BURLINGTON, N.C. — Studies show North Carolina is the third-highest state in the country when it comes to per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure.

PFAS are man-made heat and water resistant chemicals that companies use to make everyday items like nonstick pans, food containers, and fabric protectants.

Now the city of Burlington has a new program to help identify how those chemicals are getting into its wastewater, which includes collecting samples at the city's wastewater treatment plant to look for different types of PFAS compounds, so they can be tested.

Burlington's Water Resources Director Bob Patterson says this problem all starts somewhere else, and his department has to figure out where and how.

"They aren't made by the wastewater plant. They aren't produced by the wastewater plant. They're all inputs to the system from waste that go down the drain. Some of them could be from industrial sources so that's what we're trying to identify through this testing process," Patterson explains.

The EPA says ingesting PFAS could have long-term health impacts including cancers, cholesterol diseases, and thyroid diseases, among others.  

Patterson says Burlington's drinking water consistently tests well below current EPA health advisory levels for these chemicals, and the town wants to keep it that way.

Officials hope this initiative can serve as a model for other utilities because forever chemicals have become an issue across the nation.