Clean drinking water will replace contaminated wells at Gray's Creek, Alderman Road elementary schools
Students at Gray’s Creek Elementary School and Alderman Road Elementary School have used bottled waters for years.
It’s because wells were contaminated.
Cumberland County leaders said Friday they are starting the process to run public water lines to the area.
However, many residents said it’s not happening quickly enough, having dealt with the problem for years without a solution.
“I do worry for my grandchildren,” Cumberland County resident Vickie Mullins said.
Cumberland County resident Ron Ross echoed Mullins’ sentiments.
“I think when a young person goes to school, they should have a safe environment, and that’s including water and when they go home, they have to drink that water,” Ross said.
On Friday, area leaders announced a partnership between the county and the Fayetteville Public Works Commission [PWC]. Crews will install infrastructure to bring public water to students at the two schools and residents nearby with contaminated wells.
Cumberland County is currently suing Chemours, a nearby chemical plant, for dumping the toxic chemical GenX into the drinking water supply.
“This Cumberland County Board of Commissioners and, I think, PWC is committed to moving this project forward,” Cumberland County board member Glenn Adams. “We’re not waiting on a lawsuit to be able to have this happen.”
County and utility officials say they are pooling resources from grants, federal and state funding. It includes $12 million appropriated to the project by the General Assembly.
“I walked the hallways, and to see bottled water stacked up against the halls is just unacceptable,” said state Sen. Val Applewhite, D-Cumberland County.
Leaders said Friday they hope to run the water line as quickly as possible.
“That’s our commitment to move this ball forward,” said PWC CEO Tim Bryant.
It’s unclear how long the installation will take. Residents said it’s a waiting game for chemicals that they’ve been exposed to for too long.
“Words? I like action,” Mullins said. “You can talk all day long, but I want action.”
