‘Forever chemicals’ on tap From the cover
Zooming in
The backstory
Keith Miertschin, Grapevine’s public works assistant director, said the city’s initial one-time water test slightly exceeded the maximum limit of 4 parts per trillion, with samples for PFAS at 4.36 and PFOA at 5.48. Based on the EPA’s newly required quarterly tests, which are averaged together, Grapevine’s water now does not exceed the PFAS limits, Miertschin said. After the initial one-time test showed high PFAS levels, the Grapevine Public Works Department hired a consultant to test Lake Grapevine’s chemical levels. Lauren LaNeave, Southlake’s deputy director of public works, said like Grapevine, initial PFAS testing from Fort Worth’s water was high, but the yearly average was under the EPA limit.
City documents for Grapevine, Colleyville and Southlake state each city’s water sources are as follows: Colleyville purchases water from the Trinity River Authority; Grapevine gets 30% of its water from Lake Grapevine and the other 70% from the Trinity River Authority; and Southlake receives its water from the city of Fort Worth’s Water Department. Colleyville Assistant City Manager Adrienne Lothery said the city completed its first quarter of PFAS sampling in August and did not have any compounds over the EPA’s standards. “The city is also following the EPA’s regulations and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality rules and regulations in regards to monitoring, communication and treatment,” she said.
PFAS are a group of manufactured chemicals that have been used in industry applications and consumer products since the 1940s. According to the EPA, PFAS can get into drinking water when products containing them leach into groundwater or are released in the air, ending up in rivers and lakes. Also known as “forever chemicals,” PFAS don’t break down easily, which can cause some forms to last in the environment for 1,000 years or more. “Around 50% of our rivers and streams contain measurable PFAS concentrations,” said Carsten Prasse, assistant professor in Environmental Health and Engineering at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He added that food supplies can also contain PFAS. “Unfortunately, PFAS are also present in biosolids which are used as agricultural fertilizer, creating a pathway from contaminated soil to produce in the grocery store,” Prasse said. Products that may use PFAS Nonstick cookware Firefighting foams Stain-resistant fabrics and carpets
How drinking water moves from source to sink
1. Water collection from source
2. Treatment
3. Storage
4. Distribution
Grease-, water- and oil-resistant products Water-repellent clothing Cosmetics
Electroplated, or metal-coated, objects
7. Treated wastewater is released into the environment
6. Wastewater treatment
5. Wastewater collection
SOURCE: ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
SOURCE: TARRANT REGIONAL WATER DISTRICT/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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