Illinois EPA to Conduct Statewide PFAS Investigation
This past Monday, September 14, 2020, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) announced that the State will conduct a
“…. statewide investigation into the prevalence and occurrence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in finished drinking water at all 1,749 community water supplies in Illinois. Data gathered as part of this investigation will aid in the development of future Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) regulatory standards for PFAS. The statewide investigation is expected to take 12 to 15 months to complete. Illinois EPA has directly notified each of the community water supplies undergoing testing and appreciates their cooperation in this important project. If PFAS chemicals are detected, Illinois EPA will work with community water supplies to ensure residents are informed and to determine next steps to reducing exposure.”
18 PFAS will be analyzed using EPA Method 537.1.
Link to IEPA Press Release:
https://www2.illinois.gov/Pages/news-item.aspx?ReleaseID=22078
In addition, the Press Release indicates IEPA will propose to the Illinois Pollution Control Board groundwater quality standards for five PFAS as follows:
| Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS) | 140,000 parts per trillion (ppt) |
| Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) | 140 ppt |
| Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) | 21 ppt |
| Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) | 14 ppt |
| Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) | 21 ppt |
EPA Webinar on Water Quality Impacts Due to Wildfires
On September 29, 2020 EPA will hold a webinar from 2:00 to 3:30 pm (ET) on “Wildfires and Resulting Impacts to Water Bodies Used as Drinking Water.” A copy of EPA’s announcement with a link to register for the webinar is here (EPA Webinar_Wildfires and Water Quality_ FLYER).
