Cape Fear Public Utility Authority 2020 Drinking Water Quality Results

From the

Executive Director

This Annual Water Quality Report is your guide to the drinking water supplied by Cape Fear Public Utility Authority to you, our customers. It includes important information about the rigorous testing, analysis, and treatment CFPUA’s staff performs each day to

provide high quality water service.

Consider this our official report card for 2020, detailing how we are meeting or exceeding the many drinking water standards established by the State of North Carolina and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. I am proud to share these results with you.

The COVID-19 pandemic was a stark reminder of the importance of CFPUA’s mission to main- tain reliable, quality water service for our community. By the time the first cases of COVID-19 were reported in New Hanover County in early 2020, staff was implementing plans for remote work and additional precautions at CFPUA facilities. During the spring and summer peak of cases, staff even sheltered in-place at our Sweeney and Richardson water treatment plants to reduce the chances of staffing shortages among these essential employees (learn more on page 3 of this report). I am grateful to all of CFPUA’s staff, whose hard work and flexibility kept our community’s critical water and wastewater services flowing during a difficult year.

The past year also saw steady progress on our Sweeney Treatment Enhancements Project, which will significantly increase the Sweeney Plant’s ability to remove PFAS, such as GenX, from raw Cape Fear River water. This $43 million investment by CFPUA will add eight new Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) filters to our Sweeney Plant, which serves approximately 80 percent of CFPUA’s customers. We look forward to these state-of-the-art filters coming online at the start of 2022.

Whether innovating to meet the challenges of a pandemic or investing in our region’s infrastructure, everything we do at CFPUA is driven by our commitment to offer the highest possible level of service at the lowest practicable cost to our customers.

Cape Fear Public Utility Authority 2020 Drinking Water Quality Results

Above and Beyond

From April to June 2020, staff sheltered in-place at CFPUA’s water treatment plants as COVID cases spiked.

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Each trailer -- fully furnished and supplied with food and necessities -- became an office-home for CFPUA’s wa- ter plant staff. Team members worked and lived at the plants for 7-day shifts, trading off each week with an- other team of operators before heading home for a weeklong break. A support team of other employees handled food and supply drops, allowing plant oper- ators to stay safely isolated.

“We understand there’re 10 people in this world that can run this plant and that’s us, so we can’t be selfish.

We have to isolate,” Water Control Operator Michael Brock Dombrowski said this summer while working from the

Sweeney Plant. “Myself and my fellow operators understand we are essential employees, and we take pride in our service.”

Staff still found ways to safely socialize, whether over FaceTime with family or socially distant dinners with co-workers.

“It’s been pretty nice,” Water Control Operator Chris Fulcher said at the time. “Me and my fellow operators, I think we’ve all got a little closer.”

By late June the spread of COVID-19 had slowed consider- ably in the region, and CFPUA ended the trailer program, with staff returning to regular shifts but keeping safety protocols in place. The program, which cost CFPUA rough-

ly $160,000 per month, ensured that water treatment plants ran consistently throughout the peak of the pandemic.

“I just wanted to tell CFPUA leadership that I thank them, because they’ve really taken good care of us here,” Water Control Operator Vatrice Robinson said. “They did go over and above for us. And I thank our families for having our backs. We wouldn’t be able to do this without them.”

YourCape Fear Public Utility AuthorityWater2020 Drinking Quality Results

Service Area

This report includes drinking water quality results for

CFPUA's three water distribution systems.

Sweeney Water System (CFPUA/ Wilmington system PWS ID# 04-65- 010): CFPUA’s largest system, which distributes water within the City of Wilmington, parts of the Ogden area, Monkey Junction/ Independence Boulevard (including Pine Valley, Echo Farms, Barclay, Crosswinds, and Lake Brewster), Kings Grant, Tarin Woods, River Lights, U.S. 421, and Wrightsboro. Water is provided via the Sweeney Water Treatment Plant using source water from the Cape Fear River.

Monterey Heights Water System (CFPUA/

Monterey Heights system PWS ID# 04-

65-137): CFPUA’s smallest system, which distributes water in southern New Hanover County in areas including Monterey Heights, Woodlake, Laurel Ridge, Sentry Oaks, and Veterans Park. Groundwater is sourced from the Castle Hayne aquifer and distributed by a series of wells. This system differs from our two other drinking water systems in that it does not rely on a water treatment plant.

New Hanover County

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ProtectingCape Fear Public Utility Authority 2020 Drinking WateryourQuality Results

Water

Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not neces- sarily indicate that water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and

potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).

Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general pop- ulation. Immuno-compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemother- apy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).

