DEQ Well Permit Decision Tool
DEQ and DHHS have created a Well Permit Decision Tool to find permitted facilities that are known sources of contamination near proposed private wells. The Well Permitting Decision Tool was designed to identify “Known Source of Release of Contamination” and help well permitters provide the public with additional sampling recommendations. Its intent is to identify known sources of a release from a facility or from the source. You can use the Tool to look at these sources for any part of North Carolina.
Private water wells are handled by county health departments and the Division of Public Health at the NC Department of Health and Human Services.
Under the statewide private well testing program administered by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and local health departments, all new private drinking water wells since 2008 are sampled by local health departments and analyzed for a standardized list of chemical constituents by the State Laboratory for Public Health in the Department. Sampling may also be performed for private wells at any time.
When an individual well exceeds health-based drinking water or DEQ groundwater standards for one or more contaminants, the local health department, along with DHHS, provides the well owner with information about the constituents that have been found and what steps are necessary to protect the well users’ health. Where appropriate, local health departments contact DEQ for assistance in identifying the source of contamination - often naturally occurring - and other affected well users.
Private Well Permitting
Several potential contaminants could affect groundwater. DEQ provides information on known contamination sources and what to look for when considering a well installation.
DWR- Animal Feeding Operations
What are PFAS?
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, refers to a group of man-made chemicals. They are widely used in commercial and consumer products such as food packaging, water- and stain-repellent fabrics, nonstick products and firefighting foams. They are also commonly used in industrial processes and manufacturing. Because of their widespread use, these compounds are present in household and industrial waste, air emissions and wastewater discharges.
PFAS are often called “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down in the environment and can build up, or bioaccumulate, in humans and animals. Most Americans have been exposed to PFAS. Scientists have identified ingestion through drinking water as the primary pathway for PFAS exposure in humans.
PFAS & Private Wells
On April 10, 2024, EPA announced the final drinking water standards or Maximum Contaminant Levels to limit six PFAS compounds in drinking water:
- PFOA 4.0ppt
- PFOS 4.0ppt
- GenX chemicals 10 ppt
- PFNA 10ppt
- PFHxS 10ppt
The rule also regulates mixtures of GenX chemicals, PFNA, PFHxS and PFBS through the use of a Hazard Index calculation to determine if the combined levels of these PFAS pose a potential risk to human health.
The federal drinking water standards do not apply to private drinking water wells, but can serve as a valuable decision-making tool. Consider sampling source water for PFAS by a certified lab before installing your well.
NC DHHS Filtration Options and Sampling Factsheet
Chemours-related Contamination
Areas of at least eight Eastern NC counties are impacted by PFAS contamination from the Chemours Fayetteville Works facility. More information, including updated maps, is available online:
Bladen, Cumberland, Robeson, or Sampson counties
Brunswick, Columbus, New Hanover, or Pender counties
For additional information, contact Dean Grantham via email at dean.grantham@deq.nc.gov.
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