IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER
Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, tenants, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in public places or by distributing copies by hand.
Snake River Water District (District) sampled treated water under requirements of the EPA’s Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR) program and tested for a group of unregulated chemicals scientifically known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS. In the 3rd quarter of 2023, a consumer drinking water notice was provided with billing to show the initial sampling results. Since then, the District has completed the second UCMR testing requirement and additional voluntary testing. Results from those sampling events are provided herein and continue to show that certain PFAS chemicals are present in the drinking water. The District is not in a unique position, as unfortunately PFAS are being found in water supplies across the country as sampling efforts continue.
The EPA released interim lifetime health advisories in June 2022 and proposed drinking water standards in March 2023 for PFOA and PFOS and four other PFAS contaminants. The proposed PFAS regulation is still under review. EPA anticipates finalizing the drinking water standard by the end of 2024. PFOS and PFOA have been detected above the proposed drinking water standard and health advisory amounts. Please consider taking action to reduce your exposure.
*The lowest level the laboratory can report accurately measured results for PFOA and PFOS for EPA’s UCMR testing is 4 parts per trillion.
Drinking water limits are enforceable, which means water systems must meet them. EPA sets drinking water limits as close to the level where no health impacts are expected, considering the ability to measure and treat the chemical, among other factors. Health advisories, on the other hand, are more narrowly focused on the potential health impacts and do not consider other aspects. Water systems are not required to meet health advisory levels, but instead use the technical information provided to help with decision making, which may include additional sampling, customer outreach, installation of treatment, or other actions. More information on the development of federal drinking water limits is available at https://www.epa.gov/sdwa/how-epa-regulates-drinking-water-contaminants and more information on EPA’s health advisory levels is available at https://www.epa.gov/sdwa/questions-and-answers-drinking-water-health-ad…;
Through the UCMR program, water systems collect data on a group of contaminants that are currently not regulated in drinking water at the federal level. EPA uses this information when deciding if it needs to create new drinking water limits. More information on the UCMR program can be found at https://www.epa.gov/dwucmr/fifth-unregulated-contaminant-monitoring-rule
SAMPLING RESULTS
The District owns and operates two water treatment plants (WTP); the Base 2 WTP and the Base 3 WTP.
The District has completed four sample events. UCMR5 samples were collected from the treated water at both WTP in April and October 2023. On October 16, 2023, and January 29, 2024, voluntary samples were taken at both WTP and all the District’s wells. Lab analysis typically takes four to six weeks after samples are collected. A lab in Ormond Beach, Florida was used for voluntary sample analysis.
In the two voluntary test samples, several PFAS were detected at the Base 2 WTP that were below the minimum reporting limits but above the practical quantitation limits of laboratory analysis. While these values would be reported as zero since they’re below the minimum reporting limits, the values are provided herein. Additionally, results for both laboratory testing methods are provided for the voluntary samples.
Several PFAS were detected at the Base 3 WTP above the proposed drinking water standard and interim health advisory levels. These results continue the trend of the April UCMR sample results. These values are also above minimum reporting levels. Graphs of the voluntary sample results are provided at the end of this notice. These graphs show entry points, individual wells, and the field blank (“FRB”) samples for quality control.
WHAT IS SNAKE RIVER WATER DISTRICT DOING ABOUT PFAS IN DRINKING WATER?
Foremost, SRWD has partnered with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. The District receives continuing guidance from the CDPHE PFAS Team. The District has applied for additional funding through the CDPHE to pay for continued sampling and to begin a treatment feasibility study for PFAS removal. The decision to award funding is expected in April or May 2024. We will closely watch the development of new PFAS regulations and share information with you as it becomes available.
The District is also adjusting operations to utilize wells that exhibit lower levels of PFAS compounds. These adjustments will vary with changes in seasonal demands and other source water quality considerations.
WHAT ARE PFAS?
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are manufactured chemicals used in many household products including nonstick cookware (e.g., Teflon™), stain repellants (e.g., Scotchgard™), and waterproofing (e.g., GORE-TEX™). They are also used in industrial applications such as in firefighting foams and electronics production. There are thousands of PFAS chemicals which are also known as “forever chemicals” due to their persistence in the environment. Two well-known PFAS chemicals are perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS). These were phased out of production in the United States and replaced by hexafluoropropylene oxide-dimer acid (commonly known as GenX), perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS) and others.
Additional information on PFAS from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) can be found at https://www.epa.gov/pfas or from the CDPHE at https://cdphe.colorado.gov/pfas.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO LIMIT EXPOSURE TO PFAS?
People do not need to stop drinking their water as current health advisories are based on a lifetime of exposure. However, the lower the levels of PFOA and PFOS, the lower the risk. There are ways for individuals who are concerned about PFAS in their drinking water or from other sources to reduce exposure.
- There is not an immediate public health risk.
- CDPHE will keep providing facts to help inform the public on the latest science.
- There are certain higher risk groups that may want to reduce their exposure.
- Children ages 0-5 years, and people who are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding are more susceptible to health impacts from these chemicals. Visit https://cdphe.colorado.gov/pfas-health for more information.
People can reduce their exposure from drinking water by using water treated by an in-home water treatment filter that is certified to lower the levels of PFAS or by using bottled water that has been treated with reverse osmosis for drinking, cooking, and preparing baby formula. Use tap water for bathing, showering, brushing teeth, washing hands, watering yards, washing dishes, cleaning, and laundry.
Using bottled water is an individual choice, but there are important concerns with bottled water. CDPHE cannot verify that all bottled water is below PFAS interim health advisories. Reverse osmosis is a treatment method that removes PFAS. We recommend people who use bottled water choose a brand that has been treated with reverse osmosis and includes this language on the bottle. Additionally, bottled water does not contain fluoride to support oral health and creates solid waste and other environmental concerns.
Boiling, freezing, or letting water stand for a period of time does not reduce PFAS levels.
PFAS can be found in many consumer products. One way to reduce exposure is to think about what products you are buying and using.
- Buy products from companies who have committed to removing PFAS from their manufacturing.
- Be aware. Many companies are working to remove PFAS from their products; however, until the removal is complete, products including nonstick cookware (e.g., Teflon™), stain repellants (e.g., Scotchgard™), and water proofing (e.g., GORE-TEX™) may have PFAS. PFAS are also found in certain types of dental floss, nail polish, facial moisturizers, eye make-up, and more.
- Avoid non-stick cookware that has PFAS. Consider using stainless steel or cast-iron pots and pans. When the coating on existing non-stick cookware shows signs of wear-and-tear, replace them with stainless steel or cast-iron cookware.
- There are many sources of PFAS in the environment, people may consider reducing exposure from other sources.
Visit https://cdphe.colorado.gov/pfas-health to learn more.
If you have specific health concerns, talk to your doctor. An information sheet, “Talking to your health care provider about PFAS,” is available at https://bit.ly/PFAS-doctor.