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drinking water

glass of water to signify contaminated drinking water. There's little being done about 1,4 dioxane in the Cape Fear River Basin

How long will it take to rid PFAS from private wells?

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How long will it take to rid PFAS from private wells? - North Carolina Health News

A reader’s question spurs NC Health News to look for answers. How does 20 to 30 years sound?

By Greg Barnes As more sampling is performed, the number of private drinking water wells found to be contaminated by GenX and other “forever chemicals” continues to surge in an area surrounding the Chemours Fayetteville Works plant. Figures from the state Department of Environmental Quality show that, as of mid-February, more than 2,500 homes in […]

A faucet with water flowing from it, as an illustration for drinking water contamination, with substances such as 1,4 dioxane and PFAS

School boards eye filtration to remove PFAS

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School boards eye filtration to remove PFAS - North Carolina Health News

Amidst growing PFAS concerns, schools in New Hanover and Brunswick Counties are planning to install new water filtration systems in their water.

By Kirk Ross Coastal Review Online Schools in New Hanover and Brunswick counties are installing new water filling stations and special filters in reaction to continuing concerns about levels of industrial contaminants found in drinking water systems. The move to reduce per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, comes after a nationwide report again highlighted high […]

A sign for Grays' Creek Elementary, in an area that

Local governments, residents having to foot bill for industrial contamination

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Local governments, residents having to foot bill for industrial contamination - North Carolina Health News

Cumberland County is the latest to approve spending millions to provide public drinking water to two schools and an area with well contamination caused by the Chemours chemical company.

By Greg Barnes More and more, local governments and North Carolina residents are being forced to spend millions of dollars to protect public health by fixing contamination problems caused by industry. In the Wilmington area, the Cape Fear Public Utilities Authority is spending $46 million to filter GenX and other per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances known […]

A municipal drinking water plant. Unlike at a private well, water is treated for bactria and for chemicals such as 1.4 dioxane at a central location, then pumped through pipes to residents. This can symbolize 1,4 dioxane contamination and clean water.

DEQ records show repeated releases of probable carcinogen into Haw River

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DEQ records show repeated releases of probable carcinogen into Haw River - North Carolina Health News

DEQ cites Greensboro and Reidsville for failing to report recent releases of 1,4 dioxane, a probable carcinogen, but newly released data show multiple discharges for almost two years.

By Greg Barnes For nearly two years, state regulators have required Greensboro and Reidsville to monitor monthly for the probable carcinogen 1,4 dioxane at their wastewater treatment plants. The data, which the state never made public before Friday, show alarmingly high concentrations of the chemical being released repeatedly into the Haw River from December 2017 […]

shows a large format photograph labeled "Carbon Adsorption Unit" sitting on a table

Chemours outlines second phase of PFAS removal

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Chemours outlines second phase of PFAS removal - North Carolina Health News

The chemical company says it has submitted data to the DEQ that will be used to help determine the best approaches to removing PFAS from the Cape Fear River and near the Bladen County plant.

By Greg Barnes The chemical giant Chemours announced Tuesday that it is taking steps to further reduce GenX and other polyfluorinated compounds from reaching the Cape Fear River and drinking water downstream of its Fayetteville Works plant in Bladen County. Chemours said in a news release that it has submitted reports and other information to […]

shows a large coal ash landfill with a dressed surface

State orders owner of lined coal ash landfill to assess contamination

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State orders owner of lined coal ash landfill to assess contamination - North Carolina Health News

Environmentalists say the state’s action bolsters their concerns that the Brickhaven coal ash landfill in Chatham County may be leaking and allowing toxins into surrounding groundwater.

By Greg Barnes For months, environmentalists have said they are concerned that a new lined coal ash landfill in Chatham County may be leaking. Now, it appears that the state Department of Environmental Quality shares the same concerns. In a letter dated Friday, the DEQ ordered Charah Inc., the company that owns the coal ash […]

Hundreds of thousands of people may have been exposed to contaminated drinking water at Cape Lejeune from the 1950 to the 1980s. The Jacksonville base, covering 156,000 acres in eastern North Carolina, remains in operation today with a safe water supply. In this 2016 photo, members of the US Marine Corps and the US Navy, along with civilians, participate in a ceremony on base.

Border wall could divert money targeted for NC military bases

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Border wall could divert money targeted for NC military bases - North Carolina Health News

An emergency declaration signed by President Trump for his border wall could put a water treatment plant at Camp Lejeune and a new elementary school for Fort Bragg in peril.

By Greg Barnes The failure Tuesday by members of the U.S. House to override President Trump’s emergency declaration could mean millions of dollars being diverted from military bases in North Carolina and other states to build 57 miles of a border wall separating the U.S. from Mexico. When Trump made his declaration in mid-February, he […]

A view above sedimentation basins, where the water is clarified as heavy particles settle. Photo by Gabe Rivin

State eyes consolidation of aging rural water and sewer systems

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State eyes consolidation of aging rural water and sewer systems - North Carolina Health News

Gov. Roy Cooper’s proposed bond issue would provide $800 million for water and sewer systems across North Carolina. State officials say some of that money could be used to consolidate struggling rural systems.

By Greg Barnes Spending $800 million for water and sewer improvements doesn’t get the same attention as the new schools Gov. Roy Cooper includes in a proposed $3.9 billion bond issue expected to go before voters in November 2020. But perhaps it should. According to a 2017 water infrastructure report, in the next 20 years, […]

Shows two women in a lab, manipulating tools in order to test water samples, which are arranged on the tabletop

Health, environment central in Cooper’s budget plan

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Health, environment central in Cooper’s budget plan - North Carolina Health News

The $25.2 billion plan calls for about $748 million in natural and environmental resources spending, about 3 percent of the total budget.

By Kirk Ross Coastal Review Online A major upgrade to Department of Environmental Quality lab facilities, increased staffing for water pollution detection and oversight, and a nearly $1 billion boost in funding for clean water projects statewide are among the dozens of priorities Gov. Roy Cooper outlined in his version of this year’s budget plan. […]

shows four children sitting at a kiddie table, one is dishing out food to the other three.

Proposed rule would require licensed daycares to test for lead in their water

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Proposed rule would require licensed daycares to test for lead in their water - North Carolina Health News

Child advocates will request that the state Commission for Public Health approve a rule requiring day care centers to test for lead in their water, remove it if found at high levels and notify parents.

By Greg Barnes Jennifer Hoponick Redmon worried about lead in drinking water as she sought a new childcare center for her children in the Raleigh area. Hoponick Redmon knows all about the dangers of lead. She’s an expert in environmental health science and chemical risk assessment for RTI International, a nonprofit research institute in Research […]

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