EAST PALESTINE — With the carbon filters meant to protect the East Palestine municipal water supply from any impacts from last year’s Norfolk Southern train derailment now in place, work continues on the structure to house the new

water-filtration system

at the village water

plant.

The 101-by-42-foot structure is required to house the system to prevent freezing in colder weather.

The carbon filters, bought by Norfolk Southern and manufactured by Calgon, are precautionary protection for the municipal water supply. Council first announced plans to install the carbon-filtration system during a March 27 meeting. East Palestine Water Superintendent Scott Wolfe said that carbon filters were the direction the village was headed before the derailment and stressed the filters, which comply with the new federal per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) guidelines, were a proactive approach taken by the village. No derailment-related contamination has been detected in the water supply.

“The purchasing of the carbon filters in no way, shape or form means that our water is bad. This is completely a contingency that was brought to us by the EPA,” Wolfe said at the meeting. “We don’t know what the future brings for our water, but we know that carbon is the thing to put into place. This puts us way ahead of the curve and is a preventative measure.”

The carbon filters would be utilized at the end of the water treatment process before being sent to the “clear well.” While some have described carbon filters as basically working as a magnet that can “lift” contaminants of concern from the water, carbon filters treat water by using adsorption. As the water passes through the activated carbon, the carbon acts like a sponge with a large surface area and absorbs contaminants like chlorine, pesticides, chloroform, and many VOCs that are components of gasoline, solvents and industrial cleaners. Carbon filters can also act as a catalyst to change the chemical composition of some contaminants.

The filters cost $661,481 and were funded with a part of the $4.3 million commitment allocated by Norfolk Southern for water protection following the Feb. 3 rail disaster and chemical spill.