Castle Rock water users will see an increase in their 2023 rates as the town invests in a number of water infrastructure projects and efforts to build renewable resources. 

The Castle Rock Town Council unanimously approved an average of a 4% increase, as well as increased fees for developers, on Oct. 4. The rate changes will translate to an extra $4 per month on residential bills. 

Mark Marlowe, the director of Castle Rock Water, told the board at the Sept. 20 meeting that rates are increasing as both costs in supply and demand continue to rise. 

Marlowe said supply cost increases include rising construction, labor and energy costs, as well as challenges with a slowed down supply chain. At the same time, Castle Rock has planned a number of investments into its water systems. 

Next year, Castle Rock plans to invest $19 million in a second reservoir planned for Castle Rock Water, $14 million for a program to import water. Funds will also be used to begin the design to double the capacity of the Plum Creek Water Purification Facility, build a new groundwater well facility, enhance infrastructure and add staff.

“(Castle Rock’s water demand) requires a lot of infrastructure,” Marlowe said. “Big pumps, big pipes, big plants, that we really only use three months out of the year, but are very expensive to maintain.”

Significant investment in the water system is needed, Marlowe explained, as the town works hitting the goal of having 75% in renewable water sources.

“We’re transitioning off our deep groundwater over time, so we need to also cover those increasing costs for renewable water supply, not only in new development but also in terms of existing customers. 

Breaking down the rate increases, town council approved a 4.5% increase in water rates, 7.5% increase in the water resources rate, 4.5% increase in stormwater rates to total an average of a 4% increase or $4 per month to residential water bills. Wastewater will not see a rate increase.

System development fees, which are paid by developers building in Castle Rock, will also increase by 10% for water, 15% for water resources, 10% for wastewater and 10% for stormwater.

Rates for both system users and developers are expected to continue rising for the foreseeable future. 

“A lot of that is coming down to the fact that around 2030 we’re going to have to take out a large debt issuance to cover the costs of big water projects that will come due in that time period,” Marlowe said.

Marlowe added that the rates are evaluated annually and reduced when possible. 

Castle Rock Water has raised rates for this year and one other time since 2018, while system development fees, which are paid by developers, have consistently gone up.

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Originally Appeared Here

Scientists have found that reflections from Mars’ south pole may not be the sign of liquid water that they were expecting.

While there is water in many locations on Mars – including the poles – significantly bright reflections were detected under a 1.4-kilometer-thick formation of relatively pure water ice by the European Space Agency’s Mars orbiter.

But computer simulations, generated by Cornell University researchers, suggest that another phenomenon – interference between geological layers on the Red Planet – might be the real cause.

Strong reflections can be generated in these simulations without liquid water or other rare materials, making it unlikely that there is liquid water below Mars’ South Pole Layered Deposit.

The simulation was comprised of layers made of  four materials – atmosphere, water ice, carbon dioxide ice and basalt – with the computer monitoring each layers’ interaction with electromagnetic radiation.

The researchers found that three layers, comprised of two layers of carbon dioxide separated with one of ice, could produce reflections like those seen on the planet.

“On Earth, reflections that bright are often an indication of liquid water, even buried lakes like Lake Vostok [under the surface of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet],” Dan Lalich, research associate with Cornell Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science, said. “But on Mars, the prevailing opinion was that it should be too cold for similar lakes to form.

“I used CO2 layers embedded within the water ice because we know it already exists in large quantities near the surface of the ice cap. In principle, though, I could have used rock layers or even particularly dusty water ice and I would have gotten similar results.

The discovery of water on Mars is vital because it could be an indicator of life, as well as being a resource humans could use to develop an outpost.

“None of the work we’ve done disproves the possible existence of liquid water down there,” Mr Lalich said. “We just think the interference hypothesis is more consistent with other observations. I’m not sure anything short of a drill could prove either side of this debate definitively right or wrong.”

Earlier research published in January reinforces the idea that water is not present under the pole. “For water to be sustained this close to the surface, you need both a very salty environment and a strong, locally generated heat source, but that doesn’t match what we know of this region”, Cyril Grima, a planetary scientist at the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics, said.

Volcanic rock, buried under ice, seems a more likely explanation – as iron-rich lava flows on Earth can leave behind rocks that produce similar reflections, and its possible that the same effect is happening on our neighbouring planet.

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BRAINTREE  – After two decades of debate and planning, construction of a new regional water treatment plant is expected to begin next month.

