How safe is your tap water?
WRAL News tested water from homes across North Carolina for forever chemicals, also known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). They're called forever chemicals because of how long PFAS can persist in the environment and the human body.
Studies have linked some PFAS to adverse health effects, including cancer. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said exposure to very low levels of some forever chemicals can be harmful. The EPA has proposed limits on six types of PFAS, but there are no current regulations for utilities.
WRAL News used an at-home test kit from Cyclopure to test municipal drinking water for 55 different forever chemicals. The results are validated to one part per trillion (ppt), equivalent to a grain of sand in 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Here's where the highest levels were found:
Fayetteville
Total PFAS: 47.4 ppt
Cumberland County has been in the spotlight in recent years, after researchers discovered Chemours' Fayetteville chemical plant had tainted the Cape Fear River and surrounding drinking water wells with forever chemicals.
Chemours supplies bottled water to private well owners with total PFAS 10 ppt or above. Cumberland County's municipal water supply has levels four times that.
WRAL News tested water provided by PWC at a Fayetteville home where Ashley Williams lives with her family, including young children. After seeing the results, Williams switched to bottled water to limit her family's exposure to the chemicals.
"I did not expect ours to be so high," Williams said. "We’re paying for our water every month to the city and they’re supposed to be cleaning our water, but obviously they’re not."
PWC declined requests for an interview, but the utility plans to eventually install granular activated carbon systems at its two treatment facilities, at an estimated cost of $92 million.
WRAL News reviewed the results with Detlef Knappe, a PFAS expert at NC State.
"Personally, I would not like to have the PFAS levels that you found in some of the communities in my water, so I would filter them out," Knappe said.
Burlington
Total PFAS: 45.2 ppt
The Burlington water sample showed high levels of PFOS and PFOA, types of forever chemicals that have been phased out of production after the compounds were linked to health hazards. The EPA has proposed regulatory limits for those compounds of 4 parts per trillion.
"These results are above the standards that EPA is proposing, so it would be considered unsafe in the future," Knappe said.
Susan and Rusty Holt have lived at their Burlington home for 35 years and wanted to get their water tested because they were concerned about PFAS exposure.
"It's scary to think this could impact our health, especially as we get older" Susan Holt said.
"I think the manufacturers of these chemicals should have some responsibility for cleanup," Rusty Holt said.
Durham
Total PFAS: 8.6
Durham’s PFAS levels were lower than 10 ppt, but levels of PFOS were 3.9. That's barely under the proposed EPA limit of 4 ppt.
"Regulatory agencies should be given more teeth to protect the drinking water," said Durham resident Kent Weigle.
Raleigh
Total PFAS: 7.1
Raleigh's levels were under EPA's proposed limits.
Ed Buchan with Raleigh Water says the utility uses powdered activated carbon (PAC) in treatment systems to remove some of the PFAS. It looks like a fine black dust and is much cheaper than granular activated carbon (GAC) filters.
Buchan says Raleigh Water will make upgrades to meet the regulatory standards set for PFAS when they are official.
"If we moved to something like GAC, that would probably cost anywhere between $150 to $170 million and that would be paid for by ratepayers," Buchan said.
Cary
Total PFAS: 5.6
Cary had the lowest levels overall. The municipality also uses a PAC system to treat water.
Kerri Difilipo moved to North Carolina in 2015 and wanted her water tested because she was concerned about PFAS exposure after learning about contamination in other parts of the state.
“That was definitely my biggest fear, that there is something in the water that could impact my health and the health of our children," Difilipo said.
Follow-up coverage
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