COLUMBUS, Ind. — Local officials have said that they expect to receive supplies from state regulators within the next month to start testing Columbus’ drinking water for long-lasting and highly toxic chemicals linked to cancer and other illnesses.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management has informed Columbus City Utilities that it is ready to proceed with testing the city’s 19 wells and both water plants for a class of chemicals called PFAS, said city utilities director Roger Kelso. The testing is part of an effort to examine the prevalence of the chemicals in public water systems across the state and test the efficacy of drinking water treatment, state officials said earlier.
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a cluster of industrial chemicals associated with a variety of serious health conditions and have been used in products ranging from cookware to carpets and firefighting foams and consumer products since the 1940s, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Research suggests exposure to certain levels of PFAS can lead to reproductive effects in humans, developmental delays, increased risks for certain cancers, elevated cholesterol levels and weakening of the immune system, according to the EPA.
The chemicals are sometimes called “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down naturally in the environment — or do so slowly — and can remain in a person’s blood indefinitely. U.S. manufacturers have voluntarily phased out compounds such as PFAS, though there still are a limited number of ongoing uses for them.
“They’re en route,” Kelso said of the testing supplies. “I don’t know the exact date that I’m going to get the bottles and stuff in to do it, but very shortly — easily within 30 days, if not sooner,” Kelso said.
Though Columbus City Utilities does not currently test for PFAS, officials believe that it is it is unlikely that the chemicals will be detected in Columbus’ water.
The utility’s most recent water quality report shows that Columbus’ drinking water met all state and federal standards. PFAS are not a required item for the city to test for, Kelso said in a previous interview.
However, if something was detected, it would not be the first time that an unregulated contaminant was found in Columbus’ water supply. In 2017, two wells were shut down after tests revealed the presence of low amounts of 1,4 dioxane, an organic chemical used as an industrial solvent that the EPA considers to be a “likely human carcinogen.”
For the complete story, see Thursday’s Republic.
