{"id":31281,"date":"2025-06-09T16:38:55","date_gmt":"2025-06-09T20:38:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/?p=31281"},"modified":"2025-07-03T15:07:27","modified_gmt":"2025-07-03T19:07:27","slug":"summer-2025-deep-well-solution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/summer-2025-deep-well-solution\/","title":{"rendered":"PFAS, Arsenic, and Trade-Offs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n
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\u201cComparatively, a bedrock well is the most cost-effective option.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

New research finds that drilling deeper groundwater wells may provide residents in counties along the Cape Fear River with safer drinking water. It\u2019s a promising\u00a0alternative for many people living near the river, where\u00a0per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) \u2014 also known as \u201cforever chemicals\u201d\u00a0\u2014\u00a0have seeped into shallow groundwater for years<\/a>, contaminating private wells and threatening public health.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many families living near the Chemours chemical plant in Bladen County, North Carolina, have lived with potential\u00a0health<\/a> risks for years because Chemours manufactures various types of\u00a0PFAS<\/a>, including GenX. These chemicals are used for non-stick cookware coatings, firefighting foam, stain-resistant clothes and carpets, and other products in the aerospace, automotive, construction, and electronics industries.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But new research from Tiffany J. VanDerwerker, a fellow for the North Carolina Water Resources Research Institute<\/a>, and her NC State University colleagues Detlef R.U. Knappe and David P. Genereux reveals the deeper bedrock aquifer could hold the solution. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"image:<\/a>
Higher concentrations of GenX are in the shallowest aquifer, says Tiffany VanDerwerker (here), \u201cand when we go deeper to the bedrock aquifer, all of the samples we evaluated were [within] the drinking water standards \u2014 which is good news in terms of PFAS contamination.\u201d <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

An aquifer is an underground layer of porous rock that holds water. The study area \u2014 covering parts of Cumberland, Robeson, and Bladen Counties in North Carolina\u2019s southern Coastal Plain \u2014 includes four distinct aquifer layers: \u201csurficial,\u201d \u201cBlack Creek,\u201d \u201cUpper Cape Fear,\u201d and \u201cbedrock.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), drinking water quality must meet established National Primary Drinking Water Regulations<\/a>, which set maximum levels to limit contamination and impact on human health. Although these regulations only apply to public water systems, VanDerwerker and her team used these regulations to guide their research. Encouragingly, the study found that many deeper wells, particularly those that reach bedrock aquifers, fall well within regulated levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn terms of GenX, we see higher concentrations in the surficial aquifer,\u201d says VanDerwerker, \u201cand when we go deeper to the bedrock aquifer, all of the samples we evaluated were [within] the drinking water standards \u2014 which is good news in terms of PFAS contamination.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"image:<\/a>
Well digging for a private drinking water supply. Credit: AdobeStock.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Cost of Deeper Drilling<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

To better understand aquifer use and groundwater quality in the area, the research team obtained and analyzed 222 well construction records from the Cumberland County and Bladen County health departments and that North Carolina\u2019s Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ). They also collected water quality samples from seven bedrock wells and two wells in the Upper Cape Fear aquifer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the bedrock aquifer lies much deeper than typical private wells and requires more materials and time to construct, the team wanted to determine the cost for local homeowners. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe talked to a driller who estimated that a bedrock well could cost over $30,000,\u201d VanDerwerker explains. \u201cLooking at the \u2018Consent Order,\u2019 a new bedrock well wouldn\u2019t be covered for an individual residence.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Consent Order<\/a> \u2014 established by NCDEQ, Cape Fear River Watch, and Chemours \u2014 mandates that Chemours reduce emissions and ensure residents have access to clean drinking water. For homes that qualify under the order, Chemours funds water filtration systems like Whole-House Granular Activated Carbon systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"imageL<\/a>
Underground Water Layers of the Study Area. Credit: “Adapting to PFAS contamination of private drinking water wells near a PFAS production facility in the US Atlantic Coastal Plain of North Carolina” in Water Environment Research<\/em> via Open Access.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The study found that installation, maintenance, and quarterly testing of this type of system could cost around $64,000 over 20 years. In areas with access to public water systems, Chemours would instead pay $75 monthly toward residents’ water bills, amounting to about $93,000 over two decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cComparatively,\u201d VanDerwerker says, \u201ca bedrock well is the most cost-effective option.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, she adds that NCDEQ only monitors the upper aquifers for over-pumping and overuse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe can’t estimate the long-term sustainability of the bedrock aquifer,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"image:<\/a>
\u201cI hope that my research will be useful to homeowners making decisions about the choices that are best for them,\u201d VanDerwerker says. Credit: AdobeStock.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Tradeoffs <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Drilling to the bedrock aquifer, VanDerwerker says, is \u201cnot a silver bullet.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you keep poking holes in the overlying aquifers there is the potential that the PFAS could flow downwards and contaminate the deeper aquifers,\u201d she says. However, she adds, the risk of PFAS impacting deeper waters \u201ccan likely be partially managed through careful controls on well design and installation.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, the research team found that the bedrock aquifer contains arsenic \u2014 a naturally occurring element in minerals primarily used in alloys of lead (for example, batteries and ammunition). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cArsenic is a carcinogen \u2014 an agent that promotes the development of cancer,\u201d she says. \u201cSo there are tradeoffs.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her study concludes that \u201carsenic treatment may be beneficial at some deep wells.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a longer-term solution, VanDerwerker advocates for investing in public water infrastructure. Ultimately, she says, the goal is to give families options, backed by science and guided by transparency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI hope that my research will be useful to homeowners making decisions about the choices that are best for them,\u201d VanDerwerker says, \u201cand to regulators as well.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read the full study:
<\/strong>Adapting to PFAS contamination of private drinking water wells near a PFAS production facility in the US Atlantic Coastal Plain of North Carolina<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

lead image credit: AdobeStock.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emma Davies<\/strong> is an award-winning journalist and a contributing editor for Coastwatch<\/em>. She is pursuing a masters of arts in liberal studies at North Carolina State University, with a concentration in communication and genetic engineering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FROM THE SUMMER 2025 ISSUE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New research finds that drilling deeper groundwater wells may provide residents in counties along the Cape Fear River with safer drinking water. 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