Traces of GenX have been detected in a well that provides water to Gray’s Creek Elementary School.
[Andrew Craft/The Fayetteville Observer] Staff writer @WriterDeVane Traces of a potentially harmful compound were detected in a well that provides water for Gray’s Creek Elementary School, state officials said Thursday.
The interim superintendent said the Cumberland County Schools will continue to provide bottled water for Gray’s Creek and Alderman elementary schools.
No GenX was found in the water at Alderman, according to state officials.
GenX has been connected in studies to testicular, pancreatic and liver cancer in animals, but it is not known whether those effects are the same in humans.
Little is known about the compound and other compounds called “emerging contaminants.” The amount of GenX at the Gray’s Creek school — 5.19 parts per trillion — is well below the state’s provisional drinking water health goal of 140 parts per trillion, according to a statement released by the state Department of Environmental Quality.
“We felt the public would still be concerned.” Each day, Gray’s Creek elementary uses about 900 bottles of water and 30 gallons in the kitchen, school officials say.
Regan said state officials understand that the school system has to make decisions based on the health and well-being of its community.
The state started investigating GenX in June after news broke that a team of researchers discovered elevated levels of the chemical in the Cape Fear River downstream from the Chemours plant.
The chemical has since been discovered in private wells near the plant, which is off N.C. 87 in Bladen County near the Cumberland County line.