EPA and PFAS reporting Winston-Salem water quality

PFAS are chemicals made by humans. The chemicals are good at repelling water, oil and heat, leading them to be used in lots of things like cookware, waterproof clothes, and even firefighting foam. But the chemicals don’t break down easily, and can stick around in the environment for a long time and end up in water, soil and air.

Long-term exposure to a certain level of PFAS, like consuming contaminated water with the chemicals, can lead to potential health risks such as cancer, reproductive problems, immune system dysfunction, and developmental effects in children.

So what’s the current status of PFAS in water quality in Winston-Salem?

In a 2023 report, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities said they didn’t detect any harmful levels of PFOS and PFOA, part of the broader group of PFAS, or lithium in drinking water, from their public water supply of Yadkin River and Salem Lake.

“For the 2023 report, as participants in the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule 5, we were required to report any detectable levels for unregulated monitoring in treated drinking water,” Gale Ketteler, Utilities public information officer at Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities, told the Journal.

“In 2023, all results were non-detectable (ND) levels for PFOS/PFOA and lithium.”

In 2022, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities reported 0.61 and 0.41 parts per trillion (ppt) for PFOS and PFOA, respectively, while it was 1.4 and 0.7 ppt for the two substances in 2021.

Although Winston-Salem has provided data on PFOS and PFOA in its 2021 and 2022 reports, along with other information demonstrating that the city’s water meets or exceeds all water quality standards, the city’s most recent water quality report does not display detection information on PFAS.

“We follow all the guidelines and requirements on the report as mandated and detailed annually by the EPA and the state,” Ketteler explained. “Our 2022 report included some voluntary source water PFAS info. This was proactive sampling that was conducted prior to the treatment process. It was not required.”

And while it’s reassuring that Winston-Salem’s 2023 report found non-detectable levels of PFOS/PFOA and lithium in their drinking water — meaning these substances couldn’t be detected using federally-required testing methods — the new mandate will continue to not cover all potential exposure sources like untreated water.

“…based on current information, we will only be required to report contaminants in treated drinking water that are detected above the reporting limit (maximum contaminant level) set by the EPA and state per the approved method,” Ketteler said.

According to the EPA, community water systems must conduct initial monitoring for PFAS within three years, by April 26, 2027, and compliance with the new Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for PFAS must be achieved starting April 26, 2029.

In essence, they have a deadline to initiate monitoring and to meet the specified contamination level standards within the given timeframes.

Meanwhile, Ketteler emphasized the cleanliness and safety of the city’s tap water, cautioning that “there are a lot of water scams out there trying to sell bottled water and filters.”

“People can waste money if they want, but a $1.50 bottle of water = about 2,000 gallons of tap water. I say, skip the bottle and drink tap,” she added in an email to the Journal.

Such a sentiment regarding the safety of Winston-Salem’s water quality was echoed by an expert, who emphasized the city’s longstanding access to a clean water source — a trend affirmed in the 2023 report.

“Winston-Salem is fortunate as most of our water comes from the Yadkin River,” noted Stan Meiburg, executive director of the Sabin Family Center for Environment and Sustainability at Wake Forest University, in an interview with the Journal. “The river serves as a good water source because there are few discharges upstream from Winston Salem.”