As Wisconsin looks to adopt new drinking water standards for PFAS, all Wisconsin municipal water utilities will begin testing their drinking water for the chemicals this year.
But the testing won’t be new to Waunakee. Waunakee Utilities had already opted into a voluntary sampling program to determine levels of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and found none.
“The utility recently performed sampling on all five of the water sources to test for the presence of various PFAS,” stated a press release from Waunakee Utilities. “The testing was done by the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene. The testing results indicated that in all samples, no PFAS levels were detected.”
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate PFOS are two of the most widely used and studied chemicals in the PFAS group, the Waunakee Utilities press release notes.
Referred to as “forever” chemicals, PFAS break down slowly and as a result, the chemicals can accumulate in people, animals and the environment. The chemicals have been used in household and food products. There is some evidence PFAS can lead to damaging health effects, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Research is underway to determine how the levels of exposure can affect people and animals.
The press release from Waunakee Utilities notes that because of their widespread use, the chemicals are found in most humans and animals.
“Protecting the public’s health through clean, safe drinking water is our number one priority at Waunakee Utilities,” said Tim Herlitzka, the utility general manager. “We were excited to participate in the sampling program offered by the DNR so we could provide our customers with clear information about the presence of PFAS in the drinking water. We are pleased with the testing results which indicated no PFAS were detected.”
According to Waunakee Utilities, the EPA has not yet adopted federal drinking standards for the chemicals, but it is expected that a federal standard will be proposed this fall.
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