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Showers with a possible thunderstorm early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. Low 57F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%..
Showers with a possible thunderstorm early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. Low 57F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
Updated: May 18, 2024 @ 4:35 pm
The Biden administration finalized strict limits Wednesday on certain so-called “forever chemicals” in drinking water that will require utilities to reduce them to the lowest level they can be reliably measured.
More than 300 water systems in North Carolina, including for five Alamance County mobile home parks, exceed the EPA’s new drinking water standards for PFAS, according to new data released Wednesday by the state Department of Environmental Quality, the NC Newsline news service reported.
The rule is the first national drinking water limit on toxic PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which are widespread and long lasting in the environment. Exposure to PFAS has been linked to multiple health problems, including thyroid and liver disorders, reproductive and fetal development problems, immune system deficiencies, high cholesterol and cancer, and EPA officials say the new limits will reduce exposure for 100 million people and help prevent thousands of illnesses
Wednesday’s announcement establishes limits for six previously unregulated PFAS chemicals in drinking water — PFOS and PFOA, each at 4 parts per trillion (PPT), and a calculated hazard index for a combination of PFNA, PFHxS, PFBS and HFPO-DA (aka GenX).
DEQ has sampled more than 530 small public water systems over the past two years, including 19 in Alamance County. Of those, the systems for Circle K Park in Saxapahaw, Holly Tree Village in Elon, Park Place in Burlington and Rae McKenzie Mobile Home Park exceeded the limit for at least one of the six chemicals, according to DEQ’s data.
The city of Burlington issued a statement saying that after the EPA issued an advisory in March 2023 with stricter limits, Burlington’s Water Resources Department contracted with consulting firm Hazen and Sawyer to advise on new treatment processes and new technologies.
“Like many water systems in North Carolina and across the country, Burlington will need to undertake major capital projects to install treatment systems capable of removing these chemicals,” the city’s statement said. “The new regulation allows five years for drinking water providers like the City of Burlington to come into compliance with the new standards. Staff estimates that it will take three to four years to complete planning, design, and construction of the multi-million-dollar upgrades that will be necessary to meet these new regulations. “
The city posts data on PFAS levels in drinking water at BurlingtonNC.gov/PFAS.
PFAS chemicals are hazardous because they don’t degrade in the environment.
They’ve been used in everyday products including nonstick pans, firefighting foam and waterproof clothing. Although some of the most common types are phased out in the U.S., others remain. Water providers will now be forced to remove contamination put in the environment by other industries.
“It’s that accumulation that’s the problem,” said Scott Belcher, a North Carolina State University professor who researches PFAS toxicity. “Even tiny, tiny, tiny amounts each time you take a drink of water over your lifetime is going to keep adding up, leading to the health effects.”
Health advocates praised the Environmental Protection Agency for not backing away from tough limits the agency proposed last year. But water utilities took issue with the rule, saying treatment systems will cost tens of billions of dollars each, and the burden will fall hardest on small communities with fewer resources.
The EPA estimates the rule will cost about $1.5 billion to implement each year, but doing so will prevent nearly 10,000 deaths over decades and significantly reduce serious illnesses.
Traditional treatment systems don’t remove PFAS, so utilities must install expensive upgrades or secure alternative water supplies. To help pay for advanced treatment systems or alternate water sources, the Biden administration is allocating $1 billion to assist utilities in meeting the legally enforceable standards.
EPA Administrator Michael Regan said the money will be apportioned based on need.
