📢BIG NEWS: The Lumber River was just listed #4 in @AmericanRivers' #MostEndangeredRivers of 2026 report.

Lumber River, North Carolina | Julia Rendleman, SELC

Fund Water Infrastructure to Stop PFAS Pollution in the Lumber River

The Lumber (Lumbee) River – a federally designated National Wild and Scenic River – flows from the sandhills to the coastal plain through southeastern North Carolina into South Carolina, sustaining wetlands, forests, and rural communities along its course. The river is the ancestral homeland of the Lumbee People and remains essential for drinking water, fishing, and cultural connection.

Today, PFAS “forever chemicals” are contaminating the river and putting communities at risk. Because of this growing crisis, the river has been named one of America’s Most Endangered Rivers 2026. Without immediate action, contamination will continue to spread.

State and federal lawmakers must act now by funding upgrades to drinking water systems, wastewater treatment plants, and landfills — the critical infrastructure needed to stop PFAS pollution at its source and protect the Lumber River and the people who depend on it.

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Dear {contact_data~salutation},

I urge members of the North Carolina legislature and federal congressional delegation to take immediate, decisive action to fund critical public water infrastructure projects necessary to stop PFAS pollution in the Lumber (Lumbee) River Basin.

The Lumber River — a National Wild and Scenic River — has been named one of America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2026 because PFAS threatens the health of communities who rely on the river for drinking water, subsistence fishing, recreation, and cultural connection.

PFAS are toxic “forever chemicals” that persist in the environment and accumulate in our bodies.  Even at very low levels, they can pose serious risks to human health. Southeastern North Carolina has become ground zero for PFAS contamination, and without immediate investment, the problem will continue to worsen.

Lawmakers must act now to fund solutions that stop further PFAS pollution. The North Carolina General Assembly and Congress should prioritize funding for publicly owned facilities in the Lumber River Basin, including:
- Installation and operation of PFAS treatment technology at water treatment plants, like the Rocco Water Treatment Plant, where finished water has the highest total PFAS levels in the state and the highest Gen-X levels of any groundwater based water treatment plant in the County;
- Pretreatment programs that enable wastewater treatment plants — like the Lumberton Wastewater Treatment Plant, which discharges directly into the Lumber River — to identify industrial sources of PFAS and require those industries to control pollution at the source; and
- Infrastructure improvements at landfills, like the Robeson County Landfill, which — after years of accepting waste from Chemours, a major PFAS manufacturer — needs significant upgrades in order to safely manage waste and prevent PFAS contamination of tributaries flowing into the Lumber River.

Communities in the basin — including Lumbee tribal members and other rural residents — should not bear the burden of toxic contamination they did not create. They need and deserve investment in the infrastructure required to provide safe, clean water.
PFAS contamination is a long-term threat, but the solution is clear: invest now to stop pollution at its source. I urge you to prioritize funding for the infrastructure improvements needed to protect the Lumber River and safeguard public health.

Sincerely,

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