Testing has found high levels of PFAS, including PFOA and PFOS, in almost all of South Carolina's surface waters
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According to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), 35 out of 870 samples from private drinking wells tested positive for PFAS above the EPA's Risk Screening Levels for PFOA and PFOS [SCDHEC PFAS Drinking Water Sampling Results].
It's important to note that these are Risk Screening Levels, not legally enforceable Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs). The EPA just finalized MCLs for PFOS and PFOA in April 2024.
DHEC testing shows less than half of private water samples
Tests show sludge from waste basins has forever chemical levels up to 80 times higher than the proposed federal limit. Levels recorded in the river and Columbia's drinking water plant are substantially lower, but they still exceed the proposed limit for the two most common types of PFAS.
Roadmap
DHEC outlines various strategies for assessing PFAS in South Carolina's waters, which is indicative of a broader plan. DHEC has besides the testing also appointed a risk manager who leads their work and the WEASC/ SCAWWA has for the second year invited The Oaktree as a speaker in their mandatory education.