This is an update to a 2023 post about PTRWA (Piedmont Triad Regional Water Authority) and High Point’s application for $120 million to pay for a filtration system capable of removing PFAS and 1,4 DIOXANE from Randleman Lake, drinking water supply for Guilford County, NC. The forever chemicals are from past and ongoing industrial discharge from local manufacturing facilities, High Point’s Eastside Wastewater Treatment Plant, Seaboard Chemical/hazardous waste dump and numerous landfills – which ends up in Deep River. Deep River was dammed in the early 2000s to create Randleman Reservoir and began flowing to our homes in 2010 as drinking water. Scroll down to see the original post.
UPDATE MAY 11, 2025 – “Amended & Restated Joint Governmental Agreement” dated January 1, 2025 between Piedmont Triad Regional Water Authority (PTRWA) partners GREENSBORO, HIGH POINT, JAMESTOWN, ARCHDALE, RANDLEMAN and RANDOLPH COUNTY. Includes a provision stating that member governments will direct monies from any PFAS litigation/claims to PTRWA (to help pay for the filtration system needed to remove PFAS from the water). PTRWA’s John Kime Water Treatment Plant is on Randleman Lake in Randleman (Randolph County), about 10 miles downstream from Eastside Wastewater Treatment Plant in Jamestown 27282 (Guilford County). Scroll through the slideshow below:
This is a collection of notes from 1986-1987 expressing concerns about the contaminants in Eastside WWTP’s effluent and the “intensive monitoring” required of the City of High Point:
UPDATE NOV 25, 2024 – Stormwater infrastructure funds were divvied up by the state in February. Looks like $500k is all PTRWA was awarded.
UPDATE JUNE 14, 2024 – NOTE: Go HERE to access the ongoing list of local 1,4-Dioxane test results.
ORIGINAL POST – In October 2023, the City of High Point and PTRWA submitted four applications to the NCDEQ’s Division of Water Infrastructure, asking for $120,685,000 to upgrade the filtration system to treat PFAS and 1,4 Dioxane contamination in Randleman Lake, drinking water supply for Jamestown, Randleman, Archdale, High Point and Greensboro. The partner towns are obligated to purchase a set amount of water from PTRWA each year.
The $120,685,000 would come from stormwater infrastructure money the Biden administration gave to the State of North Carolina for its public water systems and municipalities.
High Point submitted one contract on Sept. 27, 2023 for $16,150,000, noting on the application that this was only a portion of the project’s total cost of $120,185,000. PTRWA submitted three contracts on Oct. 2, 2023: (1) $74,646,250 for project construction costs, (2) $45,538,750 to treat “wastewater residuals,” and (3) $500,000 for a pilot study (costs for engineering design, engineering report preparation, supplies and water sample testing). Total = $120,685,000.
It is unclear why High Point is the only partner requesting funds for PTRWA’s project. High Point owns 19% of PTRWA, but Greensboro owns 53%.
PTRWA’s proposal involves installing a Reverse Osmosis (RO)system at the John Kime (Drinking) Water Treatment facility in Randleman, on Randleman Lake. Reverse Osmosis iis considered to be the most effective system for removing PFAS and 1,4-Dioxane from water.
As part of a lawsuit settlement, Dupont/Chemours is installing RO systems in eastern North Carolina homes that have been contaminated by PFAS and GenX discharged by the company into the Cape Fear River. According to Forbes, the average cost of a tap water Reverse Osmosis faucet system is $1,000; whole home systems can go as high as $7,500.
The four funding applications are pretty much the same, the major differences being in the breakdown of project costs and the project descriptions. We’ve combined the four cost projections in this spreadsheet:
Here are summaries, with project descriptions, of the four applications:
HIGH POINT, September 27, 2023: Submitted an application for funding to NCDEQ Division of Water Infrastructure in the amount of $16,150,000 for “PTRWA Emerging Compound Treatment.” Application was signed by former mayor Jay Wagner. Although the application is asking for funds in the amount of $16,150,000, the “Total Project Cost” is noted on first page to be $120,185,000.
HIGH POINT PROJECT DESCRIPTION – The City of High Point owns 19% of the Piedmont Triad Regional Water Authority (PTRWA) which is located at 7297 Adams Farm Rd, Randleman, NC 27317. Other partners include the Town of Jamestown, City of Randleman, RandoIph County, City of Archdale and City of Greensboro. PTRWA currently has capability of producing 12mgd (million gallons per day) potable water for the various partners. The City of High Point receives 2.28mgd from the plant. PTRWA is seeking to expand their distribution capacity by an additional 9.4mgd. Part of this expansion will require emerging contaminant treatment measurements installed to eliminate/reduce contaminants in the drinking water. PTRWA and the partners have agreed to install Reverse Osmosis Treatment as part of the expansion and upgrade. The intent is to move forward with a Progressive Design Build contract this fall/winter.
