A reverse osmosis system designed to remove PFAS from Brunswick County Public Utilities’ drinking water supply is projected to be operational by late spring.
Construction at the Northwest Water Treatment Plant, which includes the integration of an advanced low-pressure reverse osmosis system is 85% complete, according to the county website.
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The plant’s capacity is also being double from 24 million gallons per day to 48 million gallons per day. The expanded capacity is expected to become available in early spring.
The upgraded treatment system will remove per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, including GenX, and 1,4-dioxane from the plant’s water source, the Cape Fear River.
Brunswick County Public Utilities customers have been waiting years for the new treatment system to come online after news broke in 2017 that Chemours Chemical Co.’s Fayetteville Works Plant had been discharging PFAS into the river for decades.
Low-pressure reverse osmosis is “considered the most advanced and effective method” to treat and remove PFAS, according to the website.
The county is financing the more than $122 million project, but hopes to recoup at least some of those funds from Chemours.
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The utility has joined others in the region in a lawsuit against DuPont and Chemours, charging they are “responsible for the millions of dollars” the county is spending to install the new treatment system. The lawsuit is ongoing.
