[SoDu We Watch Our Government] Durham City Council Meeting - Jan. 5, 2026
State-funded PFAS study reimbursement is on a Jan. 5 agenda that also features two annexation hearings and more than $9.6 million in sidewalk work.
![[SoDu We Watch Our Government] Durham City Council Meeting - Jan. 5, 2026](/content/images/size/w1200/2026/01/sagebrookmap-1.png)
A state loan that would reimburse Durham for its PFAS treatment study headlines Monday night’s City Council agenda.
The council is set to accept a $392,495 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund “emerging contaminants” loan with 100% principal forgiveness tied to the city’s completed analysis of how to remove PFAS from drinking water. The offer, made by the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality on Oct. 24, 2025, lets Durham recover study costs and redirect local dollars toward design and construction of the chosen fix.
The study - authorized in January 2024 and finished in August 2025 - reviewed monitoring data, potential sources and treatment options. Powdered activated carbon (PAC) emerged as the preferred removal technology, with next steps including product testing and full-scale design. The item notes Durham’s sources and finished water show PFAS levels lower than surrounding areas, but the city still must meet new federal limits by 2029; systems must complete initial monitoring by 2027.
Meeting time and place: 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 5, in Council Chambers, 101 City Hall Plaza. Register by 2 p.m. the day of the meeting to speak virtually; written comments are due by 2 p.m. the same day.
