Results Accurate as of October 2024 

There are 15,000+/- manmade PFAS chemical compounds that have been identified, and the list keeps growing every year. Science has developed tests that can detect less than 100 of them in water, blood, food, etc. PFAS exists everywhere, in everyday consumer products from cookware, food packaging, clothing, carpet, cosmetics, cleaning products, dental floss, sticky notes, paint, cell phones and toilet paper just to name a few.  

In April of 2024 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a final rule regulating PFAS in drinking water. This rule mandates testing for six types of PFAS, and sets maximum limits in drinking water. These limits are equivalent to one drop in 13 million gallons of water (about 20 Olympic size swimming pools). EPA estimates that these rules will reduce PFAS exposure for approximately 100 million people and require between 6% and 10% of the 66,000 public drinking water systems subject to these rule to take action to reduce PFAS. Consumer products, such as those previously mentioned, remain largely unregulated for PFAS.  

The Water Utility has 28 groundwater wells that produce the city’s drinking water. These wells are located within 3 wellfields. The water from all wells at each wellfield is combined, treated, and distributed to customers. The distributed water is called finished drinking water. In May of 2023 and January of 2024 IDEM tested water from the majority of these wells and the finished drinking water at each wellfield. Results for the finished drinking water were below the EPA’s limits for the May 2023 sampling, but slightly above the limits at one wellfield in January 2024. While the results were above the limits, actual compliance with the limits is determined by multiple rounds of sampling and using EPA’s calculation methods. More information about sampling and calculating compliance is available at: https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2024-04/pfas-npdwr_fact-sheet_monitoring_4.8.24_0.pdf. 

The Water Utility is conducting voluntary sampling of individual impacted wells to compile data on PFAS levels. This will help the Water Utility develop the most cost effective solution to ensure compliance with the EPA’s PFAS limits. The Water Utility is also sampling the finished drinking water from each wellfield to monitor compliance with EPA’s limits. PFAS levels in finished drinking water have fluctuated over time but are currently in compliance. PFAS results will also be included in the 2024 Annual Water Quality Report, distributed in 2025, which is sent to every customer.  

Per the EPA’s new rule, all water systems have until 2029 to come into compliance with the new limits, but it is the intent of the Water Utility to meet the PFAS limits sooner. There are no easy solutions, and every effort is being made to develop a plan that is the most economical and effective for the Utility’s customers, as it has a direct tie to the water rates they pay. The Utility strives to provide safe drinking water, in compliance with all EPA regulations, in the most economical way possible. 

All laboratory analytical results are provided below. The results frequently refer to North Main Wellfield as NMWF, Northwest Wellfield as NWWF, and South Wellfield as SWF.  

May 2023 – October 2024 Results 

If you have additional questions, please call the Public Works and Utilities office at 574-293-2572 and ask to speak with Bryan Cress.