We are all downstream and upstream of somewhere: Protecting Drinking Water in the Haw River Watershed and A Timeline of HRA's Work on 1,4-Dioxane in Asheboro
In Case You Missed It: Here's a comprehensive look at the ongoing efforts to address 1,4-dioxane contamination from Asheboro's wastewater treatment plant and what it means for downstream communities.
Who Is Impacted?
It's important to understand the geography: Asheboro's wastewater treatment plant discharges into the Deep River, not directly into the Haw River. However, this impacts our watershed and our communities because:
Currently affected: Communities, including HRA members in these communities, in the Deep River and Cape Fear watersheds downstream of Asheboro
Sanford, Fayetteville, Wilmington, and surrounding counties: Currently draw water that is affected by these discharges
Future impact to Haw River communities: When Sanford expands its drinking water utility (expected in 5-10 years), it will supply water to dozens of communities throughout the region, including Pittsboro
This is why HRA, as the organization protecting the Haw River watershed, has been actively involved in this issue - both to help our neighboring communities and to prevent precedent that could affect all North Carolina waterways.
Understanding the Standards and Recent Challenges
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has attempted to use its existing authority under the state's Toxic Substances Standard to regulate 1,4-dioxane. This water quality standard establishes a cancer risk level of 1 in 1 million people. For 1,4-dioxane, this translates to a standard of 0.35 micrograms per liter (or parts per billion).
When DEQ tried to include this standard in Asheboro's wastewater discharge permit, the decision was challenged in court. The resulting administrative law judge (Judge VanDerVaart) ruling made it nearly impossible for DEQ to enforce these protective standards, despite them being based on federal EPA guidance.
Recent Contamination Levels
The severity of this issue is clear when we look at recent discharge levels from Asheboro's wastewater treatment plant:
January 2024: 3,520 parts per billion (ppb) of 1,4-dioxane detected
May 2024: 824 ppb of 1,4-dioxane detected
To put this in perspective, the January reading was more than 10,000 times higher than the state's health-based standard of 0.35 ppb.
The Source: Starpet chemical Manufacturing
The primary source of 1,4-dioxane in Asheboro's wastewater is the StarPet chemical manufacturing facility. Their industrial discharge into the municipal wastewater system has created ongoing challenges for treatment and downstream water quality.
StarPet, owned by Indorama Ventures, operates a major PET plastics manufacturing facility in Asheboro, North Carolina, producing 266,000 tons annually of plastic resins used in water bottles, food containers and packaging materials that are used daily. However, StarPet dumps 1,4-dioxane—a cancer-causing chemical, into Asheboro's municipal wastewater system.
Environmental data shows StarPet has released 1,4-dioxane at concentrations causing Asheboro to discharge the chemical as high as 3,520 parts per billion—over 160 times higher than levels considered safe for drinking water—contaminating water supplies for approximately 900,000 North Carolinians downstream. Despite available treatment technologies, the city of Asheboro has been fighting regulatory limits—choosing to pass on the environmental and health costs onto communities rather than requiring StarPet to pay for treating their own wastewater.
Timeline of HRA's Advocacy Work
EARLY ADVOCACY (2018-2020)
HRA began raising awareness about 1,4-dioxane contamination in the Haw River watershed and across the state
Worked with communities to understand the associated health risks
Advocated for stronger state standards and enforcement
PERMIT AND LEGAL CHALLENGES (2021-2023)
Challenged a consent order issued to the city of Greensboro. We ultimately reached a settlement agreement that resulted in Greensboro using its pretreatment authority to control the city’s 1,4-dioxane pollution.
Supported DEQ's efforts to include 1,4-dioxane limits in Asheboro's discharge permit
Continued monitoring and reporting on contamination levels
CONTINUED ADVOCACY (2024-PRESENT)
The NC Environmental Management Commission (EMC) dismisses 1,4-dioxane case.
HRA continues to work with affected communities and water utilities
Ongoing efforts to find solutions at both state and federal levels
A Success Story: Burlington and Pittsboro
It's important to note that our advocacy can make a difference. Thanks to HRA's litigation with the City of Burlington’s regarding their previous PFAS discharges from three main facilities, we have significantly improved water quality Pittsboro residents:
Burlington immediately notifies us when releases occur
The Pittsboro utility alerts their community promptly
We continue to monitor data regularly
Our success with the City of Burlington makes clear that when cities use their pretreatment authority, toxic pollution can be addressed!
Working Together: Community and Utility Partnerships
We want to acknowledge the constructive role that water utilities have played in addressing this challenge. Sanford Utilities representatives have participated in public meetings, answered community questions about water supply and expressed their desire to resolve these types of problems as quickly as possible.
As water utilities in the region have merged and management structures have changed, at this moment, the water has not. It may take 5-10 years for the actual source water supply to transition. During this time, we remain committed to working collaboratively with all community stakeholders to protect our waters and public health.
Moving Forward
While the recent administrative NC ruling has created challenges for enforcement at the state level, HRA continues to:
Monitor and report contamination levels
Work with and inform affected communities to ensure they have accurate information
Advocate for stronger protections at local, state and federal levels
Support water utilities in their efforts to provide safe drinking water
Push for industrial pre-treatment solutions to address contamination at its source
How We Communicate About Water Quality Issues
As a small nonprofit watchdog organization, Haw River Assembly works to get information out as quickly as possible through multiple channels:
Weekly e-newsletter (free to subscribe) - Our primary method for timely updates
Print newsletter - For seasonal, in-depth coverage and analysis
Social media - For immediate alerts when issues arise
Website - For comprehensive information and resources that accompany our weekly E-news and Social Media posts.
When we were notified of Asheboro's releases in February 2024, we immediately shared this information through our newsletter and social media channels. However, we recognize that social media posts can get buried and be hard to find later, which is why we are creating this timeline for you to learn about our historical context with this issue.
Important note: HRA is not a public utility and cannot issue official Public Service Announcements to entire communities. Broader public notification should always happen immediately when contamination is discovered, but that responsibility lies with the utilities themselves. Unfortunately, unlike Burlington which now immediately notifies affected parties, Asheboro has not been proactive in public communication about these releases to downstream North Carolinians.
We encourage everyone concerned about water quality to:
Subscribe to our free weekly e-newsletter HERE
Follow us on social media for immediate updates: Instagram and Facebook
Become a member to support our watchdog work
For more information about HRA's work protecting drinking water in the Haw River watershed, visit www.hawriver.org/news or contact us at info@hawriver.org.