CFPUA says filters are continuing to effectively treat PFAS

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A month after tests showed newly-installed GAC filters were taking all detection-levels of PFAS out of New Hanover County’s drinking water, CFPUA says the filters are still working as planned.

CFPUA says they have an ongoing program to monitor PFAS in raw, untreated water from the Cape Fear River and in finished, treated drinking water.

The most recent test results, from treated drinking water sampled November 1st, detected no PFAS in 64 of 65 PFAS analyzed by CFPUA’s contracted laboratory.

One compound – perfluoropropanoic acid (also called PPF acid or PFPrA) – analysis for which first became available to CFPUA from its contract lab earlier this year – was detected in finished, treated water at 2.71 parts per trillion (ppt). The concentration of perfluoropropanoic acid in raw untreated water was 6.77 ppt.

This compound has a history of analytical uncertainty, leading to its removal from the Table 3+ list of Chemours-specific compounds monitored by Chemours, a press release said. However, after careful review by CFPUA staff we have determined it is appropriate to report and record this data.

The Sweeney Plant sources water from the Cape Fear River and provides about 80 percent of the treated drinking water CFPUA distributes to customers. The total project cost for the GAC filters was $43 million. They were built to address PFAS contamination in the river from Chemours, which operates a chemical manufacturing plant upriver from CFPUA’s raw water intakes.