A Durham creek that drains into Jordan Lake, the region's major drinking water source, is carrying more than 1,300 chemical signals, including 30 compounds never detected there before. The last time anyone checked was 2014, and that study already showed poor signs.
The new NCCU and RTI International study covered six months of 2022. Researchers found the spike in chemical activity came from a single cause: heavy rainfall that year pushed runoff from homes, businesses, and construction sites into the water.
What's flowing in Third Fork Creek:
- Medications, pesticides, PFAS, plastic additives, and cleaning products
- 30 compounds not present in the 2014 U.S. Geological Survey baseline
- A mix traced to everyday household products, not industrial discharge
For context, a 2023 USGS study found PFAS in at least 45% of the nation's tap water after testing 716 communities, including 11 in North Carolina. Third Fork Creek's results fit a pattern already documented statewide.
The creek runs past NCCU's campus along East Lawson Street and South Roxboro Street before reaching Hope Valley Road and emptying into Jordan Lake. RTI research scientist Imari Walker-Franklin said tracking these chemical patterns over time helps communities make more informed decisions about water quality.
Durham has acted since the study period ended. Stream stabilization work near Lakewood Avenue by the American Tobacco Trail wrapped up in November 2024. The 2022 data that prompted the research will serve as the new baseline for whatever comes next.