OH, PFAS detected in 15 local public water systems over proposed EPA guidelines

At least 15 area public water systems together serving hundreds of thousands of residents have detected toxic, man-made chemicals at levels that exceed guidelines soon to go into effect from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for what’s considered acceptable in drinking water, a Dayton Daily News investigation found.

For years, area water departments have assured residents that in nearly all cases, contamination levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are below current EPA guidelines of 70 parts-per-trillion (ppt). But in March the U.S. EPA announced it intends to lower its standard to 4 ppt for certain types of PFAS, known by the acronyms PFOS and PFOA.

Across Ohio, PFOS and/or PFOA have been detected in at least 67 public water systems at levels exceeding 4 ppt. The state tested all water systems in Ohio and collected data from 2020 to 2022. The Ohio EPA stopped collecting data in 2022. The Dayton Daily News analyzed Ohio EPA data to identify water systems that reported PFAS over 4 ppt.

Our analysis found:

- Montgomery, Greene, and Warren counties were among the five counties in Ohio with the most water systems that detected PFAS and PFOA over the U.S. EPA’s proposed limit. Fifteen public water systems in our nine-county region reported samples over 4 ppt.

- Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and Aullwood Farm Discovery Center had the third and fourth-highest detected levels of these compounds in Ohio. A well-tested at WPAFB on July 29, 2020, had PFOS at 236 ppt. A well-tested test at Aullwood on Aug. 19, 2021, had PFOA levels at 95.8 ppt. Both systems have taken steps to address the issue.

- The largest local water system with PFAS detected over 4 ppt is the city of Dayton’s. In addition to serving the city’s 140,407 customers, Dayton sells water to Montgomery County — which in turn provides it to hundreds of thousands of residents across the county — as well as parts of Greene County. The city of Dayton wouldn’t answer questions related to its plans for addressing PFAS contamination, citing “active litigation.”

- Many public water systems across Ohio weren’t able to report to the state whether they had PFAS over 4 ppt, because the tests used couldn’t detect it under 5 ppt. This means it’s unclear exactly how many water systems contain PFAS over the recommended EPA threshold of 4 ppt but under the detectable level of 5 ppt.

- Some public water systems, such as the city of Middletown, have not disclosed in their annual water quality reports to residents the amount of PFAS detected in the system’s water supply.

Several water systems refused to comment for this story, including Dayton and the city of Urbana. Others did not return calls and emails seeking comment, including Phillipsburg, Morrow and a mobile home park in Miami County.

A test on Aug. 25, 2022 detected PFOS in Phillipsburg’s water at 20.6 ppt — five times the proposed U.S. EPA threshold.

Lawsuits in Bellbrook and Fairborn

Public water systems in Bellbrook and Fairborn were recently named in a $10.3 billion settlement with PFAS manufacturer 3M that will help them upgrade systems to improve water quality.

Attorney Brandon Taylor, who is representing the city of Fairborn in its settlement with 3M Co., a company that produced and distributed firefighting foam with PFAS for decades, said it’s unclear how much the city will be receiving in the settlement.

Taylor said this settlement only covers public water systems, not owners of private wells that may be impacted by PFAS. Money received from the settlement will be used to meet compliance with the proposed EPA standards. Taylor said water departments will have a few years to come into compliance with the new standard once it goes into effect.

Conclusion

There appears to be a significant need for environmental cleanup in Ohio. With the state's extensive agricultural land, that action must be taken. Fortunately, drinking water in the most critical areas seems to be treated. However, it was difficult to obtain information on treatment methods, and several water treatment facilities were unwilling to report their test results. A message to the Ohio Onsite Waste Water Association, contact the Oaktree