PFAS, also called forever chemicals, have been linked to various cancers, and first received widespread attention in the Cape Fear River in 2017. Much of the pollution originated from a plant owned by the chemical manufacturer Chemours in Fayetteville.
Chemours' well testing program resulted from a 2019 consent order between the company, NCDEQ, and the environmental watchdog group Cape Fear River Watch. It mandates that Chemours cover the cost of testing private drinking water wells for PFAS, GenX, and other forever chemicals. If a certain level is detected, the affected resident can request a house filtration system or clean drinking water at Chemours' expense.
The well testing program has been in effect since February 2022. As of August 2024, it has sampled at nearly 20,000 residences, with nearly 9,000 households eligible for filtration.
NCDEQ now says that 14,000 additional households across Pender, Columbus, Brunswick, and New Hanover counties are eligible for this program. Most of these newly eligible households are concentrated in the inland areas of Pender and Brunswick counties along with the eastern tip of Columbus County.
Prior to the expansion, well testing was conducted on a "step-out" basis. That meant if a resident detected high levels of PFAS, all households within a quarter-mile radius could be tested. Now, all households within the current testing boundaries can immediately request well testing.
Chemours spokesperson Jess Loizeaux told WHQR that the company estimates only around 2,600 of those households use private drinking water wells. She also pointed out that the testing boundaries themselves have shifted.
"The overall potential sampling area is not being expanded," Loizeaux stated. "In fact, it has shrunk, and the 14,000 additional residences are located within the existing program boundary."
The new testing boundaries exclude much of Columbus County, a portion of northern Brunswick County, and the northwest and northeast corners of Pender County. According to Chemours, historical data show high levels of PFAS clustered mostly around the Cape Fear River and its tributaries, as well as in southwest Brunswick County.
"This refined boundary is believed to be the limit of where groundwater may contain compounds associated with Fayetteville Works’ legacy operations, marking the final phase of Chemours’ Private Well Sampling Program for the region," Loizeaux stated.
According to Loizeaux, households who have previously been offered well testing are still eligible for the program, even if their household now lies outside of the testing boundaries.
NCDEQ and Cape Fear River Watch did not immediately return WHQR's requests for comment. In a press release, NCDEQ stated that residents interested in private well testing should call Chemours at (910) 678-1100. To qualify, the private well in question must be the primary source of drinking water for the residence.
The DEQ will also be holding a virtual community meeting to discuss the new boundaries on October 7th. Click here for more information.
