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PW exclusive: PFAS levels spiking in monitoring wells in New Hanover County

Kira Mok

This data show PFAS in monitoring wells; the four listed above are emergency wells, and not part of the normal drinking water distribution. ASR indicates the utility’s aquifer storage well; RWTP stands for Richardson Water Treatment Plant. April 2021 sampling showed no PFAS were detected in finished water from that plant, according to the utility. (Map: NCDEQ

Read the full article by Lisa Sorg (NC Policy Watch)

“Wells are for emergency use only, but concentration of contaminants up 260% in one sample, compared with last year

Levels of toxic perfluorinated compounds, also known as PFAS, have surged in several groundwater monitoring wells in New Hanover County recent data show, prompting state regulators to investigate potential sources.

All of the wells are for emergency use only, said Vaughn Hagerty, spokesman for the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority, and are not providing water for public consumption at this time. The utility also has taken the Seaspray and Sea Pines wells out of service.

The Peedee Aquifer is the source of the well water.

As part of routine monitoring, the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority tested water from the groundwater monitoring wells in April. The utility presented the findings at its May board meeting and notified the NC Department of Environmental Quality about the increases. CFPUA regularly reports sampling data on its website.

The utility and DEQ provided year-to-year comparisons to Policy Watch, dating from 2019 when well monitoring began (see map, right). Here are the recent figures from 2021:

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