BRUNSWICK COUNTY — After breaking ground on its Aquifer-Sourced Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Plant, H2GO will begin delivering treated water to 40,000 people it serves in the northeast part of the county soon.
READ MORE: H2GO says PFAS-free aquifer plant will be up and running by next year
H2GO will start pumping the RO-treated water into its 200 miles of distribution on Tuesday, May 30. As the treated water begins to flow, crews will start an “aggressive and robust flushing program,” according to an H2GO press release.
The public utility is required to flush the lines in order to empty the distribution system of existing water with chloramine disinfectants and unregulated contaminants. Clearing the pipes will help remove biofilms, organic and mineral deposits.
“The disinfectant used in the water supplies will be permanently changed from the county’s chloramines to chlorine as part of H2GO new RO treatment process,” the release noted.
The $42-million treatment plant, located on 42 acres at 146 Gregory Boulevard in Belville, serves residents and businesses in Leland, Belville and parts of Navassa, as well as customers outside the limits of the incorporated towns.
As flushing is underway, customers may notice changes in water pressure and quality makeup. The water will maintain all regulatory requirements, H2GO said. It could take “weeks or longer” to clear the pipes in order to restore health to the water supply.
“We ask customers to please be patient as we work to return the water distribution system to normal operations,” Bob Walker, executive director at H2GO, said in a release.
Once flushing is complete, the treated water will be clear of 1,4 Dioxane, GenX and other PFAS that have plagued the Cape Fear region for decades, due to Chemours dumping the pollution into the river from its upstream Fayetteville Works facility.
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