Higher-than-expected bid prices have pushed the total cost of the 12.5-million-gallon-per-day treatment plant to nearly $112 million, which includes a contingency reserve and the cost of oversight of the project. The cost had been estimated at $80 million last year.

“This is our opportunity to finally build our regional water treatment plant,”  Braintree Mayor Charles Kokoros told the town council this week.

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The Braintree Town Council unanimously approved borrowing an additional $19.34 million to pay for the treatment plant. Braintree will pay half the cost of the plant, which brings the town’s total share to $55.95 million.

The Randolph Town Council is scheduled to vote Thursday night on borrowing $14.23 million to cover its share of the plant’s cost, and Holbrook’s town meeting has already approved  an additional  $7.26 million.

The state will loan  the money at a 0% interest rate to the Tri-Town Water District, which will operate the plant. The loans will be repaid out of water revenues.

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Bids opened Sept. 16 and two companies responded. Walsh Construction was the low bidder, and district officials said they are prepared to award the bid to the company.

“They would start immediately with construction and finish in 2025,” the mayor told the council.

Kokoros said the higher cost of the treatment plant is due to supply-chain issues and general inflation.

The plant will replace two water treatment plants, which date back to the 1930s: one serves Braintree and the other is shared by Randolph and Holbrook. 

The new plant will be built next to the current Braintree plant, with the treated water fed into the Randolph and Holbrook systems through a pipe that will be constructed under the Great Pond Reservoir.

Kokoros said the new treatment plant is designed to remove the “forever chemical” known as PFAS from Randolph and Holbrook’s drinking water.

An acronym for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, PFAS are man-made chemicals that have been used in a variety of applications since the 1950s, from nonstick cookware and water-resistant clothing to food packaging materials and firefighting foam. They are considered a “forever chemical” because they don’t break down and can accumulate in the body.

The chemicals have been linked to health problems, from weakening the immune system of children, increasing cholesterol levels and causing tumors. They have also been shown to be a health risk for pregnant and nursing mothers.

Braintree recently upgraded its treatment plant to remove PFAS.

Reach Fred Hanson at [email protected].

Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. Please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Patriot Ledger subscription. Here is our latest offer.

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FORT MYERS, Fla. — While many in the city of Fort Myers are beginning to see water turn on, pressure is still low and there are neighborhoods without running water. 

“There’s still some people in the city who are still waiting for their water,” said Fort Myers PIO Liz Bello-Matthews.  

The city is making huge progress repairing its damaged pipes only a week after category 4 Hurricane Ian. All but four neighborhoods have had water restored. The four include Summerset, Bridgetown, Botanical Lakes and Marina Bay in Ward 6, at the time this article was written on Wednesday. 

The city hopes to have water restored to residents and the water quality tested by the beginning of next week, according to Bello-Matthews. 

“When you have this impact into the system, the best thing you can do is boil the water,” she said.  

City officials are asking residents to conserve water to refill the city’s supply, which ensures pressure can get back to 100 percent. 

“We’re getting notifications that’s people are refilling their pools, trying to wash their cars and pressure washing their driveways,” said Bello-Matthews.  

“This is not the time to do that, please conserve every drop. We need every ounce of water, so that way we can push it out to our residence.

“There’s so many sites giving out water. But a lot of people are asking for hygiene items, cleaning supplies, tarps,” said Keesha Allen Thomas, who was helping run a food and water distribution site at the Quality of Life Center on MLK Jr. Blvd.  “We try to give what we have.” 

Distribution sites like this are helping provide clean bottled water to many residents as well as other needs while the city remains under a boil order.  

Others around the city are able to use the fire station on Treeline for showers. 

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Carmichael, CA (MPG)  |  By Chris Nelson, CWD PIO

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Essential. Reliable. Invaluable. Water—it’s the thread that weaves together our daily lives. Courtesy photo

CARMICHAEL, CA (MPG) – As part of California’s sixth annual Water Professionals Appreciation Week, Carmichael Water District (CWD) is proud to take a moment and highlight the essential role of water professionals and local public water agencies in providing water services. 

We appreciate the dedication of our highly trained operators, technicians, administrative professionals, and all of our specialists who are making sure our community has safe and reliable drinking water, especially amidst an extended drought and pandemic. 

