PFAS
I heard the EPA has new guidelines for some chemicals in drinking water. Should I be concerned about my health?
GCWW meets all current EPA regulations. The EPA has proposed regulatory standards for a group of contaminants called PFAS. The standard would not take effect for five years, but GCWW is already taking steps now to protect our water quality.
What are PFAS chemicals?
Since the 1940s, PFAS compounds have been widely used in many household products like carpet, non-stick cookware and food wrappers. The EPA says most people are exposed to the chemicals through these products, although drinking water can also be a source. It is estimated that 20% of exposure can be from drinking water and the remaining 80% from other sources.
What did the EPA do?
The EPA has developed regulatory standards for six PFAS compounds.
The EPA set a “maximum contaminant level”(MCL) for five compounds, PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFNA, and HFPO-DA. An MCL is an enforceable drinking water standard.
The EPA will also regulate four compounds through a “hazard index calculation.” The index is a tool used to evaluate health risks from mixtures of chemicals.
The regulations require monitoring for these chemicals within three years. In addition, water systems have five years to implement solutions to reduce levels of these compounds to below regulatory levels.
What are the EPA’s new standards and what does it mean?
The EPA proposes to regulate PFOA and PFOS at 4 parts per trillion (ppt) and PFHxS, PFNA, and HFPO-DA at 10 ppt. For perspective, one part per trillion is equal to one second in 32,000 years.
GCWW has been proactive in monitoring our water for these types of compounds for many years. Our results show treated drinking water from the Richard Miller Treatment Plant, which serves a majority of customers, is consistently below the proposed limits for these compounds.
The remaining customers are served by the Charles M. Bolton Plant. The treated water from this plant has levels of PFOA (ranging from non-detectable to 4.7 ppt) and PFOS (ranging from non-detectable to 6.1 ppt), which are slightly above the proposed regulatory limits. The other compounds are either not detected or detected well below the regulatory levels.
Because PFOA and PFOS levels are slightly above the proposed limits, GCWW is currently looking at all options to address these compounds at our Charles M. Bolton Plant. GCWW will take whatever steps necessary to ensure that water from this plant meets all regulations which may include installation of additional treatment at this plant.
It is important to note that these levels do not represent an immediate health concern. The new levels are calculated based on lifetime exposure with significant levels of safety built into the number.
What is GCWW doing about these chemicals?
Your health is our top priority. In anticipation of this new rule, GCWW has taken additional planning steps to study and evaluate source water and treatment plant processes. These steps include:
- Increased monitoring for PFAS compounds at both treatment plants
- Identifying sources of potential contamination of the source waters. GCWW has obtained a grant to conduct monitoring and purchase new analytical equipment to better identify and track PFAS contamination sources. The best solution is to prevent the compounds from entering the environment in the first place.
- Researching and evaluating potential treatment methods to install at the Bolton Plant. GCWW has recently obtained a grant to study treatment options.
What are the levels in GCWW’s drinking water?
The PDF in the link below summarize the levels found in treated water at both treatment plants.