COLUMBIA — Columbia recently discovered PFAS or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in its water systems.
They are also known as “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down naturally in the environment.
This marks the first time the substances have been found in Columbia’s water supply.
Eric Medlock, environmental program manager of the public drinking water branch, said PFAS have been used in many products, most notably for making Teflon and nonstick coating cookware, for water repellent stain resistant fabrics, like upholstery or clothing.
According to the Columbia Missourian, chemical analysis of water samples was taken in early December from the city’s wellfield.
The city gets its water supply from these wells before transferring it to McBaine Water Treatment Plant for processing and distribution to residents.
No chemicals were found in drinking water samples.
Matt Nestor, spokesperson for Columbia Utilities, said the tests occurred in light of a recent rule from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agenciy (EPA).
It states that utilities would need to conduct tests for PFAS and initiate water treatment if the chemicals are detected at a level of 4 parts per trillion (ppt).
In a health advisory, the EPA said communities might face potential health risks if exposed to 0.004 ppt levels of certain types of PFAS.
Robert Bowcock, a water engineer who has studied Columbia’s water for around a decade said forever chemicals are exactly what they’re called, forever.
“They bioaccumulate in the body. So very, very low doses are important to be recognized because they will accumulate in your tissue for over 10 years before they start being released by the body.”
Nestor said the tests help give the city a baseline of information.
“If regulations come down the line, we have a good starting point in knowing what we need to do,” Nestor said.
He said the city has been monitoring this since 2018.
“We have a close eye on what EPA is suggesting,” Nestor said. “That’ll just give us some information on different things we need to do at the water treatment plant down the line, where we can combat this if it comes to that.”
Despite an upcoming $25 million dollar investment in upgrading Columbia’s water treatment plant, there are no plans to add filters to remove PFAS from the water.
“We’ve done a cost analysis,” Nestor said. “We have an idea of what it would take to include the carbon filters in the water treatment plant. But there’s a lot of things between then and now that will dictate how we move forward.”
He said the city will continue to monitor this issue.
“We’re staying on top of everything as best we can,” Nestor said.
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PFAS have been on EPA’s radar since 2009.
Medlock said the EPA initially set the safety levels at 204 ppt in 2013, but due to more research and concerns, they lowered it to 70 parts per trillion in 2016.
Then, in June 2022, they lowered it even further, below detectable levels.
There are currently no federal requirements for PFAS testing or treatment.
Bowcock said there are many reasons the EPA is advancing the maximum contaminant level issue so rapidly.
“The big fear factor is this issue associated with immune response,” Bowcock said, “immune response, endocrine disruption and cancer.”
Medlock said they are in the process of getting Missouri’s data.
“We started that sampling last year. So all that analysis that we’re getting is going into our database. It’s going into a map viewer that is available to the public,” Medlock said. “To show where some of these concentrations are being found in Missouri.”
Julie Ryan, co-founder of the COMO Safe Water Coalition, said she’s unsure she believes this is really the first time the city has found the chemicals in the water supply.
“It’s the first time that we’re detecting them at levels that are so tiny, that it is part of why we’re saying now we found them,” Ryan said. ” The thing that has bothered me the most, is that we have been talking about this chemical and others since 2016. Trying to explain this to the city that what they’re pursuing to repair the water treatment plant is not going to take care of this.”
She said the best way to stay healthy is to make sure that the primary source of drinking water is safe.
“The city unfortunately focuses on doing just enough, instead of doing what’s best for the community,” Ryan said. “I think people really need to look at that. They need to understand what is in their water, they need to if they can filter it, that’s great.”
She said the city used to have a source water protection task force, but it was disbanded.
“For the city to eliminate something like a Source Water Protection Task Force, which is inherently there, to protect the interests of our citizens, I think speaks to the lack of knowledge and the lack of leadership they have when it comes to something that is such an important part of our public infrastructure,” Ryan said.