Water Professionals Appreciation Week was created in 2017 to highlight the important role of water industry professionals and local public water agencies in ensuring safe and reliable tap water for California. There are so many careers in water that keep water flowing in the communities throughout California, including district managers, customer service representatives, accountants, human resource professionals, IT professionals, treatment plant operators, distribution operators, water efficiency specialists, and engineers to name a few. CWD is proud of our staff and water professionals throughout the state for making a difference in their community. Be sure to check our website, carmichaelwd.org, for more information on our amazing staff and the essential roles they play. 

Essential. Reliable. Invaluable. Water—it’s the thread that weaves together our daily lives. It keeps our communities healthy, our cities running, and our economies growing. Water is a cup of coffee, the produce aisle, better production, increased exports, and greater American strength. While essential, water infrastructure is largely invisible. Few people realize what it takes to treat and deliver drinking water every day or how wastewater is cleaned so that it can be safely reused or returned to the environment. The high quality of life we enjoy in America would not be possible without water, the infrastructure that fuels it, and water professionals’ dedication to provide this essential service. 

It is because of our staff who have invested their time and talents that CWD is able to implement successful water supply reliability and system improvements as exemplified by the 3 million gallon La Vista Water Storage Tank Replacement project and the forthcoming grant funded La Sierra Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) Well project. The ASR well project will not only help CWD balance surface and groundwater supplies but will also provide the benefit of enabling access of up to 1,200 acre-feet of previously banked groundwater. Through two successful grant applications, prepared by CWD staff, a $4 million and a $2 million grant award will help bolster CWD’s drought resiliency while allowing us to focus ratepayer driven funding towards other essential drought resiliency projects, including a second ASR well. Leveraging District funds with State and Federal grants in sustainable infrastructure projects allows CWD to mitigate and reduce future unfunded infrastructure liabilities. CWD staff’s focus on upholding our fiduciary responsibilities enhances the value of our water, keeping our community healthy and helping the local economy grow. 

CWD is committed to pro-actively planning continuous improvements to our water reliability and drought resiliency, providing a sustainable water supply for future generations in the face of ever-increasing challenges from persistent drought conditions and potential climate change impacts. CWD staff has developed a robust Capital Improvement Plan, with approval by our Board of Directors, with project details contained within our District Budget that can be viewed at https://carmichaelwd.org/wp 

content/uploads/2022/07/1-CWD-Budget-Fiscal-Year-2022-2023-updated-7.20.22.pdf.

Water service is essential to the health and success of our community and Water Professionals Appreciation Week is the perfect opportunity to reflect on the vital services CWD staff perform. If you see CWD workers out and about this week, or if you stop by our office, be sure you say “thank you” to our staff for working 24/7 to ensure safe and reliable water deliveries.

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Originally Appeared Here

Through drinking water, showering and washing clothes, there are a variety of ways you can save money on your water bill.

Reporter: Keely ArthurPhotographer: Richard AdkinsProducer: Pritchard StrongWeb Editor: Ryan BisesiPosted 8:35 p.m. Today — Updated 8:35 p.m. Today

