An upstream wastewater facility released record levels of a toxic chemical into the drinking water supply of the tri-county region after a judge voided discharge limits. The North Carolina Chamber of Commerce is urging Congress to stop the EPA from requiring North Carolina to regulate the compound.(Courtesy photo)

SOUTHEASTERN N.C. — As the region continues to reel from PFAS reaching its water supply, another chemical threatens the Cape Fear River.

Port City Daily’s coverage in February about an upstream wastewater facility releasing record levels of 1,4 dioxane into the drinking water supply ranks the second most read story of 2025.

The City of Asheboro’s 1,4-dioxane pollution surged at the beginning of the year — reaching a record concentration of 3,520 parts per billion on Jan. 24 — following Chief Administrative Law Judge Donald van der Vaart’s decision to stop regulation of Asheboro’s permit limits in September. Asheboro’s discharges flow downstream into the Cape Fear River area, a region with some of the highest 1,4-dioxane discharges in the country.

1,4 dioxane is a synthetic, clear liquid — a solvent utilized in industrial processes, often found as a byproduct in shampoos, detergents, cosmetics, paints, adhesives and more. The chemical doesn’t break down easily and exposure can impact risks for kidney and liver damage and potentially cancer. 

The Department of Environmental Quality employed narrative standards as the basis for 1,4-dioxane conditions in Asheboro, Reidsville, and Greensboro’s discharge permits. Van der Vaart’s ruling disputed DEQ’s use of narrative standards and found 1,4-dioxane regulation would require the implementation of a statewide rule.

The Environmental Protection Agency sent a Jan. 3 letter to the Department of Environmental Quality determining the judge inaccurately interpreted the Clean Water Act in his ruling. The EPA directed North Carolina to include 1,4-dioxane limits in Asheboro’s permit within 90 days or forfeit its enforcement authority to the federal government.

But the largest lobbying group in the state criticized the EPA’s 1,4-dioxane directive as “egregious overreach” that would negatively impact businesses and communities.  The North Carolina Chamber sent Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) a Jan. 22 letter urging him to use his legislative authority to stop the EPA from intervening in the state’s 1,4-dioxane dispute.

Catch up on the full piece below.

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