WILMINGTON — After the local water authority installed its new treatment system to remove PFAS, it reported non-detect levels of all compounds in October. Monday, it released its latest testing, which indicated one of 65 tested PFAS was found in the treated water.
In Cape Fear Public Utility Authority’s Nov. 1 results, no PFAS were detected in 64 compounds; however, it did find perfluoropropanoic acid (PPF acid or PFPrA). In the finished, treated water, there was 2.71 parts per trillion, down from the raw concentration of 6.77 ppt.
READ MORE: ‘No PFAS whatsoever detected’: CFPUA reports clean water due to new filtration system
By comparison, 140 ppt of combined PFAS compounds were found in CFPUA’s finished treated water in August, prior to the GAC filters operating.
The analysis of PPF acid specifically only became available to CFPUA through its lab, earlier this year. It’s uncertain where the compound comes from, as it’s been removed from the list of Chemours-specific compounds.
CFPUA regularly monitors PFAS in its untreated and treated water it sources from the Cape Fear River.
The authority installed granular activated carbon filters at its Sweeney Water Treatment Plant, which serves 80% of its customers. The $43-million project, implemented to tackle pollutants coming from Chemours’ facility upstream, was completed in early October.
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