CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) RESOURCE CENTER Read More
Add To Favorites

NEWS UPDATE: Dealing with toxic GenX

Star-News - 8/8/2017

Aug. 08--SOUTHEASTERN N.C. -- Since reports of an unregulated chemical being dumped into the Cape Fear River were first reported in early June, officials have scrambled to deal with the GenX fallout.

Here are some steps that utilities that operate raw water intakes along the river, south of Chemours' Fayetteville Works plant, have taken to deal with the man-made compound flowing into their water systems.

Bladen Bluffs Regional Surface Water System

Intake location: Near Tar Heel

How many gallons a year: Varies, but around 500 million

Number of customers: 4,700

Notes: The plant exclusively provides water for drinking and manufacturing to Smithfield'sTar Heel pork processing facility.

Response to GenX: Smithfield said the water flowing into the treatment plant is safe. "Smithfield will continue to closely monitor this issue and, as always, meet all federal and state water quality regulations," the company said in a statement.

Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA)

Intake location: Kings Bluff, just above Lock and Dam No. 1

How many gallons a year: 5.63 billion gallons of water in 2016

Number of customers: 135,204

Notes: CFPUA purchases 58 percent of its water from the Lower Cape Fear Water and Sewer Authority, which has an intake at Kings Bluff, and 42 percent was pumped from the utility's own raw water intake, also at Kings Bluff. The intakes on the Cape Fear River also are used to draw water for Brunswick and Pender counties.

Response to GenX: CFPUA completed pilot testing of its GAC (granular activated carbon) filters at the Sweeney Water Plant last month. GAC uses coal, coconut shells, peat, or wood activated by heat to provide filtration and adsorption of contaminants. CFPUA staff is now testing how effective GAC removes GenX and other perfluorinated compounds.

Brunswick County Public Utilities-Northwest Water Treatment Plant

Intake location: Kings Bluff, just above Lock and Dam No. 1

How many gallons a year: 4.1 billion gallons of water in 2016

Number of customers: 39,573

Notes: Brunswick County purchases water from the Lower Cape Fear Water and Sewer Authority. The authority also provides water to ten wholesale customers: Northwest, Southport, Holden Beach, Leland, Navassa, Oak Island, Ocean Isle Beach, Shallotte, H2Go and Bald Head Island Utilities. They use the same series of intakes on the Cape Fear River as CFPUA and Pender County.

Response to GenX: The Lower Cape Fear Water and Sewer Authority changed the gauge of its carbon filter earlier this month in an effort to remove more contaminates out of its raw water intake. It cost $250,000 to change the filter from 300 to 400 grain. "It can treat more chemicals," said authority executive director Don Betz.

International Paper water treatment plant

Intake location: Located north of the Riegelwood Golf Course

Gallons a year: No more than 500,000 gallons per day for potable water purposes

Number of customers: approximately 750

Notes: The Riegelwood Mill supplies potable water to the Riegelwood Sanitary District. The Riegelwood Mill began operations in 1951. The mill operates two plants -- one is the potable water plant and the other is for the manufacturing process. The potable water plant produces a maximum of half million gallons per day. The mill employs approximately 640 people.

Response to GenX: A company spokesman said the mill and treatment is operating within all federal and state standards and in compliance with air and water quality regulations. "In fact, we frequently go beyond these regulatory requirements," the spokesman said.

Sources: Utility companies

___

(c)2017 the Star-News (Wilmington, N.C.)

Visit the Star-News (Wilmington, N.C.) at www.starnewsonline.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.