Sublimity’s public drinking water system is one of 150 throughout the state to be monitored by the Oregon Health Authority and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality for the presence of polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of chemicals that are becoming a nationwide health concern.
According to the OHA, public water systems were selected if they had not previously been sampled for PFAS and their well or intake was near a potential source of PFAS chemicals.
Public Works Director Alan Frost assures residents that, to date, Sublimity has had no chemical detects of any kind from their groundwater sources.
“In Oregon, 65 public water systems monitored for PFAS compounds from January 2013 through December 2015 had no detections,” Frost said.
The OHA describes PFAS as a group of thousands of different chemicals that have been manufactured and used in a variety of commercial products since the 1940s – from everyday household items to firefighting foam – due to their heat, moisture and stain resistance, and non-stick qualities. These chemicals do not break down in the environment or the human body and can accumulate over time. Evidence supports that exposure to certain PFAS can lead to adverse human health effects, according to an OHA press release.
“Potential sources of PFAS chemicals primarily include sites where AFFF firefighting foams are stored or used, such as fire training sites, airports, fuel storage sites, and railyards; locations where PFAS may have been discharged or disposed, including landfills and wastewater discharges; and clean-up sites where PFAS are known to have been released to soil or groundwater,” said Jonathan Modie, lead communications officer with the OHA.
The two agencies began testing statewide on Oct. 11 from systems that each serve fewer than 10,000 people. Systems were identified as potentially at risk because of their proximity to a known or suspected PFAS use or contamination site. The purpose of the monitoring project is to make sure customers are not being exposed to potentially harmful PFAS chemicals in their water.
“Samples will be collected by Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) lab staff and the analysis is being paid for through an EPA grant and will be done free of charge,” Frost said. “If PFAS results are over a health advisory level, water systems may consider taking actions such as installing treatment or changing water sources.”
Modie described PFAS as unregulated contaminants, but Oregon has set health advisory levels for four PFAS chemicals at 30 parts per trillion to inform water systems and customers of potential health risks.
“If there are detections above levels considered safe, a confirmation sample would be collected,” Modie said. “If the confirmation sample is above safe limits, OHA will assist the water system with preparing a public notice to notify customers.
According to Modie, OHA Drinking Water Services has programs to provide technical and financial assistance to waters systems impacted by PFAS.
“However, the water system is ultimately responsible for providing safe water,” he said. Cost to treat an impacted system “would depend on the type of treatment, size of the system, and concentration of contaminants.”
Common treatment methods include use of granular activate carbon or ion exchange, Modie said.
“If needed, treatment costs are eligible for low-cost financing under the Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund program,” he said.
Additional information about PFAS and the sampling project is available on the OHA Drinking Water PFAS webpage: www.oregon.gov/OHA.
