Saukville warning residents about high levels of 'forever chemicals' in drinking water
Laura SchulteSaukville is asking residents to use caution when drinking or cooking with their tap water after toxic "forever chemicals" were found in several of the village wells.
Testing in July and August detected two of the most well-known and well-researched compounds in the PFAS family, PFOA and PFOS, in several of the village's wells.
Though the levels were below the state's recently established standards of 70 parts per trillion, several of the wells had detections about 20 parts per trillion, which is the level recommended by the Department of Health Services for human safety.
In addition, other unregulated PFAS were found in small amounts in the wells.
The village is recommending that residents exercise caution in drinking the water. Possible alternatives are bottled water, water from other sources that have tested negative for the compounds or use a filtration system rated to remove PFAS from water.
The village is also looking to the future.
"We are investigating the feasibility of any operational changes that can reduce the amount of PFAS in the drinking water," the health advisory said. "We are also looking into long-term treatment solutions."
What are PFAS and why are they harmful?
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a family of man-made chemicals used for their water- and stain-resistant qualities in products like clothing and carpet, nonstick cookware, packaging and firefighting foam. The family includes 5,000 compounds, which are persistent, remaining both in the environment and human body over time.
The chemicals have been linked to types of kidney and testicular cancers, lower birth weights, harm to immune and reproductive systems, altered hormone regulation and altered thyroid hormones. The chemicals enter the human body largely through drinking water.
The compounds have been found in a number of Wisconsin communities over the last several years, including Marinette, Peshtigo, Wausau, Eau Claire, Milwaukee, Madison, Mosinee and the town of Campbell at high levels.
The state will also begin requiring testing for all public water systems starting Nov. 1.
Laura Schulte can be reached at leschulte@jrn.com and on Twitter at @SchulteLaura.