The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Resource has released data from a preliminary study that found PFAS present in soil, wastewater and biosolids. The study is the agency’s first investigation assessing PFAS concentrations in biosolids across the state.
DWR staff began gathering samples in 2023 for the study, which evaluated PFAS concentrations in wastewater and biosolids from 37 municipal, industrial and domestic wastewater treatment facilities. Staff also tested soil collected from 19 fields that are regulated under nondischarge permits.
The study found PFAS compounds present in wastewater, biosolids and soil samples. Estimates found the majority of PFAS entering wastewater facilities on an annual basis is discharged into waterways, as compared with the amount entering the environment through land application of biosolids. An overview of the study, including background information and a summary of the results, is available online.
Main Break Causes Widespread Water Outage in El Paso
A boil water advisory was in effect for Central and Northeast El Paso, Texas, following the rupture of a 70-year-old water main. During a press conference Jan. 13, utility officials confirmed that while significant progress has been made, the order will persist for at least another day.
The breakage initially disrupted service for roughly 100,000 residents, but crews have successfully restored pressure to about three-quarters of the affected connections. Officials have not yet determined what caused the pipe to burst.
AMWA Applauds Introduction of Bipartisan Water Act
The Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies recently applauded the introduction of the bipartisan Water Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Act of 2026, S. 3590. The legislation, introduced by Sens. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) and John Curtis (R-Utah), would fund drinking water and wastewater projects to address water utility resilience to natural disasters, extreme weather and cyber threats.
The Senate bill complements the House version, H.R. 5566, introduced last September by Reps. Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.), David Valadao (R-Calif.), Troy Carter (D-La.), Brian Mast (R-Fl.) and Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.). The bill includes reauthorization for a key program, the Midsize and Large Drinking Water System Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Program, that funds resilience upgrades. In August, the EPA released over $9 million in grant funding for the program, with the first grant selections expected to be announced in spring 2026.
