OWASA officials outline PFAS treatment plan, 10‑year capital needs and bill‑relief proposal

Owasa staff described plans to remove PFAS from drinking water, outlined a 10‑year capital program that could total $453 million and asked county leaders whether the county would support a sustained water‑bill relief program.

The utility presentation, given by Owasa staff including Michael Hughes and Mary Tiger, said trace concentrations of PFAS linked to historical land application of biosolids in the Cane Creek watershed prompted pilot testing of new treatment media and a proposal to build new process facilities at the Jones Ferry Road water plant. The federal Environmental Protection Agency last year set a 4 parts‑per‑trillion limit for several PFAS chemicals to be achieved in drinking water by 2029, Owensa staff said.

Why it matters: Meeting the upcoming federal limits will require new treatment facilities and a replacement of a deteriorated clear well at the Jones Ferry plant, staff said. The utility offered three rate‑path options and said a slower, more spread‑out approach would reduce short‑term rate pressure but could jeopardize meeting the 2029 regulatory timeline; a faster approach raises customer bills sooner.

Owasa officials showed pilot‑scale data indicating existing treatment reduces some PFAS levels but additional capital is required for full compliance. The presentation included a map of the Jones Ferry site and a conceptual rendering of where new treatment and a new clear well could be sited; staff said plans remain conceptual and may change. The utility described the clear well as a roughly 1.5‑million‑gallon contact/storage tank that must be replaced because it has reached the end of its service life.

Owasa presented a 10‑year capital need of about $453 million that combines PFAS work with routine replacement of lines and pump stations. Staff described three rate scenarios in which Option 3 spreads costs over a longer period and Option 1 accelerates spending: "If you do the math on those rate increases," the presenter said, "that average water bill is going to double in the next 10 years. It's going to go from $65 a month to close to $130." The utility plans a public hearing on rates in May, board approval of new rates on June 12 and implementation in October 2025.

Care to Share and bill relief: Mary Tiger, Owasa director of community relations, described Care to Share — the utility's customer donation program for short‑term bill assistance. She said the average usage is about 4,000 gallons and the average bill is $115.55 per month; Care to Share provided roughly $18,000 in support to 84 households in 2024 and the low‑income household water assistance program provided more than $300,000 across 2022–23 when federal funds were available.

Tiger outlined a proposed pilot design that would pre‑qualify recipients using existing social‑services eligibility (Food and Nutrition Services) to minimize administrative burden. She asked the board whether it would support convening partners and whether the county would be willing to provide financial support, noting Owasa may not use rate revenue to fund the program.

Board reaction and next steps: Commissioners praised Owasa's technical work and the Care to Share program but said any county support would need to be weighed against other budget pressures. Commissioner McKee confirmed Owasa may not set income‑based sliding rates because "under state statute [utilities] are required to charge reasonable rates of which the ability to pay or income is not to be a factor," according to utility staff. Several commissioners urged staff to return with options the county could consider during the budget process; no formal county commitment was made at the meeting.

Owasa staff also described reclaimed water and the utility's emergency mutual‑aid deployments to western North Carolina during severe weather; staff said the reclaimed system distributes about 1.8 million gallons per day and has conserved billions of gallons since 2009.

The utility provided the board with proposed rate‑setting milestones and said staff will return with more detailed cost and schedule information as studies and designs advance.