PFAS Task Force Meeting
Public MeetingWatch Town Hall Here
Communities across the country are confronting the presence of PFAS in surface water and groundwater. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), PFAS are manufactured chemicals that have been used in industry and consumer products since the 1940s. The EPA believes that exposure to different PFAS may lead to a variety of health effects. The EPA has established health advisory levels for different PFAS in drinking water. (For additional information from the EPA concerning PFAS, go to https://www.epa.gov/pfas.)
In response to the disclosure earlier this year that Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS) were found in groundwater samples collected at the Army National Guard Santa Fe Readiness Center (121 Aviation Dr. Santa Fe NM 87507), Santa Fe County (County) conducted a PFAS Study in the communities of La Cienega and La Cieneguilla areas to characterize the contamination.
Santa Fe County PFAS Study
The Santa Fe County PFAS Study is being conducted with funding from the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED). Santa Fe County contracted with INTERA, Incorporated (INTERA) to study the potential magnitude, distribution, and potential sources of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in groundwater southwest of Santa Fe. A total of 8 surface water and 82 drinking water well samples from La Cienega and La Cieneguilla were analyzed at a laboratory for the presence of PFAS. Exceedances of the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for PFOS, PFOA, PFHxS, PFNA, and PFBS — specific PFAS compounds with established NMED and EPA drinking water standards — were detected in several La Cieneguilla drinking water well samples. While PFAS were detected in some wells in La Cienega, none exceeded MCLs. Potential sources of PFAS contamination include aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) stored for firefighting purposes at the Army National Guard Aviation Support Facility (AASF), infiltration from biosolids surface disposal, septic tanks, potential AFFF use at the City of Santa Fe airport, and wastewater effluent from the Paseo Real Water Reclamation Facility (PRWRF).
Suggested short term mitigation options to protect human health include Point of Use (POU) Water Treatment: POU systems focus treatment on the point where water is directly consumed (i.e. faucet or pour-through pitchers) or Point of Entry (POE) Water Treatment: POE systems treat all incoming water and may be installed on the well. Long term mitigation options may include deeper wells if feasible, connecting to a public water system, and potential remediation. To see a summary document of findings from the study, click here.
click here.
To better assess PFAS contamination in groundwater, surface water, and the leaching potential in soils, Santa Fe County will conduct additional work. This may involve installing monitoring wells at various depths along the Santa Fe River and southwest of the AASF, conducting quarterly sampling of certain drinking wells in La Cieneguilla, collecting more surface water samples from the Santa Fe River, and evaluating the soil leaching potential in the land application areas within the PRWRF (to be conducted in conjunction with and at the permission of the City of Santa Fe).
To address the PFAS contamination found in the groundwater of these communities, NMED is offering free well water testing and well filters to residents of La Cienega and La Cieneguilla. To learn more, please contact Mr. Andrew Hautzinger, NMED Water Protection Division Special Projects Coordinator, at andrew.hautzinger@env.nm.gov or (505) 469-9064.
For more information please visit:
- PFAS Explained
- Información básica sobre PFAS
- What effects do PFAS have on health?
- ¿Qué efectos tienen las PFAS en la salud?
- How to get PFAS Out of Your Drinking Water
- Second Quarter Groundwater Monitoring Event City of Santa Fe Paseo Real Wastewater Reclamation Facility
- For more information please visit: Ultimate Guide: PFAS in Drinking Water
