SIERRA VISTA — Deborah Gearty had barely heard the term ‘permanent chemicals’ until she found them in her drinking water.
In late April, the East Slope Water Company notified Ghiati and its neighbors that the water it supplies to about 450 people in the southwest corner of the city had been contaminated with PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances). ) was detected. Near Ramsey Canyon.
PFAS are a wide variety of industrial chemicals used in everything from dental floss to firefighting foam, and are highly toxic and difficult to remove. Studies have shown that long-term exposure to even trace amounts of these chemicals can cause serious health problems.
Two of the pollutants exceeded recommended limits outlined by the Environmental Protection Agency in the area west of Highway 92, known as East Slope West, according to the letter. No word on potential health effects from long-term exposure or whether the company has an action plan.
“The biggest thing that wasn’t written there was whether or not you should drink water.” Over the next few months, Mr. Gearty spent the next few months in contact with company representatives and gleaning information from the EPA’s website. and held community meetings with neighbors to share what they learned.
In May, the company sent a second letter. New tests conducted by both the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and the company showed PFAS levels were below the limits proposed by the EPA. So far, ADEQ has been unable to identify the source of the contamination.
Starting this year, ADEQ launched a statewide program with $3 million in federal funding to test several types of PFAS in every public water system in the state.
At least 39 water systems in Arizona contain some PFAS above recommended limits. 60 were below the limit. The agency will send the results to the water system and ask customers to let them know if PFAS is detected and if it is above or below the limit. The agency also provides information on financial opportunities for treating water.
However, there are currently no federal regulations for pollutants, so government agencies cannot enforce it.
After years of pressure from medical and environmental experts, the EPA proposed national drinking water standards for six PFASs in March. Federal regulators said they expect a final rule as early as the end of the year. After the regulation is approved, the water system he must comply with for three years.
Until then, there is no legal obligation to notify customers of PFAS test results, treat water, or find new water sources.
suggestion:EPA Introduces New National Standards for “Permanent Chemicals” in Drinking Water
Little specific information was provided in the letter
The letter from the East Slope Water Company was “not very specific,” said Kevin Goodwin, a resident of the East Slope West service area. Details of test results were not included. Goodwin, a retired engineer, Data on the ADEQ website to gather more information for him and his neighbors.
“We’re complying with any regulation that requires disclosure, but we’re kind of doing the bare minimum possible,” he said. “I think they are just waiting for regulators to set the standard.”
Silence followed the letter from the water company. Gearty and Goodwin did not receive a response from the company to phone calls or emails. Instead, they began communicating with his PFAS director at ADEQ, Matthew Narter, to resolve pressing issues.
Mr. Giaty said he started walking around the neighborhood after the company did not respond to their questions. With the help of her husband, she knocked on her 400 doors, organized a community meeting at a local church on June 15, and slides information gleaned from the EPA and her ADEQ website. shared. About 100 people gathered.
Ghiati said she felt like she was working for a company.
“Personally, I’d love to start a conversation,” Ghiati said. The group also compiled a list of questions for the company.
“I want them (East Slope Water Company) to talk to us. Don’t just say, ‘Go to ADEQ.'” , it is the company’s responsibility, not (ADEQ staff), to communicate what the attack plan is. “
ADEQ officials said they were unable to attend the first meeting but agreed to hold a regional meeting with the experts.
Josh Wooland, operations manager of Hearthstone Water and owner and manager of the East Slope Water Company, was also present.
Wooland told attendees that the company is exploring options for drilling new wells in the area. No PFAS contamination was found in his two wells, which produced the most. If the distribution site again exhibits PFAS levels above the proposed EPA limit, the company may consider removing the offending well from service so as not to contaminate the remaining water supply. No date has yet been set for a third test or follow-up meeting with customers.
PFAS levels: lower is better
About 60 residents gathered at the Rosalie Educational Services Center in Sierra Vista on Tuesday night. ADEQ and Arizona Department of Health Services staff briefed attendees on the nature of PFAS, potential health effects, proposed regulations, and East Slope West test results.
The recommended limit for PFAS has increased from 70 ppt to 4 ppt over the years. That’s the equivalent of 4 drops of water in 20 Olympic swimming pools. The desired goal is zero.
“Lower is better,” ADHS epidemiologist Xinyi Lin repeated during the conference. There is evidence that reducing exposure also reduces PFAS levels in the blood.
