Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)

What's New?

• Gov. Justice signed the PFAS Protection Act (HB 3189) during the 2023 Legislative session, which requires the WVDEP to identify and address PFAS sources in raw-water by developing PFAS action plans, and improves reporