The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) has announced PFAS sampling for public water systems to further protect state’s drinking water from the contamination caused by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
“Our commitment to protecting Arizona’s most precious resource from toxic contamination is unwavering,” said ADEQ Director Misael Cabrera. “We are working closely with the state’s more than 1,500 public water systems and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to ensure that public health remains our top priority.”
In its latest action under the agency’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap, EPA released drinking water health advisories for PFAS.
Beginning in July 2022, ADEQ will conduct PFAS sampling for all public water systems in Arizona that have not yet been tested for PFAS either under UCMR requirements, or through ADEQ’s PFAS ongoing screening.
To assist Arizona’s public water systems, ADEQ is preparing comprehensive guidance and tools that we will distribute to public water systems in July 2022 to provide information and resources for PFAS sampling, and treatment and funding options.
ADEQ has taken an active approach towards PFAS contamination over the last few years, including the following actions:
In 2018 ADEQ developed and has since been conducting a PFAS screening program for high-risk public water systems with wells near areas of potential PFAS sources – industrial and manufacturing facilities, firefighting training facilities, airports and military sites.
As part of ADEQ’s ongoing statewide assessment of PFAS in drinking water, ADEQ has identified and sampled more than 150 high-risk public water systems specifically for two PFAS compounds (PFOA/PFOS).
Based on available data for over 230 Arizona public water systems, 49 have detected PFOA/PFOS above EPA’s new health advisories, whereas only 12 of these systems had PFOA/PFOS higher than EPA’s former 2016 HAL for PFOA/PFOS. All but one public water system with known PFOA/PFOS above the former EPA HAL of 70 ppt already has voluntarily worked with ADEQ 11 of 12 to reduce PFAS exposure to customers by installing treatment or discontinuing use of the impacted well. ADEQ is currently working to notify customers of the one remaining small public water system and to assist the system with pursuing treatment options.
Based on available data for 123 public water systems ADEQ sampled for GenX and PFBS PFAS compounds, all systems sample results were lower than the new EPA HALs.
For the remaining 37 public water systems with PFOA/PFOS detections, ADEQ is contacting the public water systems and discussing EPA’s recommendations that they take steps to inform customers, undertake additional sampling to assess the level, scope, and source of contamination, and examine steps to limit exposure.
ADEQ recently sampled discharges from 38 wastewater treatment plants across the state for PFAS. The data from these samples, taken at large and small treatment plants that service industrial, commercial, and residential waste streams, are expected to be available in the coming weeks.
