Globe will receive state support to deal with PFAS-contaminated water

Two mobile home parks outside Globe's city limits will be connected to the municipal water system due to concerns over PFAS water contamination.

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality detected some chemicals in private wells that supply residents in HAV Properties and August Hills. A partnership between the agency and the city will help connect those residents to the city supply, which is PFAS-free, said Globe City Manager Paul Jepson.

PFAS, short for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are chemicals of increasing concern worldwide.

Industries have manufactured and used PFAS chemicals in a wide variety of products for decades, and traces of them can now be found globally in water and soil. Many of them don't break down easily and are difficult to get rid of, they've been dubbed "forever chemicals."

Scientific evidence shows that long-term exposure to some of these chemicals can cause severe health issues that include cancer, developmental effects and reproductive disorders. Exposure to PFAS through drinking water is a main concern, but currently, there are no rules enforcing limits on public water systems.

The Environmental Protection Agency proposed limits for six kinds of PFAS in drinking water in March 2023. When approved, it would become the first regulatory standard for the chemicals.

Some agencies and public water systems are working proactively to monitor and treat contaminated water ahead of the ruling.

In Globe, ADEQ will oversee the project to design and build two more connections to the city system, Jepson said. The project will be funded from $5 million of state money that Gov. Katie Hobbs earmarked last year to identify, contain and treat PFAS in the state's water sources.

“The city of Globe remains dedicated to providing a safe and adequate water supply to both city and nearby county residents and will continue to take the lead in water safety in partnership with ADEQ,” Jepson added.

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PFAS contamination in at least 70 water systems

Since 2023, the EPA has required water systems serving more than 3,300 people to screen for 29 different kinds of PFAS. Once the proposed rule is approved, it will also require them to notify water customers of the results and treat and reduce the levels of PFAS if they exceed the EPA limits. EPA is expected to finalize the rule in 2024.

Systems serving fewer than 3,300 people — 90% of all water systems in Arizona — are not covered by EPA's monitoring rule.

ADEQ wanted to ensure that the half-million people served by those systems are aware of the safety and quality of their water. So, the agency began a statewide screening effort last year to sample over 1,200 water systems. The effort is 90% complete.

At least 82 water systems tested by ADEQ between 2018 and 2023 had a well with PFAS levels above the proposed EPA limit, public data analyzed by The Republic showed. Results of the tests are available online on the agency's PFAS interactive map.

Those systems would need to mitigate PFAS contamination once the rule is in effect. That could mean installing treatment plants, shutting or relocating wells, finding new water sources, or blending affected wells with other water sources to lower the level of contaminants.

ADEQ received $42 million from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for testing, treatment and infrastructure improvements, and PFAS education.

The agency will "identify and prioritize small water systems and disadvantaged communities with higher PFAS levels and the greatest need for assistance to provide them with technical and financial support," said communications director Caroline Oppleman.

The agency has directed outreach on PFAS testing and mitigation to water providers and operators who will be subject to EPA’s rule. On Feb. 1, ADEQ will host an Arizona PFAS Forum for water system owners and operators, in collaboration with the Arizona Water Association's Water Treatment Committee.

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Globe shuts one well, continues monitoring

The wells on HAV Properties/Palmer's MHP and August Hills were tested on April 2023 for PFAS by ADEQ. Two PFAS chemicals were above the EPA's proposed limits.

HAV Properties' water had 4.42 parts per trillion of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, or PFOS. August Hills' water had 2.6 ppt of PFOS and 5.28 ppt of perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA.

Both chemicals have a proposed limit of 4 ppt. The ideal, health-based level is zero, according to the EPA.

Being exposed to these chemicals, even for a short period of time, can have adverse health effects, mounting scientific evidence suggests.

ADEQ began coordinating with the city and the two mobile home parks' public water systems in November 2023. A month later, the Globe City Council approved a plan to connect the mobile home parks to the municipal water system.

"If I had to do this on my own I couldn't afford it, so it's such a wonderful thing to be able to receive help," said August Hills owner John Halliday. He acquired the property about two years ago and while working on improvements received notice about the PFAS results.

Until last year, he hadn't heard about PFAS chemicals or the proposed EPA ruling, he said.

"I just know that there are some things that might be in the water that I want to keep from my tenants," he added. He said the help from ADEQ and Globe was "a blessing for everybody on the (mobile home) park."

Water systems monitor for nearly 100 chronic contaminants, and PFAS chemicals are the latest addition.

Allan Palmer, owner of the HAV Properties mobile home park, said he posts all the water testing results on the bulletin board in the common laundry room. He recalls doing the same with PFAS test results.

He said he suspects that the use of fire retardant by Forest Service crews on nearby hills could be connected with the PFAS presence in well water.

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Globe has been conducting PFAS testing on its own, as part of EPA's mandatory fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, for systems serving more than 3,300 people.

The city tested for PFAS in July and December 2023, Jepson said. One well, which was not in service at the time, had some PFAS levels above the limits advised by the EPA. Jepsen said the council decided to maintain that well offline indefinitely to protect water quality and consumer health.

Wells from the Pinto Valley Mine and one well owned by Freeport McMoran, tested by ADEQ, also had PFAS levels above the EPA proposed limit.

Clara Migoya covers agriculture and water issues for The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Send tips or questions to clara.migoya@arizonarepublic.com.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Globe to receive state support to deal with PFAS water contamination