A single drink of water with a concentration above the recommended limit will not make you sick, he said. Repeated exposure can cause long-term health effects, including cancer, developmental effects, and reproductive harm.
There are also proposed limits for PFNA, PFHxS, PFBS, and GenX compounds, but they are relative. The total limit for one or more chemicals is calculated through hazard indices established by the EPA.
ADEQ tested several public water systems in Cochise County. So far, he has had only two of these cases with PFAS levels above the EPA’s proposed limits.
Testing by two different methods found an average of 6.5 ppt PFOA and 5.6 ppt PFOS in East Slope Water West in February, and both below 2.6 ppt in May.
Residents of East Slope West were skeptical of the drop in PFAS levels detected between February and May. ADEQ’s chief scientific officer, Paula Pangino, said the results were unusual considering the company pumps a lot of water and mixing of water between wells can reduce PFAS levels. said not.
In the case of East Slope West, ADEQ staff said it was difficult to pinpoint responsibility because authorities didn’t know where the contaminants came from.
“One possibility is that we have consumed and used products containing PFAS in our homes in the past that have passed through our bodies and entered our purification system,” said Pangino. , speculated how the pollutants reach the groundwater. The staff didn’t explain why this happens in some places like East Slope West and not others.
Water testing found an average of 197 ppt for PFOS and 22 ppt for PFOA in water used at the Apache power plant near Wilcox. Most of it will be used to generate electricity, but it can also provide drinking water for about 75 employees.
The Arizona Power Cooperative does not notify employees about test results because “it is not a regulated ingredient under the Safe Drinking Water Act,” said Michelle Freeark, executive director of regulation.
AEPCO has installed and regularly maintained granular activated carbon filters at all points of use in the system, she said. According to the EPA, this filter helps her remove 77% to 99% of PFAS chemicals.
PFAS were also detected in other water systems in the county, but they were below the limits proposed by the EPA.
Continuing concerns:PFAS Contamination in South Tucson Challenges Historic Cleanup, Renews Health Concerns
ADEQ staff said there was “no immediate action required” for water containing PFAS, but exposure could be reduced by not using untreated water for:
- Drinking
- cooking
- Laundry
- wash your teeth
- Preparing powdered milk
“It is generally safe to continue using untreated water for activities such as washing dishes, showering, laundry, swimming and watering the garden,” it added, adding an informative staff-produced video.
The National Science Foundation provides the following list. PFAS certified water filters. The Environmental Working Group also tested 10 different substances. PFAS removal filter.
Questions remain about health effects
Several residents at the Sierra Vista meeting expressed concern over the lack of clarity.
“People feel that for the time being something needs to be done to keep these chemicals out of the body,” said one attendee. “While we are waiting for everyone to understand this issue, give us something to do and time to do. We want to be proactive, but there is not much to do.”
Giati decided to get a PFAS blood test this year. Her concern was that doctors didn’t know how to interpret the results.
“I had to tell them what PFAS was in the first place,” she said. “When the PFOA results came back, they couldn’t tell me exactly what it meant.”
Her blood test showed 5.9 nanograms per milliliter of various types of PFAS. According to the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM), you could: Adverse health effects If you have PFAS >2 ng/ml in your blood, >20 ng/ml increases your risk.
It is not yet known if that is to blame for the adverse health effects.
Statewide Efforts:Arizona Prepares to Test Hundreds of Drinking Water Systems for Toxic ‘Permanent Chemicals’
For nearly 40 years she served in the US Army. In her missions across the United States, Germany, and South Korea, she was stationed primarily with her husband. They have lived in Sierra Vista for 23 years, four of them at Fort Huachuca. Fort Huachuca also detected PFAS exceeding the current EPA-proposed limits.
Her blood results may have been influenced in part by this medical history.
“But I don’t know how to identify it,” said Gearty.
Giaty said she decided to replace her nonstick frying pan after learning more about the “forever chemical.” She also installed a water filter, but she believes these costs should be reimbursed to consumers.
“We pay the water company to bring us water,” Mr Giaty said. “Our expectation is that water is clean and pure. It is a basic human need and right.”
Clara Migoya covers environmental issues for the Republic of Arizona and As Central.Send your tips and questions to clara.migoya@arizonarepublic.com.
Environmental reporting at azcentral.com and in the Republic of Arizona is supported by a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. Follow The Republic Environmental Reporting Team at environment.azcentral.com and @azcenvironment on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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