Cumberland County is getting $34.6 million for seven projects to remove PFAS “forever chemical” contamination from the water and extend public water service, North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein announced on Wednesday.
“This investment brings us a significant step closer to ensuring that no Cumberland County family has to worry about the safety of their water when they turn on the tap,” County Commissioners Chair Kirk deViere said on Wednesday.
The federal government in 2024 ordered drinking water utilities to remove PFAS from their water supplies, although the mandate now is partly relaxed. Private drinking water wells in parts of Cumberland County were contaminated by PFAS chemicals released into the air and the Cape Fear River by the Chemours Co. factory south of Fayetteville, and Cumberland County’s government is extending public water to the area.
Researchers say PFAS chemicals, which are man-made and have been used in a variety of consumer and industrial products for decades, are a health hazard. They are called “forever chemicals” because they are slow to break down naturally.
Details of the awards
The State Water Infrastructure Authority awarded $204 million this month for 48 projects in 27 counties, Stein’s office said. The money is from state and federal sources, including the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 and the State Revolving Fund.
In Cumberland County:
- The Fayetteville Public Works Commission got $20.5 million. The money is to help pay for PFAS filtration systems, estimated to cost $116 million, at Fayetteville’s two drinking water treatment plants. While the PWC’s water is sourced upstream of the chemical plant, PFAS contamination has become so ubiquitous in the environment that water utilities nationwide are under federal mandate to filter these chemicals.
- Cumberland County’s government got $5 million to extend public water to Gray’s Creek, where drinking water wells have been contaminated by PFAS from the Chemours plant.
- Another $2.85 million was awarded to Cumberland County to clean PFAS chemicals from water that has leached through the county landfill and become contaminated.
- Aqua North Carolina, a privately owned water company that serves part of Cumberland County, was awarded three grants totalling $5.8 million to install ion exchange filters to remove PFAS chemicals from its drinking water.
- Carolina Water Service, which serves the Tanglewood Estates community, got a $450,313 grant for its PFAS removal efforts.
“This funding will address aging infrastructure and improve public health for communities large and small,” Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Reid Wilson said in Stein’s news release.
“We are grateful to Governor Stein and Secretary Wilson for their support as we move forward with the construction of our new Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) filtration systems at our two water treatment facilities,” the PWC said in a statement to CityView. “We are also thankful to the dedicated PWC team who have worked diligently in pursuing grants and funding support to help cover the estimated $116 million expansion project cost.”
Will this type of funding get cut off?
DeViere said he is concerned that the federal government will soon reduce funding to help local governments pay for expensive public infrastructure projects.
A news release from Cumberland County says the federal budget proposed for the upcoming fiscal year cuts the State Revolving Fund from $2.76 billion nationwide to $305 million, an 89% decrease.
“These federal programs are the backbone of water infrastructure investment across North Carolina and the nation,” deViere said. “Without sustained federal support, communities like ours will struggle to address aging infrastructure, combat emerging contaminants like PFAS, and ensure safe drinking water for all residents.
“We urge our congressional delegation to continue their strong advocacy for these essential programs,” he said.
Senior reporter Paul Woolverton can be reached at pwoolverton@cityviewnc.com.
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