PITTSBORO — The N.C. Dept. of Environmental Quality has issued violation notices to wastewater facilities in Greensboro and Reidsville for 1,4 Dioxane discharges discovered through testing.
As a result of the discovery of the discharge by NCDEQ, it instituted required weekly sampling at both plants in October which “will continue as long as necessary.” NCDEQ is considering whether to assess a civil penalty on the municipal plants regarding the incidents. Both plants have 30 days to respond to NCDEQ about the violation for consideration during the assessment process, according to the violation letters sent Nov. 14.
The elevated levels of 1,4 Dioxane, identified by the EPA as a likely carcinogen, were identified first by researchers from N.C. State and Duke University sampling the Haw River in September and later by NCDEQ. Data about the discharges were obtained through required monthly monitoring reports which indicated that Greensboro had a discharge of 957 micrograms per liter of 1,4 Dioxane on Aug. 7, with Reidsville’s discharge, at 367 micrograms per liter, occurring on June 12. The Greensboro discharge originated from Shamrock Environmental with DyStar and Unifi being the likely sources for the Reidsville spike, according to NCDEQ.
A written statement dated Nov. 14 from NCDEQ notes that “both discharges represent violations of the state water quality standard by not protection downstream drinking water facilities at EPA’s health advisory level for drinking water.” It also noted that the discharges were a violation of the conditions of both facilities permit because neither reported the discharge to state officials within 24 hours and both “failed to implement proper control of industrial discharge.”
The presence of 1,4 Dioxane as well as other chemicals such as PFAS, per- and polyfluoroalykl substances, is a major concern of the Pittsboro Board of Commissioners, who have been working for several years to identify the sources, reduce the flow of chemicals into the city’s water supply and find treatment options for the town’s current water treatment plant.
In September, Detlef Knappe, the S. James Ellen Distinguished Professor of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering at N.C. State, along with Duke researcher Dr. Heather Stapleton, alerted the Pittsboro Board of Commissioners of a spike in 1,4 Dioxane in test samples from August at levels 400 times above what EPA guidelines.
At the same time, the researchers noted that the “chemical signature” they tracked in the water indicated that the majority of the PFAS contamination originated from the East Burlington Wastewater Treatment Plant. NCDEQ has also instituted weekly testing of the Burlington plant starting last week, according to Sarah Young, public information officer for NCDEQ. In addition, the Haw River Assembly filed a lawsuit against Burlington’s plant for the discharge of chemicals in the water.
The town of Pittsboro contracted with CDM Smith on Oct. 14 to conduct testing of four different water filtration systems at its treatment plant to determine what system will work best to remove the contaminants. Pittsboro Town Manager Bryan Gruesbeck noted the company is “mobilizing its resources and we anticipate work to start as soon as possible.” He also noted that the town is willing to work with other water treatment facilities “to identify a long term solution to upstream infiltration of unregulated chemicals.”
The costs for the system, depending on the option chosen, ranges from $11-23 million for start-up costs alone with annual maintenance and disposal costs still to be determined.
Reporter Casey Mann can be reached at CaseyMann@Chathamnr.com.