CFPUA plan to filter GenX raises financial concerns for customers
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — One day after the Environmental Protection Agency held a summit to discuss Chemours and the toxicity of GenX and other contaminants in our drinking water, the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority held a meeting of their own.
The focus of the discussion was installing a water treatment system to remove GenX and other contaminants.
But it’s not guaranteed to filter everything, and will come at a cost to customers.
“Do you really need to spend $46 million on something that is of unknown value to the ratepayers of the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority,” said customer Tom Newcomb.
$46 million is the cost of installing a granular-activated carbon system at the Sweeney Water Treatment Plant to filter out GenX and other contaminants.
Representative Ted Davis attended the CFPUA board’s workshop, and is happy with the progress being made.
“It’s taken a long time, but as you can see now there is a positive forward movement to address this problem,” said Davis.
But not everyone is convinced.
“It’s my belief that the vast majority of any harm that may have been done has already been done. So why jump into this?” asked Newcomb.
Newcomb, a retired engineer, says he wants to see more conclusive effects of GenX before any money is spent.
He worries that CFPUA’s lawsuit against Chemours, the company that discharged GenX, will not be successful, and customers will have to foot the bill.
“My thought is that their rationale and argument against that would be that they have spent and are spending very sizable amounts of money to capture the materials at their location,” said Newcomb.
CFPUA executive director Jim Flechtner says he hopes that will not be the case, but they do not have many other options.
“It’ll be about a $5 per month cost for a typical residential customer. It’s a lot of money for people, they shouldn’t have to pay it. But we need to move the plant forward so we can provide the best water we possibly can,” said Flechtner.
