Recent water test results from the city of Vancouver show levels for some PFAS, also known as forever chemicals, have decreased while others have remained steady or increased. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — PFAS — are a large group of chemicals that includes perfluorooctane sulfonate, or PFOS, perfluorooctanoic acid, PFOA, perfluorononanoic acid, PFNA, and perfluorohexane sulfonate, or PFHxS, all of which have been detected in humans. Water samples collected in February showed PFOA levels at five of the city’s nine water stations above the maximum level of 4 parts per trillion set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. For those five water stations, levels ranged from 4.4 to 8.8 parts per trillion, which are still below the state level of 10 parts per trillion. When compared with test results from August and November, the recent results show some improvement. Those earlier test results ranged from 4.9 to 12.5 parts per trillion. Additionally, PFOS levels at all but one water station remained above the EPA maximum of 4 parts per trillion, ranging from 4.9 to 17 parts per trillion. Only two of the nine stations were above the state level. The 2024 test results for the nine stations ranged from 5.5 to 21.4 parts per trillion.

“The changes are very small amounts. Results are measured in ppt or parts per trillion, where 1 ppt is equivalent to a single drop of water in 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools,” Nicole Walters, with the city’s public works department, said in an email. Forever chemicals came into widespread use in the 1940s and ’50s, and were used to make a wide array of products, including nonstick cookware, stain-resistant fabrics for outdoor clothing, food packaging and firefighting foam. Although some older PFAS have since been banned or are no longer used, newer PFAS are still in use today. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows PFAS can increase health risks. Exposure to PFAS may lead to higher cholesterol levels, elevated liver enzymes, increased risk of kidney and testicular cancer, and increased risk of thyroid disease. Vancouver has been testing for PFAS at its nine water stations since at least 2013, well before the EPA established maximum levels for six types of the forever chemicals. Test results from 2013 found no detectable levels of PFAS in Vancouver’s water supply. In late 2020, new testing methods found low levels of the forever chemicals. Additional testing in 2023 and 2024, which is now done quarterly, found increasing levels of the chemicals.

Vancouver is working to reduce the levels of forever chemicals in its drinking water supply. To date, the city has raised about $37.5 million through state and federal grants and low-interest loans. That’s about 20 percent of the $200 million the city will need to install filtration systems where needed. “Our proposed PFAS treatment will remove PFAS compounds for compliance with the EPA’s (maximum contaminant levels). Technology in drinking water treatment media is continuously evolving with new understandings of emerging contaminants, and so we’re designing our systems to be as flexible and adaptable as possible to adopt new treatment media if appropriate for our production sites,” Walters said. Upgrades are planned for water Stations 4, 9 and 14, with Station 14 set to be the first to receive the new filtration system. Walters said construction is expected to begin this summer. Walters said Station 4 is in the design phase for treatment systems, with construction expected to start in 2026. Water Station 9 will complete the design phase later this year. “As treatment is brought online, PFAS concentrations in our water system will decline. We’re prioritizing treatment at our production facilities that have higher PFAS concentrations,” Walters said.

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