City Utilities Addresses EPA’s Final PFAS Standards to Ensure Water Quality
SPRINGFIELD, Missouri – In response to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) release of final drinking water standards for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), City Utilities (CU) is taking proactive measures to safeguard the quality of drinking water for the community.
Final EPA Standards
Yesterday, the EPA released information about its final rule setting drinking water standards for PFAS, also known as “Forever Chemicals.” Much of the final rule remains unchanged from the proposed rule, which includes PFAS limits under which CU has already been actively operating. The new rule sets maximum contaminant level goals (MCLGs) and maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for five compounds, including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS).
PFAS is a group of man-made compounds found in everyday items like fire-fighting foams, popcorn bags, cleaning products, non-stick cookware, stain repellent carpeting and many more. While the full impact of health effects to humans is still unknown, concerns have prompted the EPA to pass rules limiting some PFAS levels in drinking water to no more than 4 parts per trillion (ppt). To put this in perspective, 1 ppt is equivalent to one drop of water in 20 Olympic-size swimming pools or equivalent to one second in 32,000 years.
Current Water Quality
In an effort to be proactive, CU began testing its water supply for PFAS in November 2022. Over the last year, CU detected a range of 3.1 to 16.0 ppt PFOS, which is a chemical in the PFAS family, in the James River. In response, CU has implemented an operational policy to blend water from the James River with Fellows Lake to stay below the proposed Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of 4 ppt PFOS. CU is also working with an engineering consulting firm to explore three long-term removal options, including granular activated carbon, ion exchange, and reverse osmosis. Tap samples tested on March 5, 2024 showed all PFAS levels below the new EPA levels.
At City Utilities, excellence is the standard. The drinking water we provide to our customers is no exception. For the past 23 years in a row, Blackman and Fulbright Water Treatment Plants received the American Water Works Association’s Partnership for Safe Water Director’s Award in water quality achievement – an honor that less than 1% of all treatment plants in the United States receive annually. Our water supply is regularly tested and monitored for safety. In just the last year, 141,000 tests were completed on 13,000 samples. Again and again, our water supply not only meets but exceeds all regulations for water quality.
Springfield’s Water Supply
City Utilities maintains and operates Springfield’s water system for more than 84,000 homes and businesses. Springfield’s drinking water comes from three lakes (McDaniel, Fellows, and Stockton), the James River, two wells, and a spring. Additional water is pumped from Stockton Lake to Fellows Lake.