NEWS COVERAGE YOU CAN COUNT ON. >> FROM COAST TO COAST WATER RESTRICTIONS ARE IN PLACE AS DROUGHT CONDITIONS WORSEN AFFECTING 10’S OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE. NOW, WHILE WE SPECIFICALLY ARE STRUGGLING WITH DROUGHT IN OUR AREA, YOU CAN STILL TAKE SOME STEPS TO CONSERVE WATER AND CUT DOWN ON YOUR BILL. 5 ON YOUR SIDE’S KEELY, ARTHUR AND CONSUMER REPORTS SHARES HOW? >> DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR WATER COMES FROM? AND RALEIGH, THE MAJORITY OF DRINKING WATER COMES FROM THE FALLS LAKE RESERVOIR LOCATED IN NORTHERN WAKE COUNTY AND IS TREATED AT THE JOHNSON WATER TREATMENT PLANT RIGHT NOW. IT HAS 93% OF ITS SUPPLY. THAT’S PRETTY GOOD >> BUT WHY NOT TRY CUTTING DOWN ON WATER TO CUT DOWN ON YOUR BILLS? THE EPA SAYS OUTDOOR WATERING ACCOUNTS FOR ALMOST 30% OF HOUSEHOLD WATER. SO THINK ABOUT REPLACING SOME GRASS WITH MALT GROUND COVER OR LONG ORNAMENTAL GRASSES THAT USES FAR LESS WATER INSTEAD OF RINSING YOUR DRIVEWAY OR DECK, SWEEP IT OR USE AN ELECTRIC LEAF BLOWER. >> AND WASH YOUR CAR WITH A BUCKET OF WATER INSTEAD OF RUNNING OUT NEARLY 20% OF INDOOR RESIDENTIAL WATER USE FLOWS FROM THE SHOWER, A STANDARD SHOWERHEAD RELEASES 2.5 GALLONS OF WATER. A MINUTE. CONSUMER REPORTS SAYS THAT REPLACING IT WITH THE LOW FLOW. WATER SAID TO PROVE HEAD THAT USES 2 GALLONS PER MINUTE OR LESS CAN SAVE 2700 GALLONS A YEAR. SAVE EVEN MORE BY LIMITING SHOWERS TO UNDER 5 MINUTES AND TURN OFF THE WATER WHEN SHAVING OR BRUSHING YOUR TEETH. AND IN THE KITCHEN WHEN YOU’RE WASHING YOUR DISHES, LET YOUR POTS AND PANS JUST SOAK. >> INSTEAD OF SCRUBBING THAT UNDER RUNNING WATER AND WHEN YOU NEED A COLD DRINK OF WATER, JUST FILL UP A PICTURE INSTEAD OF RUNNING YOUR SINK EVERY TIME YOU NEED A GLASS. PLUS, SAVE WATER IN THE LAUNDRY ROOM. IF YOU HAVE AN H E WASHER. >> USING DETERGENT FOR AN H E MACHINE REGULAR DETERGENTS WILL CREATE A LOT OF SIDES AND WILL FOR SUNDAY SHE LOST TO USE

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Originally Appeared Here

Governor Kathy Hochul today signed legislation (S.8763A/A.9824A) allowing local water authorities to take legal action against drinking water polluters for claims that were previously barred due to the statute of limitations. Local water authorities may generally only file legal claims against companies within three years of when misconduct or contamination occurred.

“Every New Yorker deserves access to clean, safe and affordable drinking water,” Governor Hochul said. “By signing this legislation, which gives local water suppliers another avenue to take action against polluters and recover the costs of treatment or filtration, we are making sure that we not only hold these companies accountable but also prioritize the health and wellbeing of New Yorkers.”

Legislation (S.8763A/A.9824A) allows public water suppliers to revive any action, civil claim, or cause of action involving an emerging contaminant that may have been barred because the statute of limitations had expired. This allows local water authorities to pursue actions against polluters to recover the costs of treatment and filtration as a result of contamination.

The new law gives providers up to a year and a half from today to bring actions against polluters for claims that may otherwise be barred under the statute of limitations. In addition, the legislation defines an emerging contaminant as meaning any physical, chemical, microbiological or radiological substance that is identified or listed as an emerging contaminant in public health or any other law.

State Senator James Gaughran said, “This bill clarified the intent of my original legislation to allow public water suppliers to retroactively seek damages from polluters and hold them responsible for the cost of cleaning up contamination of our water supplies. I applaud the Governor for her ongoing commitment to ensuring New Yorkers have clean drinking water.”

Assemblymember Fred W. Thiele Jr. said, “Emerging chemicals pose a serious threat to the underground aquifers that supply our drinking water on Long Island. We should not be forced to pay higher rates and taxes to clean up the contamination caused by irresponsible polluters. Polluters should be held accountable for the damage they have caused here on Long Island and across New York State. This bill makes it clear that in New York State it is the polluter who pays. My sincere thanks to Governor Hochul for approving this commonsense legislation, which gives needed remedies to public water suppliers and protects our environment.”

Citizens Campaign for the Environment Executive Director Adrienne Esposito said, “We all need and deserve clean water, but we also need affordable water. The public didn’t pollute our waters, industry did. Therefore, the public should not pay for the high cost of filtration. The legislation ensures that polluters can be retroactively prosecuted and held accountable for drinking water treatment needs. It ensures that polluters will be held responsible for the significant cost of treating our drinking water supplies. This is a terrific victory for clean water, affordable water, and public health protection. We are delighted that Governor Hochul has signed this bill and advanced the goal of clean, affordable water in New York State.”

Long Island Water Conference Chairman Kevin Durk said, “The signing of this bill into law is absolutely critical for water providers. It will greatly support our efforts to hold polluters responsible for contamination and strengthen our ability to recover expenses associated with treating for contaminants in our drinking water supplies. We wholeheartedly thank Governor Hochul as well as the members of the Senate and Assembly for these actions that will benefit every water provider in the region as well as the millions of Long Islanders we collectively serve.”

