PFAS

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued final drinking water standards for six poly- and perfluoroalkyl (PFAS) compounds. Aurora Water provides water to customers that meet all of the EPA's finalized drinking water standards for the six PFAS compounds.

PFAS Sources

What are PFAS?

PFAS are a group of more than 6,000 man-made chemicals that have been manufactured and used in home consumer products such as carpets, clothing, food packaging and cookware since the 1940s. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) have been the most extensively produced and studied.

PFAS are used in many applications because of their unique physical properties, such as resistance to high and low temperatures, resistance to degradation and nonstick characteristics. PFAS have been detected worldwide in the air, soil and water. Due to their widespread use and persistence in the environment, most people in the United States have been exposed to PFAS. The EPA has determined there is evidence that continued exposure above specific levels to certain PFAS may cause adverse health effects. The science around these chemicals is evolving. Scientists are hard at work understanding the chemicals, their risk to human health and how to mitigate that risk.

National Drinking Water Standards for PFAS

On April 10, 2024, the EPA issued drinking water regulatory standards for six PFAS compounds.

The standards individually regulate the maximum contaminant level (MCL) of six PFAS in drinking water. PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFNA and HFPO-DA are regulated with individual MCLs. To account for the combined and co-occurring levels of these PFAS in drinking water, PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA and PFBS are regulated as a mixture using a hazard index. A hazard index is a tool used to evaluate combined risk from exposure to a mixture of contaminants.

Aurora Water's PFAS testing over the past two years are below the MCLs and the hazard index.

For more information about the standards, please visit https://www.EPA.gov/SDWA/and-Polyfluoroalkyl-Substances-PFAS.

Regulatory requirement and timeline

The EPA is requiring public water systems to do the following:

Public water systems must monitor for the regulated PFAS and have three years to complete initial monitoring (by 2027), followed by ongoing compliance monitoring. Water systems must also provide the public with information on the levels of the regulated PFAS in their drinking water beginning in 2027.
Public water systems have five years (by 2029) to implement solutions that reduce these PFAS if monitoring shows that drinking water levels exceed the MCLs for the regulated PFAS.
Beginning in 2029, public water systems that have PFAS in their drinking water that violates one or more of the MCLs for the regulated PFAS must take action to reduce PFAS levels in their drinking water and must provide public notification of the violation.

Actions Aurora Water is taking on PFAS in drinking water

Aurora Water has been taking proactive steps to address PFAS in drinking water for more than five years. To learn more about the steps Aurora Water has taken to collect PFAS data and the proactive treatment changes that have already been taken, see the information for the Aurora Water PFAS Timeline.

Aurora Water's 2023 PFAS data

We have been voluntarily monitoring our finished drinking water for PFAS since 2019. The following are results from our 2023 monitoring.

2023 PFAS test results - all PFAS levels were below detection

ppt = parts per trillion
Minimum reporting level (MRL) is the lowest concentration that can be accurately measured in a sample.
There were a total of 10 sampling events in 2023.

How does PFAS get into water sources?

PFAS can enter water sources through various pathways.

Consumer products and everyday use:

PFAS are present in many consumer products, such as non-stick cookware, stain-resistant fabrics, and waterproofing.

When we use these products, small amounts of PFAS get washed down the drain and flow into wastewater systems.

Industrial Processes and Waste Storage:

Manufacturing facilities that produce or use PFAS release these chemicals into the environment.

Waste storage and treatment sites associated with industrial processes also contribute to PFAS contamination.

Landfills and waste disposal facilities are common sources of PFAS contamination.

Sewage and Treatment Plants:

Wastewater treatment plants receive water from households, industries, and other sources.

Most wastewater treatment plants are not advanced enough to effectively remove PFAS.

As a result, PFAS remain in the treated water and biosolids (recycled sewage) that may be used in agriculture or other applications.

Military Bases and Airports:

Military bases and airports are major contributors to PFAS contamination.

Training and testing exercises using firefighting foam release PFAS into the environment.

Nearby communities may also experience groundwater and drinking water contamination due to their proximity to these facilities

PFAS FAQ

Why are we hearing about PFAS now if they've been around for decades?

PFAS compounds are difficult to detect. They exist in most products at extremely miniscule levels. It’s only recently that laboratory testing technology could even see them at the levels being discussed.

Technological advances now allow us to detect concentrations in the parts-per-trillion (ppt) range. The scientific understanding and regulatory response to these compounds is evolving. This includes potential public health implications.

Aurora Water is closely monitoring the new EPA drinking water guidelines for PFAS chemicals and will be working with the state to protect public health. Aurora Water will always use the latest and best available technology to monitor and safeguard your drinking water.