If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. CFPUA is responsible for providing high

quality drinking water but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing compo- nents. When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can mini-

mize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water

for drinking or cooking. If you are

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concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is avail- able from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

Across the nation, rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells are sources of drinking water (both tap and bottled). As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up contaminants resulting from animal or human activity. Contaminants that may be present in source water include:

Microbial Contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, or wildlife.

Inorganic Contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally occurring or may result from urban stormwater runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming.

Pesticides and Herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agricul- ture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses.

Organic Chemical Contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum production and may also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, and septic systems.

Radioactive Contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or may be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.

To ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations that limit the amounts of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. FDA regulations establish lim- its for substances in bottled water to provide protection for public health.

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Cape Fear Public Utility Authority 2020 Drinking Water Quality Results

Glossary of

Drinking Water Terms

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Not-Applicable (N/A) - Information not applicable/not required for that particular water system or for that particular rule.

Non-Detects (ND) - Laboratory analysis indicates that the contaminant is not present at the level of detection set for the particular methodology used.

Parts per million (ppm) or Milligrams per liter (mg/L) - One part per million corresponds to one minute in two years or a single penny in $10,000.

Parts per billion (ppb) or Micrograms per liter (ug/L)

• One part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000.

Parts per trillion (ppt) or Nanograms per liter (ng/L)

• One part per trillion corresponds to one minute in 2,000,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000,000.

Parts per quadrillion (ppq) or Picograms per liter (picograms/L) - One part per quadrillion corresponds to one minute in 2,000,000,000 years or one penny in $10,000,000,000,000.

Picocuries per liter (pCi/L) - Picocuries per liter is a measure of the radioactivity in water.

Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level (SMCL) - The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drink- ing water under the EPA’s National Secondary Drinking Water Regulations. These non-mandatory regulations provide standards for aesthetic considerations in water, such as taste, color, and odor. These contaminants are not considered to present a risk to human health.

Treatment Technique (TT) - A required process intend- ed to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.

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Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)

PFAS are found in a wide range of consumer products that people use daily such as cookware, pizza boxes, and stain repellants. Most people have been exposed to PFAS. Certain PFAS can accumulate and stay in the human body for long periods of time. There is evidence that exposure to PFAS can lead to adverse health outcomes in humans. The most-studied PFAS chemicals are PFOA and PFOS. Studies indicate that PFOA and PFOS can cause reproductive and developmental, liver and kidney, and immunological effects in laboratory animals. Both chemi- cals have caused tumors in animals.

As part of the Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP), the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality's Public Water Supply Section conducted assessments for all drinking water sources across North Carolina. The purpose of the assessments was to determine the susceptibility of each drinking water source (well or surface water intake) to Potential Contam- inant Sources (PCSs). The results of the assessment are available in SWAP Assessment Reports that include maps, background information, and a relative susceptibility rating of Higher, Mod- erate or Lower.

The relative susceptibility rating of each source for the Sweeney Water System was determined by combining the contaminant rating (number and location of PCSs within the assessment area) and the inherent vulnerability rating (i.e., characteristics or existing conditions of the well or watershed and its delineated assessment area). The assessment findings are summarized in the table below:

The complete SWAP Assessment report for the CFPUA-Wilmington Water System may be viewed on the Web at: www.ncwater.org/?page=600. Note that because SWAP results and reports are periodically updated by the PWS Section, the results available on this web site may differ from the results that were available at the time this report was prepared. If you are unable to access your SWAP report on the web, you may mail a written request for a printed copy to: Source Water Assessment Program – Report Request, 1634 Mail Service Center, Ra- leigh, NC 27699-1634, or email requests to swap@ncdenr.gov. Please indicate the system name and number (CFPUA-Wilmington Water System, PWS ID# 04-65-010) and provide your name, mailing address, and phone number. If you have any questions about the SWAP report, please contact the Source Water Assessment staff at 919-707-9098. It is important to understand that a susceptibility rating of “higher” does not imply poor water quality, only the system’s potential to become contaminated by PCSs in the assessment area.

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The purpose of unregulated contaminant monitoring is to assist EPA in determining the occurrence of unregulated contaminants in drinking water and whether future regulations are warranted.

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)

* Results obtained using an analytical standard provided by Chemours; not a certified standard.

Fourth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR4) Contaminants

The 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) amendments require that once every five years EPA issue a new list of no more than 30 unregulated contaminants to be monitored by public water systems.

The fourth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 4) was published in the Federal Register on De- cember 20, 2016. UCMR 4 requires monitoring for 30 chemical contaminants between 2018 and 2020 using analytical methods developed by EPA and consensus organizations. This monitoring provides a basis for future regulatory actions to protect public health.