Guilford County asks residents' permission to conduct PFAS testing

Guilford County is asking certain homeowners for permission to test their well water for so-called forever chemicals, also known as PFAS. 

The county has contacted about 100 homeowners who live along Brush Creek and Horsepen Creek near the Piedmont Triad International Airport, asking them to participate in the sampling effort. 

Joe Johnson, with the county’s division of environmental health, says it’s too soon to say how officials will respond if high PFAS levels are found in homeowners' water.

“Until we have the results from the sampling, it's really hard to say which way we'll go and what will be available as far as either a connection to city water or treatment systems or anything like that along those lines," said Johnson. "So right now, it's more of, we're trying to gather data.”

The effort is a continuation of a testing initiative that took place in 2018 and 2019. 

The county will host a community meeting for affected homeowners Tuesday from 6 to 7 p.m. at Guilford College United Methodist Church.