PTRWA’s THREE FUNDING APPLICATIONS
This is the opening paragraph in PTRWA’s applications:
PTRWA is a wholesale water supplier providing potable water to its member governments at entry point meters to their distribution systems. The member governments who are currently allocated water from PTRWA’s John Franklin Kime Water Treatment Plant (Randleman Lake) are Archdale, Greensboro, High Point, Randleman, Jamestown and Randolph County. Perfluroroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) have been detected in Randleman Lake in an amount which exceeds the recently proposed EPA Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCL) of 4ppt (parts per trillion). Additionally, concentrations of 1,4 Dioxane which exceed the 1×10’1 cancer risk level have also been detected in Randleman Lake. The upstream watershed is an urban industrialized setting with potential industrial contaminant sources including the City of High Point’s Wastewater Discharge, a chemical disposal Superfund Remediation Site, retired and active landfills, airport operating activities and manufacturing and industrial facilities. PTRWA has conducted extensive studies on PFAS and removal technologies and determined that Reverse Osmosis Treatment is the best available treatment technology for removing PFAS, 1,4 Dioxane and other potential emerging compounds from the water supply. At the September 12, 2023 meeting of the PTRWA’s Board of Directors, the Board authorized moving forward with a Progressive Design Build Contract for Construction of a Post Filtration Reverse Osmosis Treatment Facility.
PTRWA “Pilot” Study, Oct. 2, 2023: Application for Funding to NCDEQ Division of Water Infrastructure in the amount of $500,000 for “PFAS Evaluation/Assessment Study – Reverse Osmosis Treatment System.” Applicant is PTRWA, signed by Greg Flory, Executive Director, PTRWA. Here’s how the Pilot Study project is described – The sole purpose of this project is to evaluate the removal efficiencies of various different reverse osmosis treatment strategies and evaluate the overall performance of reverse osmosis modules from different manufacturers. The project consists of engineering design of treatment stages associated with reverse osmosis treatment, evaluation of multiple manufacturer products for performance testing of equipment, oversight of the sampling and test results, determination of long-term efficacy, and consideration of operational challenges, secondary water quality benefits, and capital and operational costs. Pilot equipment rental will be required for the duration of the study along with the associated chemicals and supplies to operate the pilot plant. Outside laboratory services will also be necessary for processing collected samples. A final engineer’s report will be completed and used by the design-build team for implementation consideration in the upcoming installation of emerging compound treatment at the PTRWA/Randleman Lake treatment plant. (SEE LINK BELOW)
PTRWA Reverse Osmosis Project, October 2, 2023: Application for Funding to NC DEQ Division of Water Infrastructure in the amount of $74,646,250 for “Construction Project – Drinking Water Emerging Contaminants Reverse Osmosis Treatment System.” Applicant is PTRWA, signed by Greg Flory, Executive Director, PTRWA. PTRWA Reverse Osmosis Project Description – This project will fund a portion of the reverse osmosis treatment construction for the removal of PFAS,1,4 Dioxane and other potential emerging compounds at the PTRWA/Randleman Lake treatment plant (SEE LINK BELOW):
PTRWA RO Wastewater Residuals Treatment Project, Oct. 2, 2023: Application for Funding to NC DEQ Division of Water Infrastructure in the amount of $45,538,750 for “Construction Project – Clean Water Emerging Contaminants Reverse Osmosis WW Residuals Treatment System.” Applicant is PTRWA, signed by Greg Flory, Executive Director, PTRWA.
PTRWA Wastewater Residuals Treatment Project Description – The reverse osmosis treatment will produce a concentrate waste stream that will contain high levels of PFAS and 1,4 Dioxane. RO cleaning cycles will also produce an additional waste stream that will most likely contain even higher levels of PFAS and 1,4 Dioxane. A dedicated wastewater treatment system will need to be constructed to remove the concentrated PFAS and 1,4 Dioxane from the concentrate stream so that the water can be recycled back into the plant or released back into the reservoir. This project will fund the construction of the best available wastewater treatment technology for the removal of PFAS and 1,4 Dioxane from the reverse osmosis concentrate treatment train. (SEE LINK BELOW)
OTHER
In a separate but stormwater-related round of funding, the federal government distributed funds under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to states for stormwater and water quality infrastructure projects. These are PUBLIC COMMENTS from June 2022 on our State Water Infrastructure Authority’s plan for administering these ARPA funds:
2022 and 2023 reports from meetings of the State Water Infrastructure Authority identifying “Distressed Units” for funding:
April and July 2022 meetings of the State Water Infrastructure Authority – what it means to be a “Distressed Unit:”
