"Forever chemicals" are showing up in more faucets, and utility companies racing to contain the contamination
MORE ON WHAT THIS ALL MEANS FOR
FUTURE ELECTIONS AT WRAL DOT
COM, TOXIC FOREVER. CHEMICALS
ARE SHOWING UP IN MORE
FOSSETT'S NATIONWIDE. THE EPA
RECENTLY RELEASING DATA SHOWING
200 MORE DRINKING WATER SYSTEMS
ARE CONTAMINATED.
>> WITH THE CHEMICALS KNOWN
AS PFAS, INCLUDING DURHAM,
FAYETTEVILLE, APEX IN ORANGE
COUNTY AND THEY CAN BUILD UP
AND THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE
HUMAN BODY. AND THEY HAVE BEEN
LINKED TO HEALTH PROBLEMS,
INCLUDING CANCER WRAL'S
REPORTER LIZ MCLAUGHLIN SHOWS
US WHY THERE IS NO EASY
SOLUTION TO CLEANING THIS UP.
>> THIS TREATMENT PLANT CAN
PROCESS 20 MILLION GALLONS OF
WATER EACH DAY FOR CHAPEL HILL
AND CARRBORO UNIVERSITY LAKE
DOES NOT HAVE VERY MUCH
IMPACTED PFAS BUT CANE CREEK
RESERVOIR DOES.
>> THE FOR ITS TREATED. SOME
OF THAT WATER CARRIES FOR 60
FAST. OUR AVERAGE PFAS
CONCENTRATIONS.
>> ARE PRIMARILY MADE UP OF
SOME WHICH ARE 2 OF THE MORE
COMMON PFAS, BUT THEY CAN BE
UPWARDS OF 60 TO 80 PARTS PER
TRILLION. EACH.
>> THE EPA IS NEW LEGAL LIMIT
IS JUST 4 PARTS PER TRILLION
WHAT ORANGE COUNTY WATER
RESOURCES DIRECTOR ALLISON
SPINELLI TELLS ME IT'S MEETING
THE STANDARD.
>> AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO FEED
A HIGH ENOUGH DOSE OF POWDER
ACTIVATED CARBON TO KNOCK THAT
DOWN TO OUR GOAL. OTHER
UTILITIES, INCLUDING RALEIGH,
CARY PETS ARE ALSO USING A
POWDER ACTIVATED CARBON SYSTEM
TO FILTER PFAS. DURHAM,
MEANWHILE, IS PREPARING TO
INSTALL ONE.
>> POWDER ACTIVATED CARBON IS
EFFECTIVE AT REMOVING THE PFAS.
BUT ONCE THOSE CHEMICALS ARE
FILTERED OUT, UTILITIES HAVE
TO DEAL WITH THE WASTE.
>> THOSE PFAS LADEN SOLIDS ARE
OFTEN BURNED OR BURIED WORRIES
AND CONCERNS THE CHEMICALS
COULD RE-ENTER THE ENVIRONMENT.
WE WANT TO TRY AND KIND OF
STUFF HERE. THE ORANGE COUNTY
UTILITY PLANS TO BUILD A
GRANULAR ACTIVATED CARBON
SYSTEM IN THE COMING YEARS.
THE UPGRADE IS COSTLY AND COULD
EVENTUALLY RAISE WATER BILLS.
WE FEEL LIKE WE MIGHT BE.
>> HAVING TO TREAT FOR
SOMETHING THAT WE DIDN'T MAKE
DIDN'T UNDERSTAND. DIDN'T
ANTICIPATE. BUT NOW WE HAVE TO
DO SOMETHING WITH IT.
>> PFAS CONTAMINATION OFTEN
COMES FROM INDUSTRIAL
DISCHARGES AND CONSUMER
PRODUCTS. AND THERE ARE
CURRENTLY NO FEDERAL OR STATE
REGULATIONS TO STOP THEM AT THE
SOURCE. ULTIMATELY, THIS IS A
PROBLEM THAT SHOULD BE DEALT
WITH FEDERALLY AND THE THAT THE
COMPANIES THAT PRODUCE TO
RELEASE THIS CONTAMINATION INTO
THE ENVIRONMENT SHOULD BE
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CLEANUP AND
FOR PAYING FOR WATER FILTRATION
THE EPA ESTIMATES MORE THAN
172 MILLION AMERICANS ARE
EXPOSED TO PFAS IN THEIR
DRINKING WATER. LIZ MCLAUGHLIN,
WRAL NEWS. SO THE NEW FEDERAL
LIMITS ON PFAS IN DRINKING
WATER DON'T TAKE EFFECT UNTIL
2029. THE EPA RECENTLY SAID IT
PLANS TO PUSH THAT DEADLINE.
>> BACK TO 2031 AND THEN ROLL
BACK AND FORCIBLE LIMITS FOR
SEVERAL COMPOUND. THAT INCLUDES
JEN ACCESS A CHEMICAL LINKED
TO MOORE'S AT-HOME WATER
FILTERS CAN REMOVE PFAS.
SOME OF THEM CAN BE VERY
EXPENSIVE TO INSTALL IN YOUR