West Virginia Proactively Forms Drinking Water Working Group in Response to EPA Proposal

March 15, 2023

Mountaineer News

WV Public Water

CHARLESTON, WV (Mountaineer News) - On Tuesday, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources Bureau for Public Health and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection jointly announced the formation of a working group to collaborate with certain public water systems in the state. This group aims to develop plans for treating drinking water contaminated with perfluorinated chemicals, which belong to the family of human-made substances known as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS.

In addition, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its proposal to regulate perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) at a maximum contaminant level of 4 parts per trillion. The EPA is also proposing to address the mixture of GenX, PFBS, PFNA, and PFHxS using a hazard index.

Following the governor's direction, the state partners proactively contacted West Virginia water systems to prepare for these revised EPA guidelines and form a work group to address any potential issues. Dr. Matt Christiansen, state health officer and commissioner of the Bureau for Public Health, emphasized the importance of collaboration and proactive measures in addressing these concerns.

“At the governor’s direction, in an effort of collaboration, our state partners proactively reached out to water systems in West Virginia in preparation of these revised EPA guidelines and have formed a work group to address any potential concerns,” Christiansen stated.

The U.S. Geological Survey, under the direction of the Department of Health and Human Resources, tested the pre-treated water of 279 public water systems in West Virginia. Of these systems, 37 were identified to have detectable levels of PFOA and PFOS in their raw water source. The Geological Survey is conducting further tests on the finished drinking water of these systems, and the results will be shared upon completion.

West Virginia recently received $18.9 million in federal funding over two years to address emerging contaminants like PFAS in drinking water. This funding can be used for a wide range of activities, including research and testing, treatment, source water activities, restructuring, consolidating, or creating water systems, technical assistance, and more. The Department of Health and Human Resources will coordinate with affected communities to administer the funding.

PFAS are commonly used in various industries, including industrial, food, and textile, and can be found in household items such as cleaning products, food packaging, and firefighting foams. Exposure to PFAS over an extended period may lead to negative health effects, including possible carcinogenicity. DEP Secretary Harold Ward stated that a collaborative approach between DHHR, DEP, and public water systems would be the most effective way to address PFAS in the state and protect citizens' health and well-being and the environment.