Fauquier and PFAS

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) do not occur in nature, they are an entirely synthetic substance. Yet, most people in the United States have been exposed to PFAS and have PFAS in their blood, especially perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). 

There are thousands of PFAS chemicals, and they are found in many different consumer, commercial, and industrial products. This category of chemical has been widely used for over 80 years mainly for their ability to repel oil, grease, water, and heat. PFOS and PFOA found in Scotch Guard and an ingredient in Teflon and traditional Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF) - the foam used to fight aviation and other chemical fires -were the first to become widely commercially successful.

But PFAS  has been widely used in consumer products. Spray coatings to cans and food packaging, flame retardants, waterproof coatings and on and on. PFAS are resistant to degradation and because they are so soluble in water simply flow through the wastewater treatment plant or septic leach field. PFAS remained in the biosolids and effluent. Biosolids were used as organic fertilizer and picked up by crops and grazing animals.

The reach and spread of PFAS was increased because effluent from wastewater treatment is released to rivers and used as source water for drinking water. Out it went to rivers and streams ultimately to the oceans. Fish and seafood were exposed to PFAS through the waste water effluent as were we. 

Ob April 10th 2024 the U.S. EPA finalized the national primary drinking water standards for six types of PFAS.

For PFOA and PFOS the U.S. EPA is setting enforceable Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) at 4.0 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS, individually.  This standard will reduce exposure from these PFAS in our drinking water to the lowest levels that are feasible for effective implementation -a level they can be reliably measured.

• In addition, for PFOA and PFOS, EPA is setting a non-enforceable health-based goal of zero. This is called a Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG).  This reflects the official position that the latest science shows that there is no level of exposure to these two PFAS without risk of health impacts.
• For PFNA, PFHxS, and HFPO-DA (GenX Chemicals), EPA is setting MCLGs of 10 parts per trillion
• PFNA, PFHxS, PFBS, and GenX Chemicals: EPA is also proposing a regulation to limit any mixture containing one or more of PFNA, PFHxS, PFBS, and/or GenX Chemicals. For these PFAS, water systems would use a hazard index calculation, defined in the proposed rule, to determine if the combined levels of these PFAS pose a potential risk.

According to the EPA, public water systems have five years (by 2029) to implement solutions that reduce these PFAS if monitoring shows that drinking water levels exceed these MCLs.

Fauquier County Water and Sanitation Authority ( FCWSA) consists of 15 local water systems that are supplied by wells. There are more than 50 wells in total. FCWSA began testing their wells for PFAS in their largest water system, the New Baltimore Regional Waterworks and has continued testing all water sources. FCWSA has found a range of results both above and below the EPA’s final regulations. As additional results are received FCWSA will update the results below (click on the image link to check). These results exclude the Town of Warrenton and Vint Hill Waterworks which is the old U.S. Army base at Vint Hill water system now operated by Buckland Water and Sanitation Assets Corporation. It is not known if there is PFAS contamination in Warrenton, but the Vint Hill Waterworks has a very significant PFAS contamination problem.

from FCWSA

As you can see, FCWSA will likely have to address the PFAS contamination issues in the New Baltimore Regional, Bealeton Regional, Marshall, Waterloo Estates, Bethel Academy, and Fauquier County Botha systems. In addition, it is clear that the groundwater in several parts of Fauquier County contains traces of PFAS above the EPA safe drinking water act MCL. Private well owners will have to address this problem on their own. Until a reliable and affordable PFAS test is available to well owners (hopefully through the Rural Household Water Quality Program run out of VA Tech and the Extension Office) concerned well owners or water system consumers should by a filter tested by the Environmental Working Group.