The Fayetteville Public Works Commission (PWC) hosted a tour of the Hoffer Water Treatment Facility on July 8, 2024 for Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), DEQ staff members, State Senator Val Applewhite, Mayor Mitch Colvin, County Commission Chairman Glenn Adams and executive staff members for the city and county. PWC hosted the tour at the request of DEQ to brief attendees on the progress PWC has made in meeting the recently announced Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulatory requirements for PFAS as well as provide feedback on how the state can help.

“I applaud the actions Fayetteville PWC is taking to protect the residents of Fayetteville and Cumberland County from the health impacts of forever chemicals by proactively working to remove PFAS from their drinking water” said DEQ Secretary Elizabeth S. Biser in a press release. “DEQ continues to work on statewide efforts to support utilities and reduce PFAS going into drinking water supplies.”

For the past 10 years, PWC has been sampling for unregulated chemicals within our source water supply and has been an advocate for preventing industrial contaminants from entering the Cape Fear River Basin. In 2021, PWC conducted a pilot study and determined Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) filtration was the most effective option for removing PFAS. This year, construction began on several water treatment upgrades to meet these emerging threats.

The first part of the improvements under construction is an upgrade to PWC’s current Powder Activated Carbon (PAC) treatment capabilities to allow for higher dosage than what is currently possible. While PAC is not as efficient or economical as GAC, it can effectively remove modest amounts of PFAS and other contaminants. The PAC upgrade is expected to be completed in 2026.

PWC is planning to send the GAC upgrades to bid in 2025 and the target construction completion date is in 2028. The current projected cost for the GAC upgrades is $80 million. While planning for the upgrades, PWC staff have sought funding to reduce the financial burden for the upgrades on our customers. PWC has been notified that more than $30.5 million has been awarded for the GAC upgrades and the pilot study, which includes $11.5 million in grants and $19 million in low interest loans.

“We are grateful for the visit by Secretary Biser and our local elected officials to see what we are doing and to ask about our needs from the state,” said Timothy Bryant, CEO/General Manager of Fayetteville PWC in a press release. “We have been working closely with our partners in NCDEQ to request an additional $9.5 million for our PAC upgrades. We are also actively pursuing federal funds to help us with the remaining $49.5 million needed for the GAC upgrade.” 

The Fayetteville Public Works Commission is a municipally owned utility that provides electric and water service to over 121,000 customers in Fayetteville/Cumberland County (NC). PWC is customer-focused, locally owned & operated and takes pride in being a good neighbor who is committed to quality services, reliability, conservation, safety and the environment. A member of the Partnership for Safe Drinking Water, PWC has the distinction of being the first NC utility to receive the Director’s Award for outstanding commitment to quality drinking water and have maintained that level of excellence for more than 24 consecutive years.