[CPEO-MEF] PFAS: "More ‘forever chemicals’ found in WA drinking water as cleanup costs mount"

[Lenny Siegel <LSiegel@cpeo.org>]

More ‘forever chemicals’ found in WA drinking water as cleanup costs mount 


By Hal Bernton  and Manuel Villa 
Seattle Times (WA)
December 11, 2022


LAKEWOOD, Pierce County — The water pumped from the ground here was once considered pure enough to mix with a little chlorine and then pipe directly to homes.

Today, every gallon from two water district wells must first be flushed through six enormous tanks, each filled with 40,000 pounds of specially treated coal, to remove contaminants.

This pollution, known as “forever chemicals” or PFAS, can increase health risks for certain cancers and other diseases when present in drinking water in minuscule concentrations measured in parts per trillion. Lakewood is one of more than a dozen Washington public water systems with detections above levels defined by the state to be suitable for long-term consumption — and widespread testing is just ramping up.

Massive filtration systems can remove the contamination, but at a steep cost. Lakewood, where PFAS entered the ground from firefighting foams used at nearby Joint Base Lewis-McChord, spent $5.5 million on its system. Through the decades, operating costs and maintenance are forecast to soak up millions of more dollars.

…

For the entire article, see
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/more-forever-chemicals-found-in-wa-drinking-water-as-cleanup-costs-mount/

—

Lenny Siegel
Executive Director
Center for Public Environmental Oversight
A project of the Pacific Studies Center
LSiegel@cpeo.org
P.O. Box 998, Mountain View, CA 94042
Voice/Fax: 650-961-8918
http://www.cpeo.org
Author: DISTURBING THE WAR: The Inside Story of the Movement to Get Stanford University out of Southeast Asia - 1965–1975 (See http://a3mreunion.org)

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