Groups Will Sample Guilford County Private Wells For Water Pollutants

State and local officials plan to test dozens of drinking water wells around Piedmont Triad International Airport next month. They're trying to find out if the wells are contaminated with potentially dangerous chemicals.

Greensboro water department officials have previously found elevated levels of compounds known as PFOS and PFOA in the city's drinking water. The city has since invested in technology to help filter out the contaminants. The source is believed to be firefighting foams used around the airport.

Joe Johnson is with the Guilford County Health Department. He says they sent letters to more than 60 residents in the Horsepen Creek and Brush Creek areas asking for permission to test their private wells.

“These compounds are very hard to detect," says Johnson. "You don't see them or smell them. I really encourage the citizens to let us come and sample their well and see what's there because that's the only way we can know if there's something there or not.”

Johnson says the sampling will be performed at no cost to the resident.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality and local officials will host a public information session to answer questions about the process on December 4 from 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at the Guilford College United Methodist Church.

Testing will begin soon after. The results are expected to take about a month to complete.

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