The Illinois Department of Public Health is requesting private well owners check if they are in the vicinity of community water systems (CWS) that have shown elevated levels of one or more Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in testing conducted by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA).
These chemicals are more commonly known as PFAS. Also called “forever chemicals,” PFAS are stable, persistent chemicals that can accumulate in the human body over time. Excess levels of PFAS have been linked to a number of potential health issues, including higher risks of cancer, thyroid disease, decreased birth weight, increased total cholesterol in adults, and decreased vaccine responses in children.
The presence of PFAS in the source water for those community water stystems means there could also be elevated levels in the groundwater that supplies nearby private wells.
IDPH recommends well owners in the vicinity of impacted CWS have their water tested by a private laboratory, and consider other options, such as installing carbon filters on their faucets.
The Illinois EPA recently sent notices to 47 CWS, and 10 CWS with emergency connections, around the state whose systems indicated levels of PFAS in excess of groundwater quality standards.
“The overwhelming majority of Illinois’s water systems do not show signs of elevated PFAS levels,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. “However, it is important for Illinois residents to know where and when elevated levels are present and to take appropriate steps to respond.” IDPH’s Division of Environmental Health can assist private well owners by providing information they need to have their water tested and to address any concerns.”
For a list of laboratories certified to analyze drinking water for PFAS, interpretation of test results, contaminant health effects information, and recommendations for individuals who regularly consume well water, Illinoians can contact IDPH by phone at (217)-782-5830 or by email at dph.tox@Illinois.gov.
More information about these chemicals can be found online at PFAS in Drinking Water.
