Alabama utilities struggle to meet new limits on forever chemicals in drinking water

There’s good news and bad news about Alabama’s ongoing battle against drinking water contamination by so-called “forever chemicals.”

The good news is that some of Alabama’s worst examples of contamination have been fixed, or at least a fix is underway.

The bad news is that Alabama still has numerous drinking water systems that have tested far over the new federal limits for those chemicals in drinking water.

Last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s new maximum contaminant limit for PFAS, a group of man-made chemicals linked to numerous health problems, including cancers.

That means that drinking water providers will be required to test for these chemicals by 2027, and will have to remove them to almost non-existent levels by 2029.

Health advocates say the creation of a national standard for PFAS is a win for public health across the country.

“Because PFAS are toxic in very low amounts, it’s hard to overstate the public health impact of these new rules,” said Melanie Benesh, vice president for government affairs at the Environmental Working Group, which works extensively with PFAS issues.

“Getting these PFAS out of our drinking water will prevent thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of cases of serious health harms like cardiovascular disease, bladder cancer, strokes, heart attacks and reproductive harms like preeclampsia and low birth weights,” Benesh said in a news release.

“These new limits will save lives.”

But some Alabama water systems may struggle to meet those stricter limits.

At least four water systems in Alabama have reported PFAS concentrations as high as 40 parts per trillion since 2020, according to records filed with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management. That’s ten times the new EPA limit.

Alabama water systems impacted

The four systems with PFAS tests that reached over 40 parts per trillion, or more than ten times the new limit, since 2020 are:

• Centre Water Works
• Saraland Water Service
• Irondale Water System
• Guin Water Works (though the system is now testing at zero)

Centre -- a small city in Cherokee County, near Weiss Lake and the Coosa River -- is involved in a lawsuit against 3M and other PFAS manufacturers seeking to force those companies to pay for new water filtration systems.

“We’re looking at all options,” said David Garrett, general manager of the Centre Water Works, a water system that has long struggled with PFAS issues.

PFAS chemicals are not removed by standard water treatment methods, so specialized filters must be installed to address them. The two most common types of PFAS filters are activated carbon filters, where carbon removes the PFAS material, or reverse osmosis, where the water is forced through a tight membrane that traps the chemicals behind.

These treatment options are expensive to build and to maintain, forcing utilities to apply for federal funding or legal settlements with PFAS manufacturers to pay for the upgrades.

Guin Water Works manager Terri Dennis says Guin’s water is now testing at non-detect, thanks to a new granular activated carbon filter plant completed in 2022.

That plant was built after a settlement with chemical manufacturer 3M.

Representatives of the Irondale and Saraland water systems did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

How we got here

In 2016, when the EPA issued its first health advisory regarding PFAS, Centre and Guin were among eight Alabama water systems that exceeded the old advisory of 70 parts per trillion.

All eight of those systems got below the 70 ppt threshold, either by installing new filters or changing their water source.

Since then, the EPA has drastically lowered its thresholds, as more evidence builds that these chemicals can be harmful at very low levels over long-term exposure.

The new EPA rules limit two of the most common PFAS -- PFOA and PFOS -- at 4 ppt, down from 70 ppt. The EPA also now includes four other PFAS chemicals are considered together.

Centre remains above that limit, with its most recent tests on May 26, 2023, showing PFAS levels ranging from 15-20 ppt.

In northwest Alabama, the West Morgan-East Lawrence Water and Sewer Authority, which in 2016 issued a “do not drink” recommendation due to high PFAS levels, now says its PFAS levels are at 0 ppt, thanks to a reverse osmosis filtration system installed after its settlement with 3M.

Other water systems involved in litigation against chemical manufacturers include Albertville, Talladega and Shelby Counties, and Gadsden Water Works.

In Gadsden, one of the largest metro areas impacted in Alabama, testing shows an average of 15 ppt for PFOA and 19 ppt for PFOS since the utility installed a granular activated carbon filter in 2018.

Gadsden Water Works General Manager Chad Hare told AL.com the city is moving forward on building a new treatment plant that will remove PFAS compounds from the city’s drinking water.

Hare said the project is still in the planning stage and an estimated cost or date of completion is not available. Reverse osmosis filters are generally more expensive than carbon filters.

“We want our customers to know our commitment to providing water that meets or exceeds all regulations,” Hare said. “We believe that commitment is reflected by our decision to build an RO facility as our permanent treatment solution.”

What are PFAS?

PFAS chemicals are often called “forever chemicals” because they are extremely slow to break down in the environment and can build up over time in people and animals.

The man-made chemicals have been used for decades to make products like non-stick cookware, waterproof or stain-resistant fabrics, and fire-fighting foams, and are now found in waters and people worldwide.

Medical research has continued to show that PFAS exposure over long periods of time, even at extremely low levels, is associated with health problems including certain cancers, decreased fertility and pregnancy issues in women, developmental issues for children, weakened immune response, thyroid issues, obesity, high cholesterol and diabetes.

There are several home water filters effective at removing PFAS from drinking water. If you have concerns about PFAS from your tap water, purchasing an in-home filter may be cheaper than buying bottled water.

