A sampling of about 70 community water systems in Iowa found that toxic chemicals were detectable in the environment indefinitely in more than a dozen of them, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
DNR began sampling late last year and released the final results on its website this week. The test is designed to determine the prevalence of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (often called PFAS or “permanent chemicals”) in the state’s drinking water.
There are thousands of PFAS. The two most studied in this group were related to cancer and other diseases and were the focus of the sampling along with 23 other PFASs.
The water sources selected for the first round of testing are believed to be the most vulnerable to contamination, using federal and state data to track companies using or storing PFAS, areas using firefighting foam containing PFAS, and more, said Corey McCoid, DNR’s director of water supply operations.
None of the tests exceeded the non-mandatory federal guidelines for the two most prominent PFASs, although the EPA anticipates more stringent revisions to the health advice and is considering mandatory regulations.
“Overall, we’re happy that it’s not exceeding health recommendations at this time,” McCoid said, “but since the EPA is looking to change health recommendations, I suspect we’ll have some facilities that will be affected by then.”
Chief among these was the central city, where DNR found that the total concentration of PFAS affected by the advisory was 61 parts per trillion, close to the 70 parts per trillion guideline. The city has stopped using water from contaminated wells — except in cases of urgent need — and is conducting a DNR investigation to determine the source of the contamination.
Kammerer Mobile Home Park near Muscatine may also be affected. DNR found the concentration in its water to be 29 parts per trillion.
Other cities where both PFASs have been detected in finished drinking water include:
— Ames Water Treatment Plant: 9.6 parts per trillion
— Burlington Municipal Water Works: 7.2 parts per trillion
– Comanche water supply: 12 parts per trillion
— American Water, Iowa, Davenport: 6 parts per trillion
— Keokuk Municipal Waterworks: 4.3 parts per trillion
— Muscatine Power & Water: 7.6 parts per trillion
— Iwatani water supply: 2.1 parts per trillion
— Sioux City Water: 9.2 parts per trillion
— Tama water supply: 5.5 parts per trillion
— West Des Moines Water Works: 5.3 parts per trillion
Cedar Rapids and Iowa City treated no detectable amounts of water, but each city has one well. In large cities, contaminated water from wells can be diluted by uncontaminated water from other wells.
McCoid expects to test about 60 more water systems in the coming months. Some of these will be in areas near other detections. Cities detected in finished water are required to conduct quarterly water quality testing and report the results to DNR.
Water supplies with no major PFAS levels detected in treated drinking water include:
Adair County
Greenfield Municipal Utilities
Adams County
Corning Water Authority
Appanos County
Rathburn Regional Water Association
Blackhawk County
waterloo waterworks
Buena Vista County
Su Rapids Water Authority
Butler County
Green Municipal Water
Cedar County
HWH Corporation, Tipton
Clark County
Osceola Water Works
Clay County
Spencer Municipal Water Company
Decatur County
Lamoni Municipal Utilities
Leon water supply
Delaware County
Great Rivers Allied Energy, Dalesville
Manchester Water
Dickinson County
Central water system, Okoboji
Milford Municipal Utilities
Linghu Waterworks
franklin county
Hampton Municipal Water Works
Guthrie County
Panola Water Works
Hardin County
Eldora Water Supply
Iowa Falls Water Department
Harrison County
Missouri Valley Water
Date County
ida grove water company
iowa county
Amana Social Water System North
Jasper County
Colfax Water
Prairie City Waterworks
Johnson County
Iowa City Water Authority
Lake Ridge
Iowa City University Water System
Li County
Fort Madison Municipal Water Works
Lin County
Cedar Rapids Water Authority
Hiawatha Water Authority
Lisbon water supply
Louisa County
Vapero Municipal Waterworks
Madison County
Winterset Municipal Waterworks
Mahaska County
Mahaska Rural Water, New Salon
Mitchell County
St Ansgar water supply
Muscatine County
Mark Twain Meadow Homeowner
Page County
Clarinda Water Works
Shenandoah Water Authority
Palo Alto County
Grettinger Municipal Water
Polk County
Des Moines Water Works
Potawatami County
Council Bluffs Waterworks
Country Manor Mobile Home Park
Povešek County
Montezuma Municipal Water Supply
Sark County
Lake Wall Water Supply
Scott County
Peterson Estate
Shelby County
Harlan Municipal Utilities
Su County
Havarden Water
Rural Water System #1
Union County
Creston Water
Vapero County
Eddyville City Water Authority
Othamwa Waterworks
Warren County
Carlisle Water
Washington County
Carona Water Authority
Winnehick County
Freeport Waters, Decola
woodbury county
Sergeant Bluff Water Supply
Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a grant-backed network of news bureaus and a coalition of donors to 501c(3) public charities. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. For questions, please contact editor Kathie Obradovich: [email protected] Iowa Capital Dispatch on Facebook and Twitter.
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