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CFPUA Board Endorses Aquifer Storage and Recovery Pilot Study Plan

This morning, the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority Board reviewed and endorsed a plan to test treatment technologies to remove PFAS compounds from water in the Aquifer Storage and Recovery well. CFPUA was given $450,000 by the North Carolina General Assembly to conduct this pilot study, and we look forward to sharing our results with the public and other communities dealing with PFAS contamination.

Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) is “the process of injecting water into the ground for storage and later recovering that water for use.” According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), nearly 350 ASR wells were established in the United States as of 2009, and over 120 of those are located in the Southeastern United States. While ASR wells may be used for irrigation or ecosystem restoration, they are most often used to supplement drinking water production when demand exceeds supply.

CFPUA’s ASR well was designed to store treated water from the Sweeney Water Treatment Plant in the Upper PeeDee Aquifer (see image below). During periods of high demand, CFPUA would use that water to supplement the water supply and ensure we could meet demand. In 2017, PFAS compounds, including GenX, were detected in water from the ASR well. Since that time, we have not used the well. CFPUA continues to view the ASR well as a valuable asset for our distribution system, and we are currently working with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality to find a path forward for its future use.

Most Recent Results for GenX Sampling at the Sweeney Water Treatment Plant

CFPUA has received GenX results for July 18, 2018, and July 23, 2018, for the finished water at Sweeney Water Treatment Plant. Levels of the compound continue to be below the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services health goal of 140 parts per trillion.

Most recent test results for per-fluorinated compounds