The EPA published a fact sheet on home water filters and what to look for when buying one.

The EPA limits are for drinking water that a person might consume repeatedly over a long period of time. Bathing or hand-washing is not believed to be a major source of contamination.

Alabama utilities are not alone in facing PFAS contamination. The EPA estimates that 100 million Americans live in places where the drinking water contains PFAS chemicals that exceed the new limits.

Alabama water systems showing lower PFAS levels

Since 2020, at least 71 drinking water providers in Alabama have reported concentrations of cancer-linked forever chemicals that exceed the new limits, though some were only slightly above the limit and subsequently tested below the threshold.

See the full list below.

Alabama’s test results were submitted to ADEM as part of a state testing initiative begun in 2020.

ADEM told AL.com by email that the state welcomed the new national standards because they provided “clear, enforceable, health-based standards.”

“ADEM has been a leader in addressing the PFAS problem through drinking water testing, wastewater monitoring, and the cleanup of contaminated areas,” the department said.

“Since 2020, ADEM has required drinking water systems in the state to test for the presence of PFAS in drinking water and provided assistance to systems when needed to help them remediate problems.”

In setting the new requirements, the EPA also announced an additional $1 billion in grant funding available to help water systems meet the new standards. That funding comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and in Alabama, will be awarded through ADEM.

The Birmingham Water Works showed only one result over the new EPA limit of 4.0 ppt, testing at 4.4 ppt in August 2022. Subsequent testing showed Birmingham’s water under the new limit.

Michael Johnson, General Manager of Birmingham Water Works, said the utility stepped up its testing plan last year and now tests almost 400,000 samples a year.

“We take concerns about chemicals in our water supply very seriously,” Johnson said. “The health and safety of our customers are our top priorities, and we believe in making decisions that are in their best interests. We are committed to complying with the new EPA regulations and will work diligently to ensure that our water is clean, safe, and meets all applicable standards.”

The full list of water systems reporting at least one exceedance of the new limits since 2020 are listed alphabetically with the number of tests over the limit in parentheses:

Alabaster Water Board (3)

Albertville Utilities Board (15)

Ardmore Water System (20)

Arley Water Works (2)

Auburn Water Works (8)

Belforest Water System (7)

Birmingham Water Works (1)

CAA-CTC Plainview Head Start Program (10)

Centre Water and Sewer Board (25)

Chattahoochee Valley Water Supply (1)

Cherokee Water and Gas Department (13)

Childersburg Water and Sewer Board (6)

Clanton Water Department (14)

Colbert County Rural Water System (12)

Coosa Valley Water Supply District (12)

Decatur (2)

Deer Park-Vinegar Bend (1)

Fairhope Water System (7)

Fairview Water System (1)

Five Star Water Supply District (18)

Florence Water Department (13)

Foley Utilities Board (11)

Gadsden Water Works (51)

Grand Bay Water Works (10)

Grove Hill Water Works (15)

Guin Water and Sewer Board (7)

Harvest-Monrovia Water System (4)

Hawk Pride Mt (8)

Helena Utility Board (5)

Huntsville Utilities (5)

Irondale Water System (10)

Jackson Water Works (9)

JCG Foods of Alabama (2)

Leeds Water Works (6)

Limestone County Water System (10)

Lincoln, city of (1)

Loachapoka Water Authority (8)

Loxley, town of (2)

Montevallo Water Works (6)

Moulton Water Works (1)

Mt. Vernon (2)

Muscle Shoals Utility Board (12)

North Baldwin Utilities(7)

Opelika Utilities (12)

Oxford Water Works and Sewer Board (8)

Phenix City Utilities (4)

Pine Hill Water Department (16)

Prattville Water Board (7)

Rogersville Water Works (13)

Saraland Water Service (25)

Satsuma Water Works (2)

Sheffield Utilities Department (14)

Shelby County Commission Water Service (12)

Smiths Water and Sewer Authority (4)

Star-Mindingall Water Authority (1)

Stevenson Utility Board (4)

Swan Creek Community (10)

Sycamore Water and Sewer Authority (2)

Sylacauga Utilities Board (1)

Talladega Water and Sewer Board (3)

Talladega-Shelby Water Treatment Plant (16)

Thomasville Water Works (14)

Trussville Utilities (4)

Tuscumbia Water Works (6)

Tuskegee Utilities Board (3)

U.S. Amines (Bucks) (15)

Upper Bear Creek Water Authority (1)

Warrior River Water Authority (1)

Weaver Water System (16)

Wedowee Water, Sewer, and Gas Board (1)

West Escambia Utilities (3)

Wilsonville Water Works (5)

Wise Metals Group (Constellium) (16).

Though the number of high test results for each system is listed here, not all results are equal.

Some results were only slightly over the limit of 4.0 parts per trillion. Some systems tested much more frequently than others, and some systems showed improvements and lower concentrations after their exceedances, while others stayed consistently above the new limits.

For more information on your water system, check the full list of results from ADEM, or contact your local water provider.