Chair of the Suffolk County Water Authority Board Patrick Halpin said, “The signing of this bill will help ensure that the polluters, not ratepayers, are paying for the costs to remove their pollution from our water. We at SCWA thank Governor Hochul for protecting SCWA ratepayers, our access to the courts, and the environment.”

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Originally Appeared Here

By Raja Razek and Tina Burnside, CNN

(CNN) — A judge has dismissed charges against seven former top Michigan state officials for their alleged role in the Flint water crisis, ruling that the charges weren’t valid due to a procedural error.

The cases against Eden Wells, Richard Baird, Jarrod Agen, Nancy Peeler, Gerald Ambrose, Nicolas Lyon, and Darnell Earley were dismissed without prejudice Tuesday.

“Simply put, there are no valid charges to remand for preliminary examination,” 7th Judicial Circuit Court Judge Elizabeth A. Kelly wrote. “This Court must dismiss the charges against Defendants. If the People seek future charges against Defendants, they must follow one of the proper charging procedures outlined by the Supreme Court.”

Flint was hit with a water crisis in 2015, when tainted drinking water containing dangerous levels of lead and other toxins was detected in homes, and residents reported children suffering from mysterious illnesses.

More than a dozen lawsuits were filed against the city of Flint, the state, those responsible for monitoring water quality and state and city employees involved in a decision to switch the source of the drinking water from the Detroit Water System to the contaminated Flint River in an effort to cut costs.

Last year, city officials and state public health authorities were hit with a variety of charges ranging from perjury and willful neglect of duty to involuntary manslaughter.

In June, the indictments against the former Michigan officials were deemed invalid, CNN reported.

A panel of Michigan Supreme Court judges said prosecutors in Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office made a procedural error when a Genesee County Circuit Court judge serving as a one-man grand jury handed down indictments for nine former state officials, including former Gov. Rick Snyder. The judges called the action “alarming.”

Michigan state laws do not authorize a judge to issue indictments as a one-man grand jury without a preliminary examination, which was not done in this case, the state Supreme Court ruled at the time.

“Here, the Defendants were not charge by complaint or by a traditional grand jury indictment. Instead, the one-person issued an invalid indictment, which was the basis for the issuance of an arrest warrant,” Tuesday’s order read. “Therefore, the charging process was invalid from its inception and issuance of an arrest warrant following an invalid indictment is irrelevant to our consideration. Since the charging procedure in this matter was invalid, remand for preliminary examination would be improper.”

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, Solicitor General Fadwa Hammoud and the Flint Water Prosecution Team issued a statement expressing disappointment over Judge Kelly’s dismissal of charges.

“There are not adequate words to express the anger and disappointment felt by our team, who have spent years on this case only to see it thwarted based upon a new interpretation of a nearly century-old law,” the statement read. “Despite the prosecution’s tireless pursuit of justice for the victims of the water crisis, the courts have once again sided in favor of well-connected, wealthy individuals with political power and influence instead of the families and children of Flint.”

Meanwhile, an attorney for the state’s former Health and Human Services director Nicolas Lyon, issued a statement calling the ruling “logical.”

“Today, the circuit court dismissed the case against Director Lyon—precisely as it was ordered to do by the Michigan Supreme Court this past summer. This ruling was the logical result of a misguided prosecution which used unlawful processes to investigate crimes that never occurred,” attorney Chip Chamberlain said.

The-CNN-Wire
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Originally Appeared Here

A proposed surf park, dubbed “Coral Mountain,” in the city of La Quinta in Coachella Valley was rejected unanimously by the City Council mid-September. 

Thank god. The last thing Californians need is a gigantic water-wasting project like this. 

The project, proposed by luxury real estate company Meriwether Co., would consist of a hotel, several hundred homes and a gigantic water basin with technology to bring the ocean a hundred miles or so inland. 

Pro surfer Kelly Slater’s company developed the hydrofoil generator that creates the waves, which can reach up to 8 feet high. According to the Kelly Slater Wave Co. website, “The wave form is inspired and designed by world class ocean waves.”

I don’t know if this means the ocean waves themselves got involved in this, admittedly cool, concept but if so, they didn’t consider the problems with building such a pool in one of the driest areas of the country. 