Are PFAS regulated?

National drinking water quality standards are set by the EPA and administered in our state by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). Under the Safe Drinking Water Act, the EPA issues national health-based standards for drinking water to protect against both naturally occurring and man-made substances that may be found in drinking water.

On April 10, 2024, the EPA released its first drinking water regulation regarding six PFAS. EPA now regulates PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFNA and HFPO-DA as individual substances, and PFHxS, PFNA, PFBS and HFPO-DA (commonly referred to as GenX) as a PFAS mixture. The MCL is the highest level of a substance that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are enforceable standards set by the EPA.

These regulations state PFOS and PFOA MCLs are set at 4.0 ppt and PFHxS, PFNA and HPFO-DA MCLs are set at 10.0 ppt. These regulations are enforceable in 2029.

For some of these PFAS compounds, water systems would use an established approach called a hazard index calculation, defined in the proposed rule, to determine if the combined levels of these PFAS pose a potential risk. The PFAS mixture MCL would be a hazard index of 1.

Potential health effects

Research has shown there may be health effects associated with exposure to some PFAS. Because there are many types of PFAS chemicals, which often occur in complex mixtures and in various everyday products, researchers face challenges in studying them. More research is needed to fully understand all sources of exposure, and if and how they may cause health problems. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences provides updated information on health effects as well as a searchable database of published scientific papers about PFAS, which can be found here.

Aurora Water's treatment process

Public health and the quality of your drinking water is Aurora Water’s top priority. Aurora’s water continues to meet or exceed all state and federal drinking water standards.

Aurora Water strives to provide clean, safe, great-tasting drinking water to its customers. Aurora’s water comes primarily from high-quality surface water sources originating from high in the mountains. We use direct and conventional filtration to treat our mountain water.

The city also uses river water from the South Platte River through the Prairie Waters System. This system recaptures water using a multibarrier process that includes granular activated carbon, which is an approved technique to reduce PFAS levels.

What is Aurora Water doing about PFAS?

Aurora Water is committed to protecting our residents and our resources. Staff have been engaged in numerous discussions at Federal, Regional and State levels (including regulators and legislators) stressing the importance of appropriately regulating, managing and remediating PFAS substances. The multibarrier approach used in our treatment system means we have flexibility in treating new substances.

These communications have included the importance of holding those parties who introduced the PFAS into the environment responsible for remediation and clean-up and the importance of prohibiting additional use of PFAS compounds in the manufacture of goods.

In 2022, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed into law the most comprehensive state bill restricting the sale of PFAS in consumer products, as well as fluids used in the extraction of oil and gas products, as early as 2024. Eliminating PFAS at the source is the best way to keep it out of the environment. Staff will continue to engage in these discussions.

Aurora Water also investigates potential solutions using a pilot treatment plant, which is housed in the Binney Water Purification Facility. This pilot plant is used to test a variety of water treatment processes’ efficiency, capability and effectiveness. The pilot plant system, which operates independently from the rest of our water treatment processes, allows operators to further research PFAS reduction processes.

We also support a growing body of peer-reviewed scientific research on PFAS. As a leader in the water industry, Aurora Water is engaged in stakeholder and other local, state and national opportunities to develop solutions. Aurora Water will continue to closely monitor the EPA’s guidelines on PFAS to inform our next steps.

If PFAS are in so many consumer goods, why haven't I heard about the PFAS levels in them?

Drinking water providers test their product more than just about any other industry. Water quality is highly regulated, primarily through CDPHE, which is the enforcement of the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Act and Clean Water Act. Measuring PFAS in water is easier compared to measuring exposure from other sources of PFAS like clothing, food packaging or dental floss.

How can you help protect water quality?

We encourage residents to avoid PFAS when purchasing consumer goods and new household products. This will not only protect your health but also prevent the compounds from further entering our environment. For a list of PFAS-free consumer goods, visit PFAS Central.

I received information about a water filter, but a company gave me a quote that cost hundreds or thousands of dollars. Do I really need a water filter?

Aurora Water does not recommend installing home filtration devices. It’s more effective to treat water systemwide where it can be managed by trained and licensed water treatment professionals and supported through our state-of-the-art laboratory. If you do use a filter, for example with your refrigerator’s water or ice dispenser, please make sure that you replace the filter regularly based on the manufacturer’s recommendation.

Surrounding communities have received reports of companies using predatory sales tactics to scare customers into paying more than they need to on water treatment options.

Welcome to theCity of AuroraColorado