News

January 8, 2024 (CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.) – In response to the growing national focus on the impact of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on local public water sources, the Albemarle County Service Authority (ACSA) has issued a public service announcement about the impact of PFAS on the county’s water supply.

“As PFAS and the accompanying public health impacts have recently become a national media story, ACSA customers may have questions about any presence of PFAS locally, as well as ACSA’s plan to detect and treat for PFAS in the future,” said Tim Brown, ACSA environmental compliance specialist and the Authority’s resident expert on water quality.

“First and foremost, the public water supply in Albemarle County remains safe. In addition, an advanced water treatment process using GAC (granular activated carbon) acts as a barrier to PFAS or other contaminants.

“ACSA and our treatment partner, the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority (RWSA), have conducted PFAS testing for years as part of our routine monitoring for all manner of contaminants. This has proven to be the most effective way to address PFAS contamination, and we are well-equipped to detect PFAS at minimal, sub-threshold levels well before it becomes a public health concern. To date, we have never had a PFAS testing result detected above a compliance level,” said Brown.

The information below is meant to educate ACSA’s customers on PFAS, their health effects and impact on ACSA public drinking water, as well as ongoing steps to identify and treat any potential contamination of the public water supply. For more information, write to environmental@serviceauthority.org or call 434-977-4511, ext. 119.

What are PFAS?
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, is a term applied to a range of widely used, long-lasting chemicals whose components break down slowly over time.

Because of their widespread use, traces of PFAS can be found in the global environment, including water, soil and air; in food products; and in the blood of humans and animals.

PFAS — especially, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) — are found in everyday household items, including nonstick cookware, cleaning products, personal care products like shampoo and nail polish,

water-resistant fabrics like rain jackets and umbrellas, and more. PFAS are also found in industrial products and used in industries such as automotive, construction and electronics. Over time, PFAS may leak into the environment where they remain for decades and can contaminate food and water supplies.

Although manufactured since the 1940s, PFAS have become a public health concern only in recent years. According to reports by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the United States Geological Survey (USGS), PFAS are found in the blood of 97 percent of Americans and in 45 percent of the nation’s tap water. Exposure to hazardous levels of certain PFAS has been linked to health issues such as cancer, infertility and hormone suppression. In March 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued guidelines for PFAS exposure, including testing thresholds for the six most common compounds. It is expected that, in the near future, EPA will be issuing new PFAS standards for public drinking water.

Does Albemarle’s public water supply contain PFAS?
As part of its regional contract with RWSA, the ACSA public water supply is regularly tested and treated for PFAS and other potential contaminants. This testing spans years and has produced very few laboratory detections. When detected, PFAS have been at the parts per trillion level.

However, a test in May 2023 detected an above-normal number of PFAS from the water plant in North Rivanna and slightly elevated results for PFOA and PFOS, specifically. RWSA immediately shut down that water plant and increased testing and treatment. Multiple additional tests all came back negative for PFAS, and the plant has since been brought back online. Water service for the customers served by the North Rivanna plant was uninterrupted, as RWSA was able to divert water from the South Rivanna system. 

Despite the positive test in May 2023, PFAS levels in the ACSA water supply are routinely well below the accepted threshold as defined by the EPA and are therefore not considered a public health hazard. Even under the most stringent testing guidelines, the ACSA water supply remains safe.

Where can PFAS in Albemarle public water potentially come from?
No “point” source for PFAS in Albemarle County has been identified. All public drinking water drainage basins include mountain stream sources from land that is protected by the National Park. Given the widespread presence of PFAS locally and nationally, low-level PFAS contamination remains a concern everywhere, which underscores the importance of frequent testing of Albemarle’s public water supply.

The EPA has identified common, large-scale PFAS contamination sources as waste sites like landfills, military bases using fire extinguishing foam, manufacturing or chemical production facilities, contaminated fertilizer used on agricultural lands and more. None of these is located near Albemarle water sources, so any contamination is likely the result of widespread use of products containing PFAS, including in the household.

What is the ACSA plan to address PFAS in the future?
In addition to the stringent, proactive measures the ACSA has already put into place to detect and treat PFAS, ACSA also employs an environmental compliance specialist, Tim Brown, who is an authority on PFAS and public drinking water quality. Brown oversees the ACSA Environmental Management System, including water and wastewater quality.

Additionally, both state and federal government agencies have placed a priority on limiting exposure to PFAS, studying sources of PFAS and providing effective treatments (like the GAC advanced treatment used in ACSA-supplied drinking water) for water supplies with detected levels of PFAS. As agencies like the EPA continue to research PFAS, laboratory methods to detect, measure and remove the compounds from water supplies will improve.

Where can I find more information about PFAS?
There are multiple resources to learn more about PFAS. These include:

Environmental Protection Agency (epa.gov)
United States Geological Survey (usgs.gov)
Virginia Department of Health (vdh.virginia.gov)