West Virginia officials already had found chemicals linked to cancer in raw water samples taken from public water systems throughout the state. Now, they’ve found those chemicals in drinking water samples taken from public water systems, many at levels beyond proposed federal standards.
The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources and Department of Environmental Protection said 27 out of 37 public water systems sampled showed detectable levels of select PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances), per results released by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Of those 27 systems, 19 had PFAS detections above at least one regulatory standard proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The Bureau for Public Health and DEP are engaging with the 27 systems through a work group formed in March to evaluate treatment processes and identify funding options for PFAS removal, the DHHR said.
The Geological Survey sampled 37 systems identified in a study released last year as having certain PFAS compounds in raw, or pretreated, water sources to determine which systems require treatment upgrades.
Dr. Matthew Christiansen, state health officer and commissioner of the DHHR’s Bureau for Public Health, said a determination of risk can’t be made based on the study results. Christiansen said the data will help officials plan, looking ahead to the finalization of an EPA proposal to set maximum contaminant levels for certain PFAS.
Additional samples of finished drinking water could be collected from sampling points at the entry point to the distribution system and analyzed for concerning PFAS compounds, state officials said in a Friday news release.
“This information is another vital step forward in our efforts to address this issue,” DEP Secretary Harold Ward said in a statement. “The DEP, DHHR, and our local water systems can make more informed decisions and take appropriate next steps to ensure that safe, clean drinking water is accessible to all communities across West Virginia.”
Water quality advocates view the results as evidence that officials need to act quickly to address PFAS, industrial chemicals that don’t break down in the environment and can build up in the human bloodstream.
“It’s good to see agencies committed to working together towards solutions that minimize the impact on public water systems and their customers,” West Virginia Rivers Coalition Executive Director Angie Rosser said. “Now it’s even more clear that it’s go time on PFAS — those agencies must have at hand all the resources they need to respond to public health concerns.”
State officials said their decision to pursue finished-water testing was a “proactive measure” and touted legislation signed into law by Gov. Jim Justice last month, House Bill 3189, requiring the DEP to identify and address PFAS sources in raw water by developing PFAS action plans.
But West Virginia has lagged behind other states in enacting protections against PFAS, which have a toxic legacy in the state.
Other states have enacted their own enforceable drinking water standards and are pursuing or have settled lawsuits against manufacturers of PFAS.
“These initial sampling results point to where immediate focus is needed to reduce PFAS at its source,” Rosser said.
In March, the EPA set proposed enforceable standards of 4 parts per trillion for two prominent PFAS: PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) and PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate). Those are the lowest levels at which the chemicals can be reliably quantified in water, according to the EPA.
The Geological Survey study revealed results above the proposed PFOA standard for the following systems: Williamstown Water Department (27.8), Parkersburg Utility Board (12), Hughes River Water — intake on North Fork Hughes River (8.57), New Haven Water Department (6.81), Saint Marys (5.8), Harpers Ferry Campsites-Cardinal (5.48) and Union Williams Public Service District (5.22).
The study revealed the highest test result for PFOS at a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs water treatment plant in Martinsburg, part of the Martinsburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center (34.3 parts per trillion).
Veterans Affairs spokesman Gary Kunich said Monday the agency supports, and will comply with, EPA regulatory requirements. Kunich said drinking water within the medical center meets current regulatory drinking water requirements.
DEP Deputy Secretary Scott Mandirola attributed Martinsburg’s elevated PFAS detection in the raw water-focused Geological Survey study published last year to firefighting foam containing PFAS used by the Shepherd Field Air National Guard Base.
“[T]he longer that we take to treat PFAS contamination in groundwater, the plume is going to spread. So more and more off-base communities, off-base water supplies are going to be impacted,” said Jared Hayes, senior policy analyst at the Environmental Working Group, an environmental health nonprofit.
Most exceedances of the EPA’s proposed regulatory standard for PFOS occurred in systems in Eastern West Virginia.
High levels of PFAS could cause increased risk of kidney or testicular cancer, increased cholesterol levels, decreased vaccine response in children and increased risk of high blood pressure, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
PFAS have been used to make carpets stain-resistant and keep food from sticking to packaging.
They can be ingested through air, drinking water, food packaged in PFAS-containing material, use of PFAS-made products and eating fish caught from water contaminated by the chemicals.
In 1951, DuPont began using perfluorooctanoic acid, one of the most common PFAS, known as PFOA, to make Teflon-related products at its Washington Works facility near Parkersburg. The chemical discharged into drinking water supplies.
People living in the area experienced increased rates of testicular and kidney cancer, thyroid disease, ulcerative colitis and pregnancy-induced hypertension.
Last year’s Geological Survey report suggests the Ohio River Valley is the region most vulnerable to PFAS contamination in West Virginia.
DEP spokesman Terry Fletcher said there is no Geological Survey report accompanying the drinking water sampling results state officials released Friday.
The EPA has said it intends to finalize standards for PFOA, PFOS and select other PFAS by the end of the year.
