By ROBIN SHEPARD
Times Correspondent
Two wells providing drinking water in Atwater have tested positive for two contaminants that may pose specific health and environmental concerns.
Residents were notified of the presence of Perfluorohexane Sulfonic Acid (PFHxS) and Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid (PFOS) in the water system in their April city utilities bill. The City also has posted information on its website under the Public Works Department page, with a comprehensive fact book on the substances.
According to Linda Geddes, writing for The Guardian in 2024, the contaminants are part of a group of chemicals used in manufacturing products since the 1950s. Both have been referred to as “forever chemicals” and “persistent organic pollutants.”
While many of these related polyfluoroalkyl substances (the PFAS) have been banned, they persist in the environment, taking “hundreds or even thousands of years to degrade after the products they have been used in are thrown away. This means that if they leak into the soil or water, which they often do, they could remain there for centuries,” Geddes wrote.
Well 16, located on Granite Drive, and Well 18, located on E. Juniper Avenue, were tested in January, with samples revealing higher levels of PFHxS and PFOS than established California Water Board and US Environmental Protection Agency guidelines allow.
The city received the sample results on March 12. Both wells are still operating.
According to the City, while the wells have granulated activated carbon (GAC) treatment on both wells to remove 1,2,3-TCP, the contaminated samples were taken before treatment.
According to the City’s notice, further sampling of treated water will be used to evaluate whether the GAC treatment is efficient at removing the contaminants.
The source of the contamination is undetermined, according to City Manager Chris Hoem, and “the city is exploring all options.”
The City strongly advises pregnant women or those breast feeding infants to avoid drinking or using water from the city’s system. Boiling, freezing, or filtering the water will not reduce contaminant levels.
According to the city fact book, “long-term exposure to PFAS is potentially harmful to health.” These health risks include decreased fertility and birth weights, a weakening of the body’s ability to fight disease, an increase of some cancers, asthma, thyroid disease, and liver damage.
The City, according to Hoem, is “conducting tests on a rotating basis as required by the state.”
He noted that the city regularly “changes out the GAC to ensure constant, effective treatment.”
The City also advises residents to consult with their doctors should they have concerns about the consumption of city water.