If the federal proposal to reduce the cap on the amount of Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in drinking water were to go into effect in 2026 as is currently planned, each of Lathrop’s wells that were tested for the substance would exceed the maximum containment levels for the substance.
And the city is hoping that a $69,000 investment to get the ball rolling on treatment options will help the city solidify its drinking water for the foreseeable future.
Earlier this month the Lathrop City Council approved a contract with EKI Environmental and Water Inc. to begin the PFAS Characterization and Evaluation of Planned PFAS Treatment – a substance that detected in five of the wells that provides the city its drinking water.
Wells number 6, 7, 8, and 10 have exceeded the notification level but are still below the maximum containment level – meaning that the city must notify residents about the presence of PFAS in their drinking water – while Well 9 exceeded the MCL and has been offline since 2019 as a result.
A synthetic compound, PFAS substances were commonly used for industrial means in the mid-20th century due to their water-resistant properties. Both Teflon – a trademarked substance owned by the DuPont Corporation – and aqueous film-forming foam, commonly used in firefighting applications are PFAS substances.
To date, three major American chemical companies – DuPont, Chemours, and Corteva – have settled for over $1 billion to resolve claims that the substances the companies manufactured poisoned the water. And the 3M Corporation was set to pay $10.3 billion to alleviate claims that the substances they manufactured poisoned drinking water sources, but that settlement may be on hold for now.
This week a group of 22 states – including California, Texas, and New York – filed to block the $10.3 billion settlement claiming that the settlement would require them to opt-in before knowing how much they would receive, and noted that it could potentially shift the liability for future claims to the public agencies that oversee the distribution of drinking water to customers.
According to the staff report prepared for the council, Lathrop’s Well 9 has had samples taken recently that showed that the amount of PFAS concentration in the water has doubled.
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry – a subsidiary of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – says that exposure to high levels of PFAS can lead to increased cholesterol levels, changes in liver enzymes, small decreases in infant birth weight, decreased vaccine response in children, increased risk of high blood pressure or pre-eclampsia in pregnant women, and increased risk of kidney or testicular cancer.
EKI has been working with the City of Lathrop to identify the level of PFAS in its drinking water and test a variety of ways to treat the city’s groundwater since 2019.
To contact Bulletin reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.