California is in the middle of a megadrought that has seen three consecutive dry years with another projected to be on the way. As the water year comes to a close, experts predict that this fall will see above average temperatures and a warm and dry winter. 

In Coachella Valley, residents actually use about three times more water than the state average per person. There are 124 irrigated golf courses in Palm Springs and Coachella Valley, which as a whole makes up less than one percent of Southern California’s population yet contains 28 percent of the region’s golf courses. Those golf courses use between 750,000 and 1 million gallons of water a day. While the golf industry employs over 8,000 workers and generates almost $750 million in golf-related spending per year, it is clear that its pristine courses are major water wasters in the region. 

So, to add a luxury surf park that would waste even more water would be a slap in the face to residents who aren’t involved in the tourism industry. 

Residents of Riverside County already face fines for going over their allotted outside water budget. It seems wrong for a company made up of just 10 employees, including its owners, to benefit from such a large increase in water usage for the enjoyment of wealthy snowbirds and visitors. 

Because while everyone loses in a drought, it’s the poorest communities that are hit the hardest, according to a report from the Legislative Analyst’s Office, California’s nonpartisan policy advisor. 

“The communities most impacted by drinking water challenges during the last drought were small and rural,” the report says. “Many of the communities that lost, or remain vulnerable to losing, access to safe drinking water contain high proportions of both lower-income and Latino residents.” 

Blaine Carian of the Coachella Valley Resource Conservation District claims that Coachella Valley’s water supply is better off than most regions in California, stored in the underground water aquifer. 

“We have a lot of years of water in our storage basin,” Carian said in an interview with KESQ News.

According to the Desert Water Agency, if no water conservation efforts were made, there would still be around 100 years’ worth of water stored up in the underground basins. As beneficiaries of the Colorado River, La Quinta and surrounding towns are well-equipped to handle drought. 

But perhaps the Desert Water Agency should talk to those living in mobile home parks near the Coral Mountain site, whose water is contaminated with toxic arsenic and unsafe to drink.

So perhaps Coachella Valley will survive the drought, new golf courses and surf parks or not. However, the drought transcends just one area  — it’s a multi-state issue that will continue to grow more dire as the climate continues to dry up. 

There are plenty of places for people to surf — we don’t need to make the desert one of them. Wealthy people already account for disproportionate water usage, adding a surf resort would only add to that problem. Go to Venice Beach, I hear there are some pretty good waves there.

Patrick Warren is a senior writing about the intersection of sports and climate change. His column “The World of Sports” runs every other Wednesday.”

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Originally Appeared Here

The lower Cape Fear River and Cape Fear Memorial Bridge as shown Tuesday from the Wilmington waterfront. Photo: Jennifer Allen

DOWNTOWN WILMINGTON — North Carolina is home to two of the top five watersheds in the country that had the highest amounts of toxins discharged in 2020 – the upper New River and the lower Cape Fear River, a new report finds.

With the Cape Fear River as a backdrop in downtown Wilmington, advocates released the findings of the study, “Wasting Our Waterways: Toxic pollution and the unfulfilled promise of the Clean Water Act,” published Sept. 28, to a handful of journalists Tuesday morning on the riverwalk.

“We’re here today along the banks of the Cape Fear River because North Carolinians deserve clean water. Our waterways should be safe for swimming, fishing and drinking, and our children deserve a toxic free future,” North Carolina Public Interest Research Group Education Fund State Director Katie Craig told reporters. 

“Yet today, 50 years after the passage of the Clean Water Act, we continue to allow companies to use chemicals linked to a wide range of health threats, including cancer, developmental damage, reproductive damage and more.” 

NCPIRG is a state-based, citizen-funded advocacy group that is an advocate for the public interest. Environment America Research & Policy Center and U.S. PIRG Education Fund produced the report based on data from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Toxics Release Inventory, or TRI.

There were 10,266,141 pounds of toxins released in the upper New River watershed located in North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia and 5,017,810 pounds in the lower Cape Fear that year, according to the report. 

Industrial facilities released at least 193.6 million pounds of toxic substances into U.S. waterways in 2020, including many known to cause cancer, reproductive problems and developmental issues. Of the top ten 10 states by total releases of toxic substances, North Carolina came in at No. 6 with 9,746,239 pounds behind Texas, Indiana, Virginia, Louisiana and Alabama.

