PFAS

Responding to PFAS challenges will require collaboration. The Alliance is prepared to play its role as an environmental and public health steward for the community and is taking proactive steps to address this challenge.

PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, often called “forever chemicals”) are a group of human-made chemicals that don’t break down. They are used in a wide variety of products, and some can accumulate in living things — including humans — with harmful effects. More detailed information about these chemicals is provided below in the section “PFAS defined.”

The Alliance receives and treats wastewater before returning the resources back to the environment. PFAS is not used in the management of your wastewater, and it can’t be easily removed from wastewater at the treatment plant. PFAS ends up in wastewater from its widespread residential, commercial and industrial use and the disposal of products that contain these chemicals.

PFAS is used to make many common household items nonstick, stain-resistant or waterproof. It’s also used in many cleaning and personal care products. When these items are used in your home or washed in your sink, dishwasher or washing machine, PFAS can enter your wastewater.

The choices we make as consumers can have a direct impact on our water quality. Products with the EPA’s “Safer Choice” label have been certified to be free of harmful chemicals. The non-profit Environmental Working Group also has recommendations for more friendly cleaning products, outdoor gear and cookware.

Read on to learn more about PFAS and what you can do.

Regulatory Update

The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) introduced the first national drinking water standard for PFAS this spring. The EPA recently approved a test method but does not yet have a PFAS standard that applies to wastewater treatment. Scientists are also working on developing and advancing techniques to remove PFAS from wastewater. We’re closely watching these developments.

Common Household Products

Removing PFAS from wastewater

Source: WA Dept. of Ecology

What You Can Do

Every one of us plays an important role in protecting our environment. The choices we make as consumers and how we dispose of products can have direct impacts on water quality. Please visit the websites listed below for more information.

Exposure to PFAS comes from everyday products we use throughout our daily life. Where possible, switching to PFAS-free products reduces not only daily exposure to these chemicals, but also helps to decrease the amount of PFAS entering the environment when they are disposed or washed down sinks and drains.

There are resources available that can be used to identify products without added chemicals. Both the EPA’s Safer Choice Program and Environmental Working Group (EWG) certify products that do not contain harmful ingredients. You can find more information at:

Stay Informed

We update this website as new information becomes available. You can also contact Kristen Thomas, Regulatory Compliance Manager if you have questions or would like more information.

PFAS Defined

PFAS stands for “per and polyfluoroalkyl substances,” a large group of manmade chemicals that have been used for decades in a variety of industrial and household applications. PFAS are highly resistant to heat, water and oil. They are widely used in products such as firefighting foams, non-stick cookware, stain-resistant furniture and carpets, water-repellant clothing, cosmetics, paint and food packaging.

Two specific PFAS chemicals, known as perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS), are the most widely used and studied. They have been phased out of use in the United States but replaced with other PFAS compounds in recent years.

PFAS do not break down in water, soil, or air. They can travel long distances through the environment and accumulate in plants and animals. Because of their chemical properties and their common use, PFAS are now detected all over the world, including in the blood of humans and animals, food products and the environment.

PFAS is passively received in wastewater and is not a part of the treatment process. The chemical structure of PFAS chemicals makes them very difficult to break down. They are not treated by normal wastewater processes. Technologies to remove PFAS are still in development and will be expensive to implement at the scale of a wastewater treatment plant. The most effective way to remove PFAS from wastewater and keep it out of the environment is through source control and pollution prevention — keeping it out of our water and wastewater in the first place.

Research into the health effects of PFAS is ongoing. Scientific understanding of the impacts of these chemicals continues to evolve. There is evidence that exposure to certain PFAS chemicals may be linked to harmful effects in humans and animals. More information is available on the Washington State Department of Health website.

What’s Being Done About PFAS:

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed a PFAS Strategic Roadmap. It explains actions and timelines for research, restrictions and remediation of PFAS. The EPA has taken several actions outlined in this plan:

  • Drinking water regulations: The EPA recently finalized national drinking water standards for certain PFAS chemicals. You can find more information about this new regulation on the EPA website.
  • CERCLA designation: The EPA designated two PFAS chemicals, PFOA and PFOS, as “hazardous substances” under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), also known as Superfund. This law allows the EPA to initiate cleanup of contaminated sites and imposes liability on parties responsible for contamination.
  • Water quality criteria: The EPA develops pollutant-specific criteria for determining the health of water bodies for use by people and aquatic life. EPA is developing these criteria for PFOA and PFOS. When these standards are finalized and adopted by states, they can be used to determine limits for wastewater effluent discharges.

EPA PFAS Communications Toolkit

Source: EPA PFAS Communications Toolkit

At the state level, the Departments of Ecology and Health jointly developed a PFAS Chemical Action Plan. It identifies and evaluates uses and releases of PFAS and recommends actions to protect human health and the environment. Both agencies are taking steps detailed in the plan to address PFAS at the state level.

The Department of Ecology also implemented the Safer Products for Washington program to reduce the use of certain chemicals, including PFAS, in consumer products by restricting or eliminating those chemicals when safer alternatives are available. You can learn more about this program on the department’s website.

The Alliance is monitoring state and federal actions in preparation for upcoming requirements and regulations. We are undergoing voluntary testing of our wastewater and participating in a statewide biosolids sampling study, so we can better understand the concentrations of PFAS in our wastewater system. We will share information when it becomes available.

It is important to note that PFAS are not used in the wastewater collection or treatment system. These chemicals enter the system through the use and disposal of PFAS-containing products in our homes and businesses and are received at treatment plants that have not been designed to remove or destroy them. As a public utility providing an essential service to our customers, we are committed to our role as stewards of public and environmental health and are preparing to take the necessary actions to address this environmental challenge.

Wastewater Operator collecting samples

Wastewater Operator analyzing samples at the Salmon Creek Treatment Plant