North Carolina develops plan to address PFAS contamination in surface water

North Carolina’s Environmental Management Commission discussed a plan to address PFAS contamination in surface water during its Wednesday meeting.

Officials with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality outlined steps for monitoring and reducing PFAS levels in surface waters, targeting industrial dischargers and pretreatment facilities.

The initial concept aims to implement a framework requiring industrial facilities to monitor PFAS discharges quarterly, escalating to monthly if levels exceed certain thresholds. The ultimate goal is to develop minimization plans for facilities contributing significantly to PFAS contamination in surface waters.

“We’re trying to find a way to reduce PFAS going to surface waters in the state,” said Julie Grzyb, deputy director of the Division of Water Resources. “This minimization plan means facilities would look at what they discharge, see if they have PFAS, and work toward minimizing it — maybe substitute a product line or materials, or whatever they could do to reduce it.”

PFAS, used in products ranging from nonstick cookware to cosmetics, are notoriously persistent in the environment and difficult to remove. The chemicals have been linked to adverse health effects, including cancer and developmental issues.

One of the most significant hurdles is the prevalence of PFAS in everyday life, which complicates efforts to pinpoint and reduce contamination sources.

“These forever chemicals are in everything — makeup, plastics, pans,” Grzyb said. “It’s not just industries discharging PFAS; it’s also in household wastewater and even drinking water. It’s everywhere we test.”

The minimization plan includes identifying major industrial dischargers and significant industrial users, as well as addressing the contributions of consumer products to surface water pollution. Environmental Management Commission Chair John Solomon acknowledged the complex balance required to address PFAS effectively.

“We are charged with enabling legislation to balance economic factors, including the costs and benefits, with environmental factors,” Solomon said. “A lot of people are concerned with the health implications of PFAS, but this takes time, and we have to consider all sides.”

While the Environmental Protection Agency has finalized drinking water standards for PFAS, North Carolina’s efforts discussed Wednesday focus on protecting surface waters, which are a critical source for public water supplies and ecosystems.

“North Carolina is the third-highest state for PFAS exposure,” said Jamie DeWitt, Ph.D., from East Carolina University. “People who have certain types of PFAS exposure have health effects that include cancers, cholesterol diseases, pregnancy-induced hypertension and preeclampsia, and thyroid disease, among others.”

The meeting builds on a long-running debate about how to handle PFAS contamination, which has faced significant regulatory and political challenges. About 3.6 million North Carolinians have levels of PFAS in their drinking water above new federal limits, according to the Department of Environmental Quality. However, the focus on surface water aims to address upstream pollution sources and prevent further contamination.

Former DEQ Secretary Elizabeth Biser previously criticized delays in adopting PFAS rules, stating, “All we're asking is that the companies who are using PFAS not put it in the environment.”

Without rules to curb PFAS pollution at its source, the financial burden of cleanup falls to utilities and ratepayers. An estimated 300 drinking water systems in North Carolina will need costly upgrades to meet federal standards for drinking water.

“This immense financial burden has already forced [the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority] to raise rates repeatedly, with the likelihood of further increases,” said Wilmington City Council member Salette Andrews.

A filtration system under construction at the Fayetteville Public Works Commission will cost $92 million to remove PFAS from drinking water, while the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority has already spent $75 million installing PFAS filters.

The stakes are high, with the DEQ estimating that up to 9,000 cancer-related deaths could be avoided through the implementation of surface water standards alone. The commission has directed the DEQ to accelerate drafting rules for monitoring and minimization plans to address surface water pollution, with a follow-up meeting scheduled for February. These rules aim to prevent PFAS from entering waterways in the first place, alleviating downstream contamination challenges and reducing cleanup costs.

As North Carolina grapples with the regulatory, financial and political complexities of addressing PFAS, the commission’s actions in the coming months will be critical in determining how the state tackles this widespread contamination.