Pender County Utilities continues to move forward with the permitting phase for the proposed Membrane Water Treatment Plant in Hampstead. As part of this process, the department has received questions from community members regarding the planned effluent discharge associated with the project. 

In response, Pender County Utilities is sharing key information to help inform the public ahead of an upcoming public meeting, where additional details will be presented and questions will be addressed.

Discharge Flow

The permitted discharge flow will range from 150–500 gallons per minute, which is approximately 0.3–1.1 cubic feet per second.

Water Quality

• The discharge originates from deep groundwater, not surface water.
• Because minerals are naturally concentrated underground, the water is considered brackish, not seawater-saline.
• The primary components are naturally occurring minerals found in the aquifer.
• Only two treatment chemicals are used: a small amount of acid for pH adjustment and an antiscalant to protect the membranes—both are standard and widely used in water treatment.
• The discharge contains no sediment, sludge, biological material, pathogens, or bacteria, as the source water is drawn from approximately 200 feet below ground.
• A complete set of sampling results and the permit application package will be available for public review.

 Public Information Meeting

• Date: January 14, 2026
•  Time: 6:00 PM
• Location: Pender County Hampstead Annex, 15060 US-17, Hampstead, NC 28443 

Members of our project team, along with the design engineers from CDM Smith, will be onsite to provide information and answer questions.

We appreciate the community’s engagement and look forward to an open, informative discussion about this important project.