Kennewick finds ‘forever chemicals’ in its drinking water for the second spring in a row

For the second spring in a row, Kennewick has found “forever chemicals” in its drinking water that are above Washington state’s standards. 

The city of Kennewick is warning people who are pregnant, breastfeeding or mixing infant formula with tap water to find other sources of drinking water — preferably, filtered bottled water. 

The amount of “forever chemicals,” or PFAs, the city has found is above state standards — by about two drops in an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Samples showed 16.7 parts per trillion, which is above the state action level of 15 parts per trillion. 

The contamination level has dropped very slightly since last spring, when it was 17.9 parts per trillion. The contamination the city found this year is the same type as last year, said Jeremy Lustig, Kennewick’s deputy public works director.

“It appears to be cyclical in nature, based on the limited data we have so far,” Lustig said.

According to city leaders, the source of the increased levels of contamination is still uncertain. The city analyzes water samples for “forever chemicals” each quarter.

“ There’s no way to really guess (where the chemicals are coming from),” Lusting said. “It’s all coming from the ground, and these are man-made chemicals that have been introduced into the atmosphere for many, many decades. So it’s very difficult to determine exactly where they’re coming from.”

The chemicals were found at Kennewick’s Ranney Collector, which provides 50 to 60% of the city’s yearly water supply. The Ranney Collector pulls water from the groundwater. In the summer, supplemental water comes from the Columbia River, Lustig said.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are chemicals found in lots of products, from fast food wrappers to non-stick pots and pans to a common type of firefighting foam. They’re odorless and colorless. They don’t break down in the environment.

The Washington Department of Ecology estimates that almost all Americans have some level of PFAs in their bloodstream. According to the department, 43 states have PFAs-contaminated drinking water systems.

The impacts on people’s health still aren’t completely understood, but higher concentrations of PFAs could lead to higher cholesterol levels, thyroid problems and testicular and kidney cancers, according to the state Department of Health.

Boiling water doesn’t help remove PFAs. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, some water filters help, such as charcoal filters or reverse osmosis systems.

Last April, the EPA  made its PFAs limits more stringent for six types of “forever chemicals.” Starting in 2029, the PFOA/PFOS limits allowed in drinking water will drop to 4 parts per trillion. 

These chemicals are notoriously difficult to remove. City leaders also have been in contact with the city of Vancouver, which is putting in treatment systems for its PFAs contamination.

The city of Kennewick is working with an engineering team to design a treatment system. Right now, the city is looking at a system that would be another step in the treatment process, Lustig said. It would cost an estimated $20 to $30 million.

“ Most likely it would end up being a granulated activated carbon (system),” he said. “These are very, very large vessels that have granulated activated carbon in them. And we would basically push the water through these vessels as part of the treatment process.”

Kind of like a giant Brita filter.

Kennewick recently received $15 million from the state Department of Health’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loan program. That should help fund the plant. If that loan falls through, the city can pay for it by raising rates, something they’re hoping to avoid, Lustig said.

According to Lusting, the goal is to have the plant up and running by April 2028, a year before the federal government’s compliance standards are expected to kick in.

And hopefully, fewer of these systems will be needed as these “forever chemicals” continue to be removed from products, he said.

“ (If we’re) no longer making it, no longer putting it in clothes, no longer using in a firefighter foam (or makeup),” he said, “ as it becomes less available in the atmosphere, you’re going to see less of it in water sources.”