North Carolina watersheds like Durham’s Third Fork Creek are increasingly under stress from industrial discharges, plastic litter, sewage spills and sediment‑laden runoff caused by development, according to a new study.
Researchers from Durham-based RTI International and North Carolina Central University found more than 1,300 chemical signals from everyday products in the creek through their recently-released study. And a Waterkeepers Carolina guide lays out steps local governments can take to keep more of that pollution out of streams across the state.
While the exact number of impaired water bodies statewide can be hard to pin down, a draft list produced in 2024 by North Carolina’s Department of Environmental Quality shows hundreds of creeks, rivers and lakes that fail to meet water‑quality standards. It would add 70 more to the roster while removing 56 that have improved, underscoring how widespread the problem has become…