The water in the Cape Fear might be the key ingredient for many local breweries

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The Cape Fear region has exploded with breweries, pubs and tap rooms over the past few years. One of the key ingredients to a great tasting beer is good water and apparently this area has plenty of it.

“Our mineral composition here in the Cape Fear region is truly ideal for making craft beer. That combined with the efforts CFPUA (Cape Fear Public Utility Authority) to help clean up our water system and use the new technology that they’re using to make our water better. I think is really ideal for the craft beer scene here in our community,” said Ellie Craig, Marketing Manager for Front Street Brewery.

For Front Street Brewery, the first brewery ever in New Hanover County, it has worked quite well.

“From what I’ve been told from some of the experts, it truly is a really good base product to brew beer with,” Craig explained.

When looking at the water specifically, what is in it that works so well? According to Cammie Bellamy with Cape Fear Public Utility Authority, it’s a combination of things.

“What we hear from our brewers is that the mineral content tends to be pretty good. We at CFPUA, we work very hard to keep the pH and the alkalinity within those manageable, mid-level kind of ranges,” said Bellamy.

Bellamy says the work CFPUA is doing to address concerns about GenX or PFAS in the water also plays a part.

“Most recently is October of 2022, CFPUA put our new filters online to fight GenX and other PFAS, so that’s just added a whole other layer of really good quality to the water we’re providing to customers. Those deep bed granular activated carbon filters are up and running, they can treat up to 4400 million gallons per day. The majority of our breweries are on the sweeney system, which is served by those filters,” Bellamy said.

To learn more about local breweries in the Cape Fear area, you can find more information here.