Elizabeth City, NC tap water
Supplied mostly by City of Elizabeth City, plus 1 other utility. Here's what the water means for your fish.
Disinfectant
Chloramine
Your water is treated with chloramine. Unlike chlorine, it doesn't gas off when water sits out, and many pitcher and fridge filters aren't rated to remove it. Conditioners that list chloramine on the label break it apart, which frees a little ammonia. Some utilities switch to plain chlorine for a few weeks a year.
Safety for fish and shrimp
Nitrite (NO₂)
0.04 ppm (Low)
Essentially none, so any nitrite in your tank comes from the tank itself.
From EPA monitoring data (2012–2017).
Nitrate (NO₃)
Up to 6.3 ppm (Low)
Typically not detected
Not detected in testing, so water changes lower your tank's nitrate well.
From EPA monitoring data (2012–2019).
Water chemistry
General hardness
Not published yet
We haven't found this number yet. A drop test kit gives you your exact reading.
Carbonate hardness (alkalinity)
60 ppm
Moderate buffering. pH should stay fairly steady.
From EPA monitoring data (2014).
pH
7.6–7.8
Typical 7.6
Most community fish do well here. Stable water matters more than the exact number.
From EPA monitoring data (2012–2018).
- City of Elizabeth City and Pasquotank County Water System add phosphate to protect pipes. It can feed algae in tanks without much plant growth.
- City of Elizabeth City softens its water at the plant, so it may be softer than the local groundwater.
Who supplies Elizabeth City, NC
City of Elizabeth City
Serves 84% of residents · Groundwater (wells) · Chloramine
Pasquotank County Water System
Serves 13% of residents · Groundwater (wells) · Chloramine
Our data comes from public records and is still incomplete. Many utilities don't publish every number, so we're adding more all the time. Your city's range is a starting point: testing your own tap is the only way to know exactly what's in it.
Tap water lookup covers US cities only for now. Want to know why it matters? Read our story on tap water.
Compiled by Shoal & Stem from public records. Free to cite with a link.