Austin Water report shows few traces of ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water

Austin Water on Tuesday released a report showing that the Environmental Protection Agency had found “little to no detectable traces” of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – or PFAS – in the city’s drinking water. Known as “forever chemicals,” PFAS have been linked to birth defects and cancer.

According to a news release, Austin Water’s tests performed in October on all three of the city’s water treatment plants were verified by the EPA. The results showed no detectable amounts of the six PFAS compounds currently proposed for regulation by the EPA in treated tap water.

The utility reported that only one of the chemicals in the PFAS category, perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA), was found in drinking water in the range of “5-8 parts per trillion, or the equivalent of a few drops of water in 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools.” The EPA has not set a health advisory level for this compound, and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality reports that PFBA is commonly found around the state.

“Austinites should be proud of the environmental protections that have been in place for decades to protect our water quality at the source,” interim City Manager Jesús Garza said. “These regional efforts to reduce the presence of pollutants in the Highland Lakes continue to protect our community today.”

About 20 years ago, Garza served for a short time as deputy general manager for environmental issues at the Lower Colorado River Authority.

Austin Water notes that a number of environmental protection programs help keep Austin’s water clean, including the LCRA’s Clean Rivers Program as well as land and water use regulations. As a result, the Highland Lakes are less impacted by industries and activities that produce contaminants such as PFAS.

Austin Water said it’s awaiting the analysis and review by the EPA of a second round of water samples taken early this year, and two additional rounds of PFAS testing will be conducted by the end of the year. Test results and verification take approximately 90 days.

“Austin Water’s No. 1 priority is to protect public health and keep our water safe for all of our community’s drinking water needs,” Austin Water Director Shay Ralls Roalson said. “We’re pleased that this round of test results confirms that our customers are drinking the high-quality water they deserve.”

PFAS chemicals have been around since the 1940s and have been found in a variety of products. That includes firefighting foam used to put out fires caused by flammable liquids like jet fuel, oil and gasoline. Last year, the Department of Defense announced that it would stop purchasing firefighting foam, a major source of PFAS at airbases and airports. In 2022, the Austin American-Statesman reported that Austin-Bergstrom International Airport was the only place in Travis County known to contain groundwater PFAS pollution.

“As required of some water utilities under the Safe Water Drinking Act, Austin Water first conducted PFAS monitoring tests of drinking water samples from the Davis and Ullrich Water Treatment Plants between October 2013 and July 2014,” Austin Water spokesperson José Emperador told the Austin Monitor. “There were no detections in any of those samples analyzed.”

Photo made available through a Creative Commons license.

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