Pender Water & Sewer outlines effluent discharge details for Hampstead membrane treatment plant

Pender Water & Sewer is advancing the permitting phase for its proposed Membrane Water Treatment Plant in Hampstead and has released additional details on the facility’s planned effluent discharge ahead of a public information meeting in January.

According to the utility, the permitted discharge flow would range from 150 to 500 gallons per minute, equivalent to roughly 0.3 to 1.1 cubic feet per second. The discharge would consist of treated brackish groundwater drawn from approximately 200 feet below ground, rather than surface water. Utility officials emphasized that the water contains naturally occurring minerals concentrated in the aquifer and is not saline seawater.

Treatment for the membrane process would involve only pH adjustment using a small amount of acid and an antiscalant to protect the membranes. The utility noted that the discharge would contain no sediment, sludge, biological material, pathogens, or bacteria due to the deep groundwater source. Full sampling results and the permit application package will be made available for public review.

Pender Water & Sewer will host a public information meeting on Jan. 14, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. at the Pender County Hampstead Annex in Hampstead, North Carolina. Project team members and design engineers from CDM Smith are expected to attend to provide details and respond to community questions about the project and its wastewater-related discharge permitting.