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Newton County reports non-detect PFAS results, outlines steps to decommission Williams Street plant
Summary
Water staff reported PFAS testing results for Cornish Creek and Williams Street facilities as non-detect and said the county is in the near-final stages of decommissioning the Williams Street plant following steps with the Georgia EPD. The county also promoted its Notify Newton resident service app.
Newton County water officials told the Board of Commissioners on Feb. 4 that routine testing for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) at the county's Cornish Creek and Williams Street facilities returned non-detect results for all required analytes across 2024.
James Brown, director of Water Resources, said the county tested the sites by quarter throughout 2024 and that each required sample came back as "non-detect." Brown said the Cornish Creek facility supplied the vast majority of treated water in December, while Williams Street accounted for a very small share of the system's output.
Brown also told commissioners the county recently completed a step in the regulatory process with the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) on Cornish Creek upgrades and Williams Street decommissioning and described that action as the second-to-final step before formal decommissioning. He said county staff still had one additional step to complete before finishing the decommissioning process.
When asked how long the county had been testing for PFAS, Brown said testing began around 2019, during the initial federal and state testing phase for communities that had military installations in their area. He said the county has tested for as many PFAS constituents as technology allows and that all tested compounds have been non-detect to date.
On testing availability for individuals concerned about personal exposure, Brown said residents should consult their local physician to request clinical testing; he noted physicians and clinical labs are the route for individual biomonitoring and that the county does not provide direct clinical testing.
The county manager also gave a brief demonstration of Notify Newton, the county's resident service app. County Manager Cooper said the app allows residents to submit service requests (potholes, trash, code enforcement) and sign up for notifications about meetings and events. Cooper said the county received 1,163 issues through Notify Newton (as reported to the board) and later noted the public works workflow published on the app shows work orders and completion notices; another county speaker said nearly 2,000 requests had been submitted through the system since launch.
Commissioners asked clarifying questions about PFAS testing history, the decommissioning timeline for Williams Street and the availability and likely cost of clinical tests for individuals. Brown said testing options are handled by private clinicians and that the county cannot attribute the source of PFAS in an individual's sample.
No formal board action was taken on PFAS testing at this meeting; commissioners directed staff to continue updates as decommissioning proceeds.
