The Town of Maysville is overhauling its water system with a whole slew of projects, including replacing its main water pipe, installing a new well, bringing its old water treatment plant back online, and filtering PFAS out through a recently installed filtration system. The town has been getting its water from Jones County ever since high concentrations of PFAS were found in its water supply 4 years ago.
PFAS stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and is also known as forever chemicals because some can take thousands of years to break down naturally. It’s an umbrella term encompassing a range of chemicals used in manufacturing items like food packaging, cleaning products, non-stick cookware, and generally, any item that is water- or heat- resistant. PFAS contamination can be found throughout the U.S., but consuming PFAS at high levels has been linked to decreased fertility, reduced immune response, and higher risk of some cancers.
When Maysville learned of the problem it shifted the town’s water supply from its own system to Jones County’s. Schumata Brown is the town manager.
"Once we found out about the contamination, were there that the board made you know the tough decision and you got to applaud the board because again, they didn't have to do anything because this contamination isn't regulated by the state," Brown said.
North Carolina is in the process of setting standards for PFAS in drinking water and has deployed a system to test public and private wells. Notably, the Division of Environmental Quality is asking manufacturers to voluntary disclose and label PFAS used in its products.
In 2019, Maysville's water supply was found to have a combined level of PFAS above 100 parts per trillion, which is above U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidelines of 70 parts per trillion. The town is now installing a PFAS filtration system that will bring PFAS levels well below the EPA guidelines and allow the town to bring its well back online.
"We're rehabbing some things at the water plant, and we're also putting in the state-of-the-art filtration system to remove PFAS chemical that was found in our water and also allow us to get on our own water system," Brown said.
Brown said the town is taking this opportunity to revitalize its existing systems and perform some much-needed renovations. Maysville is rehabilitating some of the other filtration systems and removed a pump that was stuck at the bottom of a well.
The town is also putting in a new well and pump that will serve as its primary source of water. The new well has been tested and found to meet EPA guidelines. Brown said having the new well means the town now has a backup plan.
"If something's saying happening to the new well, we'll bring the old well back on, and we'll have the filtration system in place to treat the water," he said.
Lastly, the town has received a state grant to replace its main 8-inch water line, which has leaked in the past.
"We were having some problems with because it's old," he said. "Probably been in the town since the creation of the water system."
The funding for all these projects is mostly coming from federal grants through ARPA — the American Rescue Plan Act, which passed in 2021. The town of 1,000 has received $5 million in ARPA money for all these projects, and another $1 million from state and EPA funding. For a small town like Maysville, the funding is much appreciated, said Brown.
"It was a game changer for us," he said. "You're talking about $5 million in the town of Maysville . . . and it didn't come directly off the backs of our citizens"
Plans for the overhaul have been in the works since 2019 but the pandemic, troubling finding contractors in a competitive market and securing permits and funding have slowed the process down. But bringing municipal water services back online means the city is once again able to provide clean water for its residents.
"Being able to provide that quality of water that's the biggest thing for me, Brown said. "Water is the quality of life and you want to be able to provide a a great product. First thing you do in the morning is turn that faucet on oil, flush that toilet and you want to be able to provide those."
The projects are expected to be completed over the next two years.
