Oregon will test 150 drinking water systems for PFAS 'forever chemicals'

Tracy Loew
Salem Statesman Journal

Oregon plans to test about 150 drinking water systems across the state that could be contaminated with PFAS, or per- and poly-fluorinated substances.

The systems were chosen because of their proximity to known or suspected PFAS use or contamination sites.

The list includes 17 sites in Marion and Polk counties, including drinking water systems serving the Covanta Marion garbage incinerator in Brooks, the MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility in Woodburn, the NORPAC processing plant in Brooks, a handful of mobile home parks, and water systems operated by the cities of Aurora, Hubbard, Independence, Jefferson, Monmouth, St. Paul and Sublimity.

PFAS are a family of chemicals used since the 1940s for their non-stick, heat-, moisture-, grease- and stain-resistant qualities. They’re found in everyday items like non-stick pans, waterproof outerwear, food packaging and firefighting foam.

PFAS are referred to as “forever chemicals,” meaning they don’t break down in the environment or human body, and can accumulate over time.

Growing evidence points to their adverse health effects including increased cholesterol levels, changes in liver enzymes, small decreases in infant birth weights, decreased vaccine response in children, increased risk of high blood pressure or pre-eclampsia in pregnant women, and increased risk of kidney or testicular cancer.

The Covanta Marion facility is seen in the background as sunflowers and other plants grow at a nursery along HWY 99 near Brooks. Its drinking water system is among about 150 statewide that will be tested for PFAS.

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The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s laboratory will test the drinking water samples for 25 PFAS compounds, in partnership with the Oregon Health Authority.

DEQ hopes to begin testing water systems this month, spokesman Harry Esteve said. 

It will start with 20 sites: 11 in north Marion County, four in west Clackamas County, three in south Washington County, and two that were not identified.

Absence of regulation

The federal government doesn’t regulate PFAS in drinking water. However, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said last week it will soon release a plan to crack down on the chemicals.

The Oregon Health Authority has established drinking water health advisory levels for four PFAS compounds most commonly found in people. They are PFOS, PFOA, PFNA and PFHxS.

The state's advisory level is exceeded when the sum of the four compounds combined is over 30 parts per trillion.

Health advisory levels are not regulatory. Instead, they provide information on health risks so health officials can take steps to protect consumers.

Earlier this week, the nonprofit Environmental Working Group released a new report on PFAS in drinking water.

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It identified nearly 42,000 potential sources of PFAS across the country that could pollute surface or drinking water. Those that appeared most often as potential sources were solid waste landfills, wastewater treatment plants, electroplaters and metal finishers, and petroleum refiners.

Emissions from waste combustion at the Covanta Marion garbage burner also may contain PFAS, DEQ said in a March 2021 letter to the company regarding compliance with the state's Cleaner Air Oregon effort. 

DEQ currently does not require Covanta Marion to test its emissions for PFAS, but could do so in the future, the letter said.  

"We welcome the state to test our Marion facility’s drinking water for PFAS as a part of the Oregon DEQ’s program," Covanta spokeswoman Nicolle K. Robles told the Statesman Journal. "We believe studies such as this one are important to understand the prevalence of this material."

Recommended but not required

Although PFAS can be found in air and soil, the main route for exposure in Oregon is through drinking water contamination.

DEQ selected the drinking water systems to be tested and notified the operators, Esteve said. 

The program to test drinking water systems for PFAS is funded by an EPA grant, so system operators won't be charged.

States across the country received supplemental funding for fiscal 2020-21, to be used for projects related to emerging contaminants, Dave Emme, OHA's Drinking Water Services program manager, said.

Oregon chose to use the money for PFAS testing, and expects to spend about $192,000 on the work, Emme said. 

If the testing finds samples that are over the state's PFAS health advisory level, state officials will recommend the water system collect a confirmation sample.

If that sample also is over the limit, the state will recommend that the water system notify its customers.

To bring down contamination levels, drinking water systems could install additional treatment, change water sources, or blend high-PFAS water sources with low-PFAS sources. Those actions won’t be required, though.

Previous limited testing of Oregon drinking water systems did not detect PFAS contamination.

The EPA tested a sample of water systems across the country for six PFAS compounds between 2013 and 2015.  It tested all major drinking water systems (those serving populations over 10,000) and some smaller systems.

In Oregon, it tested 65 systems, including those operated by the city of Salem and the city of Keizer. 

States stepping in

In the absence of federal regulation, some states are taking on PFAS themselves. 

More than a dozen states, including California, have regulated PFAS in drinking water. 

Earlier this month, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two laws banning the use of PFAS in children's products and disposable food packaging. 

Oregon has not regulated PFAS in drinking water, but has taken some steps to address their impacts. 

In 2007, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 737, which aimed to better protect water quality. As part of that effort, major wastewater treatment plants were required to analyze effluent for five PFAS compounds twice in 2010 and develop plans to reduce PFAS if levels were above those set in the rule. No treatment plants exceeded those levels. 

In 2012, Gov. John Kitzhaber issued an executive order advancing green chemistry actions by state government. It requires the Department of Administrative Services to work with DEQ to revise state purchasing policies to minimize the purchase of products with priority toxic chemicals, including PFAS. 

Oregon's Toxic Free Kids Act, created by House Bill 478 in 2015, designates PFOS (one of the PFAS compounds) as one of 68 "High Priority Chemical of Concern for Children's Health."

Manufacturers must report to the state children's products, such as toys, car seats and clothing, that contain high levels those chemicals. Eventually, they will be required to remove the chemicals from some products.

Testing for PFAS

Here are the drinking water systems that will be tested in Marion and Polk counties:

  • City of Aurora
  • City of Hubbard
  • City of Jefferson
  • City of St. Paul
  • City of Sublimity
  • Independence Water System
  • City of Monmouth
  • Lakewood Utilities in Aurora
  • Brewster Community Homeowners in Salem
  • Hoodview Mobile Estates
  • McNary Oaks, Mobile Villa
  • Meadowlark Mobile Manor
  • Olds Mobile Park
  • MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility
  • Covanta Marion
  • PNW Veg Co. (NORPAC)
  • Forum Salem Campus

For a statewide list, go to oregon.gov/oha/PH/HEALTHYENVIRONMENTS/DRINKINGWATER/OPERATIONS/Documents/PFAS-sampling-system-list.pdf.

Tracy Loew is a reporter at the Statesman Journal. She can be reached at tloew@statesmanjournal.com, 503-399-6779 or on Twitter at @Tracy_Loew. Support local journalism by subscribing to the Statesman Journal.