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Home My WebLink AboutDuke Water Filtration FAQ FINAL_20170707FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Why is Duke Energy treating/filtering my water? The state Coal Ash Management Act (CAMA or Session Law 2016-95) requires Duke Energy to provide each household that has a drinking water supply well within a half -mile of the compliance boundary of a coal ash basin a permanent, replacement water supply (see link below): https://www.sog.unc.edu/sites/www.sog.unc.edu/files/course mate rials/H630-SMRI-70%28s1%29 v3.pdf The Coal Ash Management Act requires Duke Energy to connect qualifying households to public water systems or provide home water filtration systems. Residents may opt out of either option and continue to use their well water. The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is working with Duke Energy to ensure the installed filtration systems provide drinking water that meets state regulatory standards. What are performance standards and how are they being used? Performance standards are set by DEQ based on the North Carolina Environmental Management Commission - approved Groundwater Quality Standards as listed in Title 15A of the North Carolina Administrative Code Subchapter 02L Section .0202 (also known as "Groundwater Standards"). The Groundwater Standards can be found by clicking on the link below: http://deg.nc.gov/document/nc-stds-groundwater-021-0202 The performance standards will be used to ensure treated water from the filtration systems meet state regulatory standards. The performance standards are listed below: Performance Standards Parameter 2L Standard IMAC Alkalinity See Note 3 - Aluminum See Note 3 - Antimony - 1 µg/L Arsenic 10 µg/L - Barium 700 µg/L - Beryllium - 4 µg/L Bicarbonate See Note 3 - Boron 700 µg/L - Cadmium 2 µg/L - Calcium See Note 3 - Carbonate See Note 3 - Cobalt - 1 µg/L Chromium (total) 10 µg/L - Chromium, (hexavalent) See Note 2 - Copper 1 mg/L - Iron 300 µg/L - mg/L = milligrams per liter Parameter 2L Standard IMAC Lead 15 µg/L - Magnesium See Note 3 - Manganese 50 µg/L - Molybdenum See Note 3 - Mercury 1 µg/L - Nickel 100 µg/L - pH 6.5 — 8.5 Su - Potassium See Note 3 - Selenium 20 µg/L - Sodium See Note 3 - Strontium See Note 3 - Thallium See Note 1 2 µg/L Total Dissolved Solids 500 mg/L - Vanadium See Note 1 10 µg/L Zinc 1 mg/L - Chloride 250 mg/L - Su = standard units µg/L = micrograms per liter NOTES 1. These IMAC values are proposed and are currently under rule review. Previously approved Oct. 1, 2010 IMAC for Thallium = 0.2 ug/l, and for Vanadium = 0.3 ug/1 2. This value corresponds to the 2L Standard for total chromium which was based on the assumption that all chromium present is in the hexavalent form. 3. Although these parameters have no formal groundwater standards, they are currently being tested at each Duke Energy facility. DEQ is monitoring for these parameters either as water quality indicators or to determine if any increases in their concentrations may be resulting from coal ash. What is Duke Energy's responsibility if the performance standards are not met? Duke Energy is required under CAMA to provide maintenance of the filtration systems. Duke will be collecting pre- and post- treatment samples when the system is initially installed. During the first year of operation, in order to demonstrate performance reliability, post -treatment laboratory samples will be collected during each scheduled maintenance/salt delivery visit. After the first year of operation, post -treatment laboratory samples will be collected during the annual maintenance visit. If the samples do not meet the standards, bottled water delivery will be resumed until system issues have been resolved. Duke Energy's frequently asked questions page (FAQ) relating to permanent water supplies can be found by clicking on the link below: https://www.duke-energy.com/ /media/pdfs/our-company/ash-management/permanent-water-supplies- fag.pdf What is the difference between a performance standard and a health screening level? The performance standard is an enforceable, regulatory level of a contaminant reflected in a standard, adopted by the state Environmental Management Commission (EMC). The groundwater standards are established by the EMC to protect the natural quality of the state's groundwater for its best usage, which is a source of drinking water. A health screening level is a non -enforceable level of a contaminant in drinking water that represents the level at which no known adverse health effects would be expected. Because health screening levels are not regulatory, they can be updated frequently and rapidly with new relevant health science data. What does it mean if my water has levels of a contaminant that meet the performance standard, but are above a health screening level? If your well water sampling results show the level of a contaminant is higher than a health screening level, you can contact the Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch (OEEB) of the N.C. Division of Public Health at (919)-707-5900. OEEB staff can answer questions regarding potential health effects and possible actions to reduce the levels of the contaminant(s) in your well water. Who should I contact with questions about health effects, health risks, and health screening levels? OEEB, (919)-707-5900, http://epi.publichealth.nc.gov/oee. Who should I contact with questions about the sampling and testing of water from these systems and the North Carolina groundwater standards? Marla Sink, (919)-707-9033, marla.sink@ncdenr.gov Who should I contact with questions about the installed treatment systems? WaterDelivery@duke-energy.com, (800)-653-5304