FIRST ON 3 UPDATE: Wilmington VA water test passes first round

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Water tests results submitted by VA officials at the Wilmington clinic have passed. There are now two more rounds of testing that will be completed. If these also pass, water restrictions at the clinic will be lifted.

CFPUA issued a Do Not Use Water advisory in late March after high levels of metals including iron were found in the water supply. Earlier this month, VA Spokesman Jeffery Melvin said after representatives with Summit Smith HealthCare Services conducted tests, they said the incompatibility between the connectors and pipes caused a chemical reaction that is the source of the contamination.

Yesterday, Fayetteville VA Director Elizabeth Goolsby said if the first round clears requirements, the next tests will be Friday and June 26. Goolsby said if those tests also pass, they expect the water restrictions will be lifted by early July.

CFPUA Spokesman Mike McGill said CFPUA will be on hand to witness the draws. They do not administer the testing. According to a public records request, Environmental Chemists, Inc. is the testing agency. That business has two locations, one in Wilmington and the other in Manteo.

McGill also said CFPUA asked the clinic to take additional steps including installing faucet strainers and to stop high velocity flushing between samples.

Last week, both Senator Richard Burr and Senator Thom Tillis put in requests for updates on this investigation WWAY has been following since March. Last night, Burr’s media representative issued another update from the office, showing continued concern for the treatment of veterans during this lengthy process.

“While VA says that it is referring patients requiring urgent care procedures to community providers at VA expense, I have heard from concerned veterans who tell me VA is not fully honoring its commitment to refer urgent care patients to community providers and that patients are, in some cases, being required to travel beyond forty miles to receive care at the Fayetteville VA Medical Center,” Burr said. “I understand that Fayetteville’s forty mile radius and Wilmington’s overlap to some extent, but if this ‘overlap’ is part of the reasoning for having veterans travel further for care which is available locally, it defies common sense and may also defy good medical sense.”

“It is thoroughly disappointing and unacceptable that our veterans in Wilmington are facing longer drives and wait times due to an issue that should have been solved months ago. This is unfortunately yet another painful reminder that the VA continues to suffer from bureaucratic barriers and management failures,” Sen. Thom Tillis said in a statement. “I will continue to work with VA Secretary Robert McDonald and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to fix the internal issues plaguing the VA, and work toward ensuring that our veterans receive the high quality care they need and deserve.”

The VA leases the building from Summit Smith Health Care Services, based in Milwaukee. Numerous phone calls made to that company’s owner have not been returned.