The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has issued a modification to Brunswick County’s wastewater permit for its Northwest Water Treatment Plant located in Leland.
The permit modification was requested by Brunswick County to accommodate an expansion of their conventional treatment capacity and to add reverse osmosis treatment technology that will remove certain emerging compounds from the drinking water. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, high-pressure membranes, such as nanofiltration or reverse osmosis, have been extremely effective at removing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS.
DEQ held a public hearing on Dec. 5, 2019, in Bolivia to accept comments on the draft permit modification. After reviewing the comments, DEQ added increased monitoring and more stringent limits for aluminum and alkalinity into the modified permit. In addition, the monitoring frequency for PFAS compounds has been increased to quarterly.
The modified permit and hearing officer’s report, are available on the DEQ website.
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