8/22/2023
When:	9:00 am
Where:	Virtual United States
Contact:	Lindsay Jones ljones@nconewater.org

Residents of the Cape Fear region learned in 2017 that their drinking water source was polluted: The Chemours Company  "https://www.northcarolinahealthnews.org/2021/09/08/wells-polluted-with-pfas-found-18-miles-from-chemours-chemical-plant/" Fayetteville Works Facility had been www.northcarolinahealthnews.org/2021/05/05/there-are-harmful-chemicals-in-north-carolinas-waterways-will-lawmakers-address-the-problem discharging PFAS, including  href="https://www.northcarolinahealthnews.org,directly into the water "https://www.northcarolinahealthnews.org. Though Chemours now is prohibited from discharging PFAS-contaminated wastewater from its plant operations into the Cape Fear River, it is costing local governments and utilities millions of dollars to remedy the problem.  Major improvements at water treatment plants (WTPs) operated by the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority and Brunswick County Public Utility show how agencies can tackle PFAS contamination to provide clean water for their customers.  Cape Fear Public Utility Authority(CFPUA): Of the three water systems owned by the CFPUA, the highest PFAS levels have been found in emergency wells in the Sweeney System, which draws water from the Cape Fear River and serves about 80% of CFPUA  customers. The wells with the most contamination were taken offline, and CFPUA is spending $43 million to add 8 new GAC filters at the Sweeney WTP to reduce GenX and other PFAS in the water. The utility examined GAC, IX and RO processes and determined that carbon filters worked best and are expected to reduce PFAS concentrations by an average of 90%. Brunswick County Public Utility: The utility is installing a low-pressure RO system at its Northwest WTP to remove PFAS from treated drinking water. The enhanced treatment is part of a $167.3 million expansion and upgrade project. The NCDEQ took significant action to prevent PFAS pollution entering the Cape Fear River by Chemours Fayetteville facility. This includes construction of a 1.5-mile-long subsurface barrier wall along with groundwater extraction wells and a treatment system that will remove over 99% of PFAS. These actions address more than 90% of the PFAS entering the Cape Fear River through groundwater from the residual contamination on the site. The presentation will reveal PFAS treatment techniques from that successfully implemented to remove PFAS compounds including Gen-X from Source water. How agency took measurer to eliminate future PFAS discharged to the environment. Utilize funding for the PFAS projects without using rate-payers money but from polluters. This presentation will help utility owners/operators understand: How treatment techniques can be successfully implemented to remove PFAS compounds, including Gen-X. How agencies took measures to eliminate future PFAS discharges to the environment How to use funding for PFAS projects by shifting costs to polluters instead of ratepayers.