Ecology: Edmonds school needs to find source of PFAS [View all]

EDMONDS — The state Department of Ecology is advising the Edmonds School District to “take immediate corrective action” to reduce dangerous forever chemicals in Madrona K-8 School’s stormwater management system, after local water officials and a consulting firm both found contamination.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are found in hundreds of products, including nonstick cookware and firefighting foams. When people are exposed, PFAS can increase risks of certain cancers and weaken the body’s immune system.

The chemicals are not affecting the school’s drinking water. But environmental activists and leadership at the Olympic View Water and Sewer District are concerned PFAS will seep into the Deer Creek aquifer that supplies drinking water to homes in Edmonds, Woodway and parts of unincorporated Snohomish County

In a letter sent earlier this month, officials with Ecology’s Water Quality Program recommended the school district locate the source of the PFAS. If the school district cannot find the source, Ecology proposed using “additional or alternative” stormwater treatment methods known to remove PFAS from runoff.

https://www.heraldnet.com/news/ecology-edmonds-school-needs-to-find-source-of-pfas/