Important Information on PFOA and PFOS

There has been a lot of recent news, reactions and questions regarding perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), namely perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) & perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in the area.  PFOA and PFOS are fluorinated organic chemicals that are part of a larger group of chemicals referred to as perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs).  PFOA and PFOS have been the most extensively produced and studied of these chemicals.  They have been used to make carpets, clothing, fabrics for furniture, paper packaging for food and other materials (e.g., cookware) that are resistant to water, grease or stains.  They are also used for firefighting at airfields and in a number of industrial processes.

In 2013, as part of the Unregulated Contaminant Rule #3 (UCMR3), PRA sampled on two separate occasions (March and September) for PFC’s at all active well sites.  Both sample occurrences for all four well sites returned as non-detectable. 

With the recent discovery that North Penn Water Authority (NPWA) had levels close to or exceeding the Health Advisory Level (HAL) of 70 parts per trillion in 2 of their municipals wells in East Rockhill Township, the Perkasie Regional Authority Board directed the staff to re-sample the PRA well sites to ensure that there is still no detectable levels of these compounds.  As always Perkasie Regional Authority is dedicated to providing the safest possible water supply around the clock to our consumers.

Due to the recent health concerns regarding PFOA’s and PFOS’s Perkasie Regional Authority elected to voluntarily re-sample all four of our water system’s entry points on September 22^nd 2016.  When the initial round of testing was done in 2013 all four entry points were determined to have non-detectable levels of PFOA’s and PFOS’s.  At that time the lowest levels they could detect were 20 ppt (parts per trillion) for PFOA and 40 ppt for PFOS.  Since that time, testing procedures have changed and laboratories can now detect 2 ppt for both PFOA and PFOS.  Currently PFOA’s and PFOS’s have a combined HAL (Health Advisory Limit) of 70 ppt. Although our results have come back with detectable levels they are well below the HAL.  Since levels were previously not detectable at these low of levels we presently have no reason to believe levels are increasing in The Authority’s water system.  The Authority will continue to monitor the health effects and actionable levels of PFOA’s and PFOS’s, as well as other new and existing contaminants.  The Authority’s most recent results of each entry point and how they will be reported to DEP are listed below.  As always the Perkasie Regional Authority is dedicated to providing our customers with the cleanest water, in the most efficient ways possible.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the quality of your drinking water, please call the office staff at 215-257-3654.

For the EPA's Per- and Polyfluoroallkyl Substances (PFAS) Action Plan, please go to "All Forms & Reports" tab on our website.