Granville County residents again sound the alarm over water quality

BUTNER, N.C. (WTVD) -- There are new concerns about water quality in southern Granville County. On Tuesday night, several county residents addressed South Granville Water and Sewer Authority (SGWASA ) and its executive director at its public board meeting, calling for immediate action on lingering water quality concerns. SGWASA serves approximately 6,600 customers in Butner, Creedmoor and Stem.

"It would only take a million or so to provide a decent filter to the 6,500 customers that SGWASA services," said John Mayo, a Granville County native and longtime advocate for cleaner water in the area.

ABC11 has spoken with Mayo several times in the past decade as he's pushed for new measures to protect residents against harmful chemicals in the drinking water.

In 2017, SGWASA's water was found to be above the new EPA threshold on PFAS -- forever chemicals that have been linked to various health issues, including cancer. On Tuesday, Mayo again asked the SGWASA board to find a way to subsidize in-home water filters for customers.

"Not because you have to, but because it's the right thing to do," he said.

Corey Regan, who moved to Granville County with his wife, Toni, three years ago, also addressed the board at Tuesday's meeting. The couple said they have serious concerns about how SGWASA's drinking water is affecting their health.

"We were feeling something in our stomach and something in our head. Kind of like we were coming down with a sickness, the flu or something. It never materialized into anything. And then we switched to bottled water, and it went away the next day," Corey said.

While SGWASA has until 2029 to meet new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) thresholds on PFAS in its water, some customers say that's not enough -- and action should be taken sooner.

"It's been a build-up of basically just bad water for year after year after year. This is why the community is really frustrated and fed up with just saying, 'Give us another four years,'" said Mayo.

After Tuesday's public comment session, the SGWASA board said those filters would come at a cost, potentially exacerbating already-high water bills in the area. Mayo said he pays nearly $300 a month for his water.

"More additional costs. And when I think of costs, I think of rates," said board member Georgana Kincinski.

Other board members, meanwhile, shot down the suggestion that recently allocated public funds be diverted to purchase the filters for customers.

"As far as taking allocation of a pot of money and spending it on another pot of something -- we're not allowed to do that," said fellow board member Tim Karan.

Karan, a County Commissioner for District 6, said that ultimately the onus on installing a water filter comes down to individual residents and that SGWASA's water is currently compliant for consumption.

"Personal responsibility to go above and beyond what the government says is safe and satisfactory. We are meeting all current state and federal guidelines," he said.