Durham County Atlanta Gets Clean Drinking Water
After the recent completion of a $2.6 million community well system, residents in Durham County in Atlanta now have clean drinking water.
Since the 1980’s, residents in the northern Durham County community of Atlanta have had contaminated drinking wells which was caused by leaking fuel in storage tanks of nearby gas stations. The state environmental agency installed replacement wells, provided bottle water, and placed systems that used carbon filters to keep contaminated water out of the residents’ homes. But none of these were permanent solutions to providing safe and clean drinking water.
State, local, and federal officials recently completed a $2.6 million community well system for the Durham County community, becoming the first permanent source of clean drinking water for the approximate 40 homes in decades.
"We're pleased to announce today that the people in Rougemont now have a permanent source of safe drinking water," said Mark Petermann, who coordinated the Rougemont water project for the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality. "Nothing is more reassuring than being able to turn on the tap and know that you’re drinking clean water. This project is one of the finest examples of the positive results you can have when local, federal and state agencies leverage their resources to serve a community in need."
"The county is thrilled to bring to a close not only a six-year county project in northern Durham County, but to bring to a positive conclusion a decades-old public health problem in Rougemont," said Drew Cummings, Durham County’s chief of staff. "The health of our county residents is a paramount concern for us, and we hope this new water system can also play a role in revitalizing the broader community in Rougemont. We are truly grateful for the financial contributions of the state and the EPA to this project, and also commend persistent citizens who helped this project come to fruition."