Water quality levels in Sanford remain safe and unchanged after reports of elevated 1,4-dioxane levels in the North Carolina Piedmont.
The elevated levels were found in Hasketts Creek at the Asheboro Wastewater Treatment Plant. Hasketts Creek feeds into the Deep River, and the water travels more than 40 miles before it reaches TriRiver Water facilities. The added volume of water and other natural processes along the way help dilute and reduce any possible contaminants.
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) said the samples taken in Asheboro contained 1,4-dioxane concentrations above the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) health advisory level. Health advisories identify the amount of a contaminant that can be in water before negative health effects can be expected to occur in humans who consume the water. So in the case of 1,4-dioxane, that level is 35 parts per billion (ppb).
The elevated 1,4-dioxane samples were found in January following a discharge from the City of Asheboro Wastewater Treatment Plant. A sample taken by the plant detected a concentration of 3,520. On the same day, NCDEQ Division of Water Resources detected 2,200 ppb in water discharged from the plant.
However, further testing downstream immediately following the initial tests failed to detect 1,4-dioxane.
TriRiver Water tests monthly for 1,4-dioxane and has done so since 2020.
See More: TriRiver Water Annual Water Quality Reports
What is 1,4-dioxane and is it dangerous?
1,4-Dioxane is a clear liquid that easily dissolves in water. It is used primarily as a solvent in the manufacturing of chemicals and as a laboratory reagent; 1,4-dioxane also has various other uses that take advantage of its solvent properties.
1,4-Dioxane is a trace contaminant of some chemicals used in cosmetics, detergents, and shampoos. However, manufacturers now reduce 1,4-dioxane from these chemicals to low levels before these chemicals are made into products used in the home.
In 2024, the EPA ruled that "1,4-dioxane poses an unreasonable risk to human health," and published details about potential occupational dangers, inhalation dangers, drinking water dangers and more. The EPA also previously set a health advisory level of 35 ppb (which is about one drop of water in three Olympic-size swimming pools), stating that a person who drinks 2 liters of water with 1,4-dioxane concentrations above 35 ppb every day for 70 years could have a 1 in a million risk of getting cancer.
More information from the EPA about 1,4-dioxane