Kalispell issues notice about ‘forever chemicals’ in water supply
Alex Mitchell
(Daily Montanan) The City of Kalispell issued a consumer drinking water notice Friday, months after the detection of cancer-linked PFAS in two of its wells in July.
The detection made Kalispell the first Montana public water system to test perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances at above health advisory levels. Now, the city is considering possible actions to address the contaminants in its water supply, sometimes referred to as “forever” chemicals because of their inability to breakdown.
One well detected PFOS or perfluorooctane sulfonate at 330 times current health advisory levels established by the Environmental Protection Agency. Studies on human exposure to PFOS found the substance adversely impacts the immune system, the cardiovascular system, child development and can contribute to increased cancer risks, according to the EPA health advisory. Another well detected PFHxS or Perfluorohexane sulfonate in its water, but is below general health advisory levels.
The results came from the first round of nationwide EPA tests that surveyed every Montana water system serving 10,000 or more people, as well as some smaller cities.
The consumer drinking water notice stated Kalispell will sample well sites in March and August to validate the accuracy and reliability of the PFAS detection, alongside active consideration of treatment options.
Kalispell can’t take the contaminated wells offline as the remaining supply would not be enough to keep up with demand, according to the notice.
“Meanwhile, the best action a consumer can take is to learn more about PFAS, and the steps that can be taken to reduce risks associated with possible health effects of exposure to PFAS,” the notice stated.
The notice tells consumers to contact a doctor if concerned and refers to guidance by the EPA on steps to reduce exposure risks that include installing a water filter.
Kalispell’s water system serves roughly 26,000 people, with the contaminated wells making up almost 30% of Kalispell’s total pumping capacity. The contaminated water is diluted with water from other wells before it exits the tap.
Kalispell is considering funding sources to replace the wells through the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. Replacing the wells could take more than a year, according to Kalispell Public Works Director Susie Turner in an interview.
The notice comes after recent reporting by the Daily Montanan on the detection of the substances. Turner told the Daily Montanan the city was planning to share the results of the detection with the publication of its annual Consumer Confidence Report in May, 10 months after the contaminants were detected.
Kalispell has since launched a website to keep the public up-to-date with resources and information on PFAS. The city said it will schedule an open house soon to answer questions on the detection of the forever chemicals.
Turner said the detection came as a complete shock to the department. Origins of the substances in Kalispell remain unknown.
Before being largely phased out of consumer products in the early 2000s, PFAS was used in food packaging, carpets, upholstery, fire-fighting foams and other industrial processes for properties that made products resistant to stains, grease, soil and water. Montana does not have manufacturing that produces or heavily uses PFAS, resulting in low detection rates in the state, according to a statement from the DEQ.
Emerging health concerns around forever chemicals have led 10 states to regulate the substances, although Montana is not one of them. The EPA plans to issue enforceable drinking water standards for PFAS early this year after years of studies and tests around the substances. Montana will then have a two-year period to adopt those standards for its public water systems.
In February, EPA announced almost $19 million for Montana to address contaminants like PFAS in drinking water as part of a national allotment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed by Congress in 2021. That funding could be used to improve local water infrastructure and reduce contaminants in drinking water like with the installation of treatment solutions.
“EPA is delivering on its strategic commitment to address PFAS and emerging contaminants with more than $18 million for infrastructure projects that will safeguard Montana’s drinking water for years to come,” EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker said in a press release. “These funds will help water providers invest in treatment technologies and solutions to contamination concerns in the communities that need them most.”