Public Notice

Public Notice

Brunswick County statement in response to Environmental Working Group January 2020 report

01.22.2020

Brunswick County began an extensive testing program for PFAS contaminants when academic studies revealed the presence of multiple PFAS in its drinking water, testing a suite of PFAS contaminants on a weekly basis. Brunswick County’s water samples have continuously remained below the EPA’s established health advisory levels for PFOA + PFOS and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ established provisional health goal for GenX, however the combined levels of all PFAS is concerning and the County continues to test and monitor for most known PFAS compounds and GenX during its routine testing.

At this time, the EPA does not have an established health goal for several of the other compounds listed in this report that are contributing to the overall 185.9 ppt sample level, however the PFOA + PFOS and GenX sample levels in this report are also below the provisional health goals mentioned above. Due to the fact that little or no study has been done on the health effects of combined PFAS or many of these individual PFAS found in the source water, Brunswick County has taken a proactive approach to install the most protective water treatment system at the Northwest Water Treatment Plant to remove these contaminants.

Brunswick County’s leadership recognizes that high quality water is of paramount importance to our customers and residents and agree that reverse osmosis is the most effective PFAS removal technology, which is why the Board of Commissioners and county administration are embarking on a project to install an advanced low-pressure reverse osmosis treatment system at the Northwest Water Treatment Plant, as well as increase capacity at the plant to support the county’s growth. Brunswick County Public Utilities has been working diligently with engineers at CDM-Smith and the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality to design, permit and build an economical low-pressure reverse osmosis system at the plant for the benefit of all Brunswick County water users.

Low-pressure reverse osmosis is considered one of the most advanced and effective methods to treat and remove both regulated and unregulated materials from drinking water, including GenX, 1,4-dioxane and other per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). In April 2018, the County conducted two rounds of testing on a pilot low-pressure reverse osmosis system at the Northwest Water Treatment Plant. The results showed that low-pressure reverse osmosis reduced most PFAS including GenX to undetectable levels, essentially removing all the components.

Not only do pilot studies indicate that low-pressure reverse osmosis is the most effective advanced treatment method for PFAS removal, but they also indicate that it is the most economical advanced treatment option for the removal of high percentages of PFAS at the Northwest Water Treatment Plant. Most previous studies focus on the high-energy cost when using reverse osmosis for the treatment of saline or brackish water, but the cost is considerably less when used to treat fresh water for PFAS contaminants, especially short-chain PFAS.

All of the County’s water sample test reports are available to the public at https://www.brunswickcountync.gov/genx/

Brunswick County would notify customers and residents should any of its test samples exceed the health advisory levels established for PFOA + PFOS or GenX.

Health Services

Patient Portal

Column 1 CTA

Immunizations

Column 2 CTA

Health Clinics

Column 3 CTA

Interactive Wellness Map

Column 4 CTA

Brunswick County Health Services

Welcome to Brunswick County Health Services! We offer a variety of health services and programs for children and adults, including many services with income-based sliding scale fees for the uninsured (cash, checks, and most major health insurance plans are also accepted). We also provide health education and community outreach services.

What is Public Health?

To learn more about our programs and services, please view our Brunswick County Health Services brochure.

English

Spanish

Accreditation

The North Carolina Local Health Department Accreditation program reviews each health department based on a set of minimal standards (147 activities) that must be provided to ensure the protection of the health of the public and to provide essential services. BCHS has been accredited since 2008 with the most recent reaccreditation occurring in 2017.  Staff is currently preparing for the next assessment in the spring of 2021.

Community Resources

For resources and assistance available in Brunswick County, please view our Resource Assistance Quick Guide.

Community Health Assessment

The Community Health Assessment (CHA) is conducted by BCHS every four years to determine the community’s needs and develop programs to address health priorities.  Community Health Opinion Surveys are disseminated to residents, and the results are analyzed and compared to secondary data from the State Center for Health Statistics.

Executive Summary

Data Book 1

Data Book 2

State of the County Health Report

The State of the County Health (SOTCH) Report is produced each of the three years between CHAs to provide updates on the progress made on the health priorities and identify new health concerns.

 

Strategic Action Plan

The 2016-2020 Brunswick County Health Services Strategic Plan describes our county’s public health priorities and the plan to address them.

Interactive Wellness Map

View larger map
BUILDING A

Contact

25 COURTHOUSE DRIVE
BUILDING A

MAILING ADDRESS: PO BOX 9
BOLIVIA NC, 28422

(910) 253-2250
(888) 428-4429
HEALTH@BRUNSWICKCOUNTYNC.GOV
open mon-fri:
8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

News & Events

Get the latest updates and happenings on events throughout the county.

Latest News

Read More Health Services News

Latest Events

See Event Calendar