Fairhope, Alabama
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| Water well #4 |
BUT NOT REGULATED YET
Mayor Sullivan said PFAS(PFOS) were detected in a city water well, number 4 on S. Section Street at Dairy Road.
A concentration of 2 parts per trillion was measured at the well earlier this year, according to ADEM data (relatively low compared to other water systems in the state).
PFAS chemicals are known as “forever chemicals,” a family of potentially thousands of synthetic chemicals that are extremely persistent in the environment and in our bodies. PFAS chemicals have been highly utilized in various industries because of their ability to repel oil and water. They’ve been manufactured since the 1940s and can be found in Teflon nonstick products, stains and water repellents, paints, cleaning products, food packaging and firefighting foams.
According to Mobile Baykeeper:
"Scientists are still trying to understand what level of PFAS are acceptable
in drinking water. This can make it difficult to understand new
advisories and whether your drinking water is safe. As the potentially
severe health effects of PFAS become clearer, the EPA is moving to make
PFAS limits in drinking water more stringent. ... While the health
advisory levels are not regulatory (i.e., they are not a standard that a
drinking water utility has to meet), they do show the EPA is highly
concerned about the effects of PFAS in drinking water. The EPA has
stated they will set new regulations that build on these health
advisories soon, likely in the next few months."
Some additional filtering may be required by the EPA, at some point.
Well # four pfos
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