NEW HANOVER COUNTY — Cape Fear Public Utility Authority announced its successful lead prevention program ahead of President Joe Biden’s visit to Wilmington Thursday, where he will speak about a new $76 million investment to replace toxic lead pipes in North Carolina.
CFPUA has prepared for new proposed federal lead regulations since 2021, and water sampling tests show the utility’s corrosion-control efforts have successfully kept the metal’s levels in local drinking water below the Environmental Protection Agency’s new proposed enforcements ahead of time.
Lead is widely recognized as a neurotoxin. The metal most commonly contaminates drinking water through corrosion from old pipe installations. CFPUA’s corrosion-control program uses orthophosphate, a Food and Drug Administration-approved compound, to form a protective coating in pipes and a barrier between potential lead and drinking water.
CFPUA notes its efforts helped secure $4.16 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to identify and replace 300 galvanized service lines suspected to contain lead “gooseneck” connectors. The Wilmington-based utility received the largest allocation among 30 communities awarded the federal grant, according to a Thursday press release.
On Thursday, the White House also announced Biden will speak about infrastructure investments during his visit to Wilmington, including a new $76 million investment for lead pipe replacement in North Carolina. The investment is part of a $3 billion program to replace every lead pipe in the country over the next decade.
The EPA estimates there are 300,000 lead pipes in North Carolina. The newly announced funds will contribute to a total of $250 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding for lead pipe replacement in the state, according to the White House press release.
CFPUA also noted so far in its inventory there have not been lead service lines found in the CFPUA system.
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