A $12 million project to connect two Cumberland County elementary schools to Fayetteville’s public water system is complete, providing a long-term drinking water source for schools whose wells were contaminated by forever chemicals.
Gray’s Creek Elementary and Alderman Road Elementary schools have been connected to the Fayetteville Public Works Commission (PWC) water system, completing a project first announced in 2024. Construction began in November 2025.
The N.C. General Assembly allocated $11.82 million for the project, which included extending more than 3 miles of water lines to reach the two schools.
The connection marks the latest step in addressing drinking water concerns that have affected the schools for nearly nine years.
PFAS—which stands for stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances—is a group of thousands of forever chemicals that do not easily break down in the environment and are linked to adverse health conditions. PFAS was detected in the schools’ well water after contamination linked to the nearby Chemours Fayetteville Works plant became public in 2017.
The schools shut off their drinking fountains in October 2017 and began relying on bottled water for students and staff.
Cumberland County sued Chemours and DuPont in 2022 over PFAS contamination of groundwater in the county. A judge ruled last year that the companies caused a public nuisance through PFAS emissions from the Fayetteville Works plant, leaving a jury to determine damages and how the nuisance should be abated. That trial is scheduled to start September 8.
Students were able to begin drinking from the schools’ fountains again in 2025 after Cumberland County spent about $39,000 to install filtration systems at the two schools. The filters were intended as an interim measure while the public water project was completed.
The newly completed water line provides the schools with a direct connection to PWC’s system, replacing the wells as their long-term drinking water source.
PWC CEO and General Manager Timothy Bryant said the project represents a broader investment in the Gray’s Creek community.
“This project represents far more than the installation of new water lines, it reflects our shared commitment to protecting public health, investing in critical infrastructure, and improving the quality of life for the Gray’s Creek community,” Bryant said in a press release.
Construction included about 17,500 feet—more than 3.3 miles—of 12- and 16-inch water pipe extending from Gray’s Creek Shopping Center south along N.C. 87 and west along Alderman Road to the two schools.
When PWC commissioners received an update on the project in April, construction was about 60% complete and expected to finish during the summer.
The water main was also designed with four locations where additional lines can be connected, creating the potential to extend public water service farther into the Gray’s Creek community.
State Sen. Tom McInnis and state Rep. Diane Wheatley—both Republicans whose districts include portions of Cumberland County— along with local officials visited Alderman Road Elementary on August 14 to recognize the project’s completion.
McInnis said connecting the schools was particularly important because of the students and employees who spend their days there.
“Simply put, this community deserves quality drinking water, and I am proud of the work PWC did to get the two schools connected,” McInnis said in the press release. “This is about our students, our teachers, and our support staff members’ safety and well-being.”
Cumberland County Schools Superintendent Eric Bracy credited the agencies and state officials involved in bringing the project to completion.
“We appreciate the partnership of Fayetteville PWC, our state leaders and everyone who helped make this important project possible for our schools and community,” Bracy said in the press release.
The project is part of a broader effort to expand access to public water in Gray’s Creek, where homes, businesses, and other properties have also relied on private wells affected by PFAS contamination.
