The Environmental Protection Agency updated drinking water health advisories for PFOA and PFOS were released on June 15.
The Greensboro Water Resources Department responded with a press release, including a video presentation by Water Resources Director Mike Borchers answering common questions asked about the new guidelines.
In the video, Borchers said, “Is our water safe? Absolutely and emphatically, yes, it is. We perform hundreds of thousands of water quality tests each year and it meets or exceeds all state and federal regulatory limits and parameters for water quality. I stand behind the water we provide each and every day to our customers.”
Borchers said, “Health advisory levels are guidelines” and notes that they are not enforceable or regulatory.
He also says that the results of the testing for PFOS and PFOA are available online dating back to 2018. Those results can be found here: www.greensboro-nc.gov/departments/water-resources .
Borchers says that the EPA guidelines set in 2016 were for a combined PFOS and PFOA level of 70 parts per trillion and that a part per trillion was equivalent to one drop in an Olympic sized swimming pool.
The new EPA guidelines for PFOA is 0.004 ppt and for PFOS is 0.02 ppt.
Borchers says, “Our commitment is to use these as guidelines.
Borchers notes that the Water Resources Department has been proactive in dealing with PFOA and PFOS and in 2015 started a watershed study and evaluation to determine the source of these emerging contaminants.
He said, “Currently we are doing pilot testing of advanced treatment technology at our Mitchell Water Treatment Plan.”
Borchers said that once the best method of removing the contaminants was determined, the Water Resources Department would begin the engineering and design phases to upgrade the treatment plant “to remove these emerging contaminants to nearly non detect levels.”
the online water quality report is incomprehensible . the previous paper report was. our pti airport firefighters poisoned our water supply during training exercises by dumping PFAS containing fire suppressant into horsepen creek which feeds into our water source lakes. we are at the top of the cape fear river watershed. where is our gov’ts accountability? nowhere! people buy forever plastic bottled water for a reason. SHNIT WORLD !