The report finds North Carolina to have the highest levels in the country of dumped toxins linked to developmental delays, Craig said. These toxins cause developmental effects that interfere with the processes of growth and change in the body from conception through adolescence. 

“In 2020, over 4.5 million pounds of developmental toxins were released by industrial and government facilities into our waterways across the country,” she said, adding that facilities in the state released the most developmental toxins of any state at over 600,000 pounds.

“With facilities dumping so much pollution, no one should be surprised that so many of our rivers, lakes and streams are still unsafe for swimming and fishing and other recreational activities. But we should be outraged, North Carolinians’ waterways should not be a dumping ground for our polluters.”

She explained that the full scope of toxic pollution flowing into waterways was even greater than that reported to the inventory, which is data collected from the polluting facilities to the Environmental Protection Agency.

North Carolina Public Interest Research Group Education Fund State Director Katie Craig, left, UNCW professor Larry Cahoon and Cape Fear Riverkeeper Kemp Burdette. Photo: Jennifer Allen

“For example, the TRI data does not include releases of thousands of toxic PFAS chemicals, of which only a very small segment were reported for the first time to this report in 2020, and likely under reported at that, ” she said, adding toxic chemicals industrial facilities send to sewage treatments, toxins from stormwater and agricultural runoff are also not included.

“That’s why we’re calling on federal agencies like the EPA, as well as federal and state governments, and even manufacturers and retailers themselves to take action to drastically reduce the use of these toxic chemicals,” Craig said.

Craig said the restriction on the use of PFAS and other toxic chemicals needs to be dramatic, especially when safer alternatives already exist. The state and federal agencies need to update their abilities to hold polluters accountable and stop toxic chemicals from being permitted to end up in our waterways in the first place, she said.

Cape Fear Riverkeeper Kemp Burdette with Cape Fear River Watch said the local grassroots environmental nonprofit focuses on the water quality of the Cape Fear River.

“This report is especially important, and especially troubling,” Burdette said. “We drink this river, and we eat the fish out of this river and the shellfish out of this river. And we swim in the water from this river.”

The area has been drinking PFAS-contaminated water for 40 years, he said. 

“The technology exists to remove PFAS pollution. We can remove almost every nanogram of PFAS pollution created by polluters and we have to start doing that now. We can’t wait for more and more of these chemicals to be regulated,” Burdette said. “Even more important than removing the PFAS pollution that we create every day is stopping the production of what we know is an incredibly toxic class of chemicals.”

The report also highlights that nitrate pollution makes up about 90% of pollution in the country’s waterways.

“Nitrate pollution is important because it causes fish kills, algal blooms, sometimes toxic algal blooms and can even cause entire dead zones and waterways and estuaries and coastal areas,” Burdette said. 

He also expressed worry that, while the report covers an enormous amount of self-reported data from the Toxic Release Inventory, it’s clear there’s even more contamination in waterways across the US, and especially in the Cape Fear basin. 

“We’re the center of production in this country for poultry right now. North Carolina produces more poultry than any other state in the country, and the Cape Fear basin is the most densely concentrated area for swine production in the entire world,” Burdette said. “So while this report highlights reported pollution, there is an enormous amount of pollution that is unreported that combines with this reported pollution to impact water quality here in the Cape Fear River.”

Burdette noted that the Clean Water Act turns 50 years old this year, a significant accomplishment if not perfect.

“It dramatically improved water quality, but the Clean Water Act has a long way to go,” he said. “We still have a long way to go until the Cape Fear River and other waterways across the country are swimmable and fishable and drinkable. And we need to be moving in that direction. And this report really highlights the urgency there.”

About the Clean Water Act

Larry Cahoon, professor of biology and marine biology at the University of North Carolina  Wilmington, teaches marine and freshwater science to graduate students and undergraduates. His curriculum covers the Clean Water Act.

“I grew up before the Clean Water Act was passed. And so I had an opportunity to live through the experience of seeing waters that were multicolored every day. Waters you didn’t dare swim in or wait in or fish in,” he said.

Cahoon said the point he wants to drive home is that the Clean Water Act made it very clear that the waters do not belong to polluters or the government.

“The government is supposed to be the steward of that resource that belongs to us. And I want to get that point across to everyone who’s listening: This is our river. It belongs to us. We should be able to fish and swim in that river and drink its water safely and the fact that we can’t do that means we have a lot of work left to do under the Clean Water Act.”

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Originally Appeared Here