BRUNSWICK COUNTY — A long-awaited solution to PFAS contamination is one step closer for Brunswick County residents after the county dismissed a lawsuit to allow the project’s insurer to finish construction.
READ MORE: ‘Ran out of patience’: Brunswick County sues contractor over delayed water treatment plant
Brunswick County has rescinded its lawsuit against contractor Oscar Renda and its surety, Zurich American Insurance Company. The lawsuit was filed July 25 for breach of contract and repeated delays on the Northwest Water Treatment Plant expansion project. The county’s complaint cited poor workmanship, including a concrete spillage and a piping system collapse, with the goal to protect residents, recover costs needed to hire a new contractor and fix the inadequate work.
According to Brunswick County Commissioners Chair Mike Forte, the lawsuit was dismissed only after Zurich told the county they would be taking over the project and getting it back on track.
“The surety company is telling us that they are going to take over this project because they don’t want to pay it out and they are assuring us, for all that it’s worth, that it’ll be done soon,” Forte told Port City Daily Friday.
Forte said the county agreed to rescind the suit with a “demand” for a completion date, expressing determination for getting the project completed.
The water treatment plant has been delayed three times since 2023.
“We are demanding a date of completion and we will not sign off on this unless we get that,” Forte explained. “And major penalty if they don’t. If they tell me it’s another year out, a year-and-a-half out, no, I’m not going to be happy.”
Forte was unsure about any potential penalties, but noted the lawsuit was voluntarily dismissed “without prejudice.” This means the county has the option to refile the suit at any point in the future if there are further delays or if the project is not completed to the satisfaction of the county.
Following the dismissal, Forte said Zurich has been on the site over the past week to determine what work still needs to be done for the expansion project. Zurich has also hired an unnamed management group to assist with assessing the project scope. As of today, the project is about 85% complete.
In a press release sent Aug. 25, the county assured that while work on the project has continued, key milestones have been missed, pushing the overall completion date further into the future.
Port City Daily reached out to Zurich for comment on the lawsuit, their new role in the project, and the hired management company. A response was not received by press.
Mired by numerous setbacks, the $167-million project was originally slated for completion in December 2023. Oscar Renda Contracting faced its first formal warning on Nov. 20, 2023, when the county issued a notice of default anticipating the contractor would not meet the upcoming deadline. This led to a forbearance agreement in December 2023, setting a new completion date of May 1, 2024. After the contractor failed to meet the second deadline, the county issued another notice of default on July 9, 2024, followed by a second forbearance agreement in August 2024.
Ultimately, on July 25, 2025, the county terminated its contract with the company and filed a lawsuit against both the contractor and its surety for breach of contract, repeated delays, and poor workmanship.
Once the project is completed, the Northwest Water Treatment Plant will have a capacity of 36 million gallons per day using the new low-pressure reverse osmosis system and an expanded total capacity of 48 million gallons per day. This will make it one of the largest reverse osmosis plants in the nation.
The plant’s primary function will be to remove per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), GenX and 1,4-dioxane from the Cape Fear River, the plant’s main water source.
Reverse osmosis works by using high pressure to force water through a semipermeable membrane. The membrane has tiny pores allowing clean water to pass through while blocking and separating larger contaminants and dissolved solids.
While reverse osmosis can reduce the concentration of 1,4-dioxane — a likely human carcinogen and industrial byproduct found in the Cape Fear River — it may not completely eliminate the chemical. 1,4-dioxane is water soluble and extremely small, making it difficult to eliminate. A 2010 study from the Water Science and Technology journal found that reverse osmosis was highly effective at removing most contaminants (around 90% removal), but was less effective for 1,4-dioxane, removing less than 90% of it. Other methods like advanced oxidation processes can remove close to 99% of 1,4-dioxane from water.
For Brunswick County’s over 55,000 water customers, the Northwest Water Treatment Plant will provide clean water. Residents living in the Southport, St. James, Oak Island, and Caswell Beach areas, as well as Bald Head Island, will get a combination of water from the Highway 211 Water Treatment Plant, which sources its water from groundwater wells, and the Northwest plant once the expansion project is completed.The county will be providing an updated project timeline once it is available here.
Have tips or suggestions for Charlie Fossen? Email [email protected]
Want to read more from PCD? Subscribe now and then sign up for our morning newsletter, Wilmington Wire, and get the headlines delivered to your inbox every morning.
