Vaughn Hagerty, Public Information Officer at CFPUA, on Monday will present a short overview of the status of CFPUA’s efforts to address the presence of PFAS compounds in water drawn from the Cape Fear River. A question-and-answer session will follow Hagerty’s presentation.
The presentation will be from 6-7:30 p.m. Monday at the New Hanover County Arboretum, 6206 Oleander Drive.
The event is free and open to the public, though to reserve a seat, call the arboretum between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. weekdays at (910) 798-7660.
CFPUA has taken multiple steps to address PFAS in the water since the summer of 2017, when representatives of the Chemours Co. told local and state leaders that the company had discharged PFAS compounds into the Cape Fear River from processes operating since 1980 at its chemical plant about 100 miles up the Cape Fear River from Wilmington.
CFPUA’s efforts have ranged from monitoring for an increasing number of PFAS compounds and working with researchers and regulators, to conducting an extensive pilot test to determine the best long-term answer for filtering PFAS and putting into place interim measures aimed at reducing PFAS levels with existing technology at the Sweeney Water Treatment Plant.
CFPUA also has advocated for better-defined water standards and filed a lawsuit against Chemours in federal court to recover costs related to addressing the company’s actions.