The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) announced the results of its project that tested statewide for per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS. The report, which provides results from voluntary sampling of 400 water systems, 15 firefighting districts, and 43 streams, found that only four entities tested had water that exceeded the EPA health advisory guideline of 70 parts per trillion (ppt) for PFOS/PFOA. Other key findings from the report include:

  • None of the treated drinking water tested was above the EPA’s health advisory level
  • The state tested 18 PFAS chemicals with each sample and the most prevalent chemicals were PFOS, PFOA, PFHxS, PFBS, PFHxA, and PFHpA with detections in greater than 20 percent of the samples. PFNA was detected in more than 10 percent of the samples
  • 34 percent of the drinking water systems that participated in the project had some level of PFAS chemicals in their drinking water
  • All of the samples taken from lakes and rivers had some detectable level of the chemicals
  • The data indicate that industrial entities that have permits to discharge wastewater into rivers and streams may play a large role in the buildup of the chemicals

 

A copy of the report is available HERE. Additional information is also available on the CDPHE website HERE.