City of Greensboro Responds to Court Ruling on 1,4-Dioxane Water Quality Case

The City of Greensboro is responding to a recent court decision involving how the State of North Carolina regulates the chemical known as 1,4-dioxane in wastewater permits.

On February 5, 2026, a Wake County Superior Court judge issued a ruling that allows the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) to move forward with its current approach to regulating 1,4-dioxane in wastewater discharge permits. The decision reversed an earlier ruling by an Administrative Law Judge that had found the state's process did not fully follow required procedures.

Greensboro respectfully disagrees with the Superior Court's decision and has joined the cities of Asheboro and Reidsville in appealing the ruling to the North Carolina Court of Appeals. The appeal focuses on whether state regulators followed the proper legal process when establishing and enforcing these limits.

1,4-dioxane is a synthetic chemical that can be found in many everyday consumer products, including personal care items such as shampoos, deodorants and cosmetics. It can also be created unintentionally during certain manufacturing and recycling processes. The City of Greensboro was the first municipality in the State of NC to proactively work on remediation of 1,4 Dioxane which NCDEQ referred to the process of treatment as financially prohibitive.

Since 2015, Greensboro has taken significant steps to reduce 1,4-dioxane levels entering its wastewater system. Through monitoring and industrial pretreatment efforts, the City has reduced concentrations discharged from the T.Z. Osborne Water Reclamation Facility by approximately 97 percent. These efforts reflect Greensboro's ongoing commitment to protecting downstream water quality and public health.

The City remains committed to complying with all applicable environmental regulations. At the same time, Greensboro continues to seek clarity and consistency in how new regulatory requirements are developed and applied, particularly when they carry significant costs for local governments and utility customers.

Information about Greensboro's water quality programs and ongoing efforts is available on the City's website.

For additional information, please contact Strategic and Crisis Communications Manager Eric Chilton at 336-327-1447.