If you own a home anywhere in Brunswick County, or you’re thinking about buying in Leland, Southport, Oak Island, Shallotte, or the beach towns, one of the biggest quality-of-life projects in the county is getting close to the finish line. The reverse osmosis system at Brunswick County’s Northwest Water Treatment Plant, built to remove PFAS “forever chemicals,” GenX, and 1,4-dioxane from drinking water drawn from the Cape Fear River, is still scheduled to come online by the end of 2026. As Port City Daily reported on Oct. 29, 2026, the plant is nearing completion, and it has become a talking point in this fall’s county commissioner races. Here’s what the county has actually said, what’s still being debated, and what it means for homeowners and buyers.
What the Project Is
According to Brunswick County’s project page, this is the third and final phase of work at the Northwest plant. It does two things:
- Expands conventional treatment from 24 million gallons per day to 48 million gallons per day.
- Adds low-pressure reverse osmosis (LPRO) treatment capacity of at least 36 million gallons per day, which the county describes as the most advanced and effective method for removing both regulated and unregulated substances, including GenX, 1,4-dioxane, and other PFAS.
The county re-evaluated this phase after PFAS were discovered in the Cape Fear River in 2017, traced to releases from Chemours’ Fayetteville Works facility upstream. A 2018 pilot by engineering firm CDM Smith found that reverse osmosis reduced most PFAS to undetectable levels.
Where the Timeline Stands
The project has run well behind its original schedule, and the county has been in legal disputes with its contractor over the delays. In its August 2026 progress update, the county said the expanded treatment capacity was expected to be available in August 2026 and the reverse osmosis system operational by the end of calendar year 2026. The same update said there were no expected changes to the original $167.3 million construction cost and no planned water rate increases tied to the delays.
Several big pieces were already marked complete in that update, including a new rapid mix structure, upgraded clarifiers, and eight new filters with a backwash equalization tank that also serves as a source tank for the reverse osmosis system.
Who Gets the Treated Water
This is the part many homeowners ask about. Brunswick County runs two water treatment plants: the Northwest plant and the Highway 211 plant. Per Port City Daily, a county spokesperson explained that the two plants operate as an open system, so many areas receive blended water from both. The Highway 211 plant isn’t outfitted for PFAS treatment, but the Northwest reverse osmosis facility is designed to serve the county as a whole through that shared system.
If you get water from a town utility rather than directly from the county, it’s worth checking how your town buys and distributes water. Your annual water quality report is the best place to start.
What’s Being Debated
The plant isn’t without critics. Port City Daily reported that at its Oct. 14 candidate forum, some county commissioner candidates raised concerns about cost and about the plant’s discharge. Reverse osmosis concentrates what it removes, and the county confirmed that the concentrated reject water, about 10% of the flow, will be piped back into the Cape Fear River under a state-issued discharge permit. The county’s position is that this water won’t add to the PFAS already in the river from upstream sources, and that the real fix is stopping contamination at its source. Brunswick County’s lawsuit seeking damages from Chemours and DuPont remains active.
As a real estate team, we’re not here to referee that debate. What matters for most buyers and homeowners is simpler: the county’s drinking water treatment is about to take a major step up, and the costs so far haven’t been passed along as a rate increase.
What It Means for Homeowners
- Peace of mind at the tap. Once the system is running, county customers should see a meaningful change in how drinking water is treated for PFAS. Watch the county’s announcements for the official start date.
- Home filters may be worth revisiting. Many households added under-sink reverse osmosis or whole-house filtration after 2017. You don’t need to rip anything out, but it’s reasonable to revisit maintenance and replacement plans once the county publishes post-startup testing results.
- More capacity for a growing county. Doubling conventional treatment capacity matters in one of the fastest-growing counties in the state, especially in northern Brunswick, where new neighborhoods keep coming online.
What It Means for Buyers and Sellers
For buyers relocating from out of state, PFAS in the Cape Fear River is often one of the first things they read about. Being able to point to a county-wide treatment upgrade with a firm completion target is a real plus. Buyers should still ask a few practical questions:
- Is the home on county water, a town system, or a private well? Wells aren’t served by this plant at all, and private well testing is a separate conversation.
- Does the home have an existing filtration system, and does it convey with the sale?
- What does the latest annual water quality report for that system show?
For sellers, if you’ve installed a filtration system, keep the paperwork and maintenance records handy. It’s an easy detail that helps buyers feel confident.
FAQ
When will the reverse osmosis system start operating?
The county’s most recent public target is the end of calendar year 2026. Given the project’s history of delays, we’d watch for an official announcement rather than assume a specific date.
Will my water bill go up because of the delays?
In its August 2026 update, the county said there are no planned increases to water rates due to the project’s delays.
Does this help homes on private wells?
No. The plant treats water in the county’s public system. Homes on private wells should look into their own testing and treatment options.
Does the plant serve the beach towns?
Many communities across the county receive blended water from the county’s two plants. Check with your town or the county utility for details on your specific address.
Thinking About Buying or Selling in Brunswick County?
Questions about water, utilities, and infrastructure come up in almost every Brunswick County move we help with, from Leland and Belville to Oak Island and Ocean Isle. If you’d like a local, straightforward take on a specific neighborhood or property, reach out to the Aspyre Collective team. We’re happy to help you sort out the details before you make your next move.
