6 wells test positive for PFAS in New Hanover County, according to CFPUA
WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) - Officials with the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority confirmed Thursday six of 25 ground water wells tested came back positive for PFAS in the northern area of New Hanover County.
CFPUA leaders stress their water is safe to drink because it comes from a treatment plant in the area. The wells are the source of water for the Richardson Nano Filtration Plant that supplies water to people in Murrayville, Wrightsboro, Porters Neck and parts of Castle Hayne and Ogden.
“Recent tests show Richardson continues to be effective at filtering PFAS compounds. No PFAS were detected in finished drinking water sampled in March, while a trace amount – 0.6 parts per trillion (ppt) – was detected in a sample taken April 16,” a press release from CFPUA says.
The levels detected in the wells are well below federal and state health goals. Since 2016, the EPA only issues health advisories if the levels exceed 70 parts per trillion.
CFPUA Board Member Pat Kusek says the composition of the substance detected in the wells is the same as the material traced back to the Chemours facility.
PFAS are man-made chemicals that have been used worldwide since the 1940′s. They’re found in food packaging, cleaners, water-resistant coatings, carpets, electronics, firefighting foams, and other industrial products. When ingested long-term, health effects include increased risk of cancer, liver damage, low birth weight, thyroid problems, cholesterol issues and more.
The state was notified Tuesday that the six wells contained traces of PFAS. Elected officials were informed of the situation Wednesday.
According to a press release from CFPUA, state regulators say they plan to begin testing groundwater from monitoring wells in New Hanover County for the presence of PFAS.
The NC Department of Environmental Quality released the following statement on the most recent round of testing Thursday:
"DEQ’s staff has been in contact with CFPUA and local officials regarding recent data indicating notable measures of cumulative PFAS in groundwater. We share their concerns but realize that one data set does not sufficiently help us understand the cause or source of the contamination. DEQ plans to sample areas of concern and expedite testing results. To date, none of the results are from finished drinking water.
In light of the CFPUA data disclosed to DEQ on May 8, we will compare the results of the utility’s resampling to the first results and our own data and will share it with local officials once it is received. We anticipate that even if expedited, DEQ’s sampling results will take a few weeks to be returned from the lab as our own resources are not sufficient to complete the sampling and testing without an outside contractor."
County Commissioner and CFPUA Board of Directors member Rob Zapple released this statement Thursday in reference to the news:
“Water quality is a critical issue for every citizen in New Hanover County and is the focus of the Board and staff of the CFPUA. Recent sampling of CFPUA wells in the northern portion of NHC indicated the presence of PFAS contaminants. The detection amount of PFAS is relatively small but any amount is of concern to our citizens and the Board and staff of the CFPUA. CFPUA is working with our state regulatory agency, NC Department of Environmental Quality, to determine the full scope and impact of the results of the well sampling and will be conducting additional testing and analysis to develop a full response. The CFPUA Board of Directors believe it is important that the residents of NHC have the most up to date information concerning the issues that affect their water quality.”
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