Tacoma Water, in response to national and regional concerns, and as part of its mission to provide clean, reliable water – recently conducted voluntary testing for manmade perfluorinated chemicals, known as PFAS, at individual wells in its water system. A first test at Well 10C showed PFAS levels that exceeded the EPA Health Advisory Level of 70 parts per trillion; a second test at that well showed levels that were below the EPA Health Advisory Level.
Based on the results of the first test, Tacoma Water is notifying customers and closed the well for additional testing and maintenance. The closed well served as a source of unfluoridated water. The only people who may have received water with potentially elevated PFAS levels were those who went to the well site at 7440 S. Cedar Street in Tacoma and filled their own containers.
Prior to its closure, water from that well had been available to anyone at no cost via a spigot on the well building. Meter history indicates approximately 100 gallons of water per day were collected from that well. While there is no legal requirement to provide unfluoridated water, Tacoma Water provides an alternative location for unfluoridated water at 1614 99th St. E in the Midland area. Testing on that well showed PFAS levels far below the EPA Health Advisory Level.
No PFAS were detected in water from the Green River, which serves all Tacoma Water customers with the vast majority of their drinking water. Test results since 2015, when PFAS testing began, indicate that Tacoma Water customers have only received water with PFAS levels significantly below the federal standard of 70 parts per trillion at their homes and businesses.
Tacoma Water notified and is working with the Washington State Department of Health and Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department to share information with the public about the higher PFAS level at Well 10C.
The utility will continue sampling and testing its water supply and well sites for PFAS to ensure clean, reliable water.
More information is available at MyTPU.org/pfas and tpchd.org/pfas.
People with questions about water quality can email or call Tacoma Water’s Water Quality team at 253-502-8207.