water bills, water outages or leaks, and poor service from a private company or government water supplier.


We aim to:

  • Ensure that North Carolinians know the source of their drinking water, the threats to its safety, and their responsibility for its protection.
  • Research and educate the public on drinking water source protection, the right to safe, affordable water, and threats to both ground and surface water.
  • Develop just and sustainable policies to protect rights to affordable drinking water, adequate supply, and equitable distribution (water allocation and pricing).

Learn more about our ongoing efforts to promote Water Justice across NC by checking out our current campaigns:

Well User Protection

We work towards strengthening protections for NC’s almost 3 million private well users through outreach, public education, well-testing, and advocating for local & state policies!

Local Water Utility Concerns

Most households in NC receive their drinking water from a city, county or other municipal systems. Although these drinking water systems are locally owned and operated, it can still be difficult to navigate questions regarding your water quality and rates – but we are here to help!

Privatized Water

In our experience, public, locally-controlled utilities are most likely to offer quality, affordable water and sewer service. Through years of work with customers of these utilities, we’ve identified significant challenges faced by those served by privatized water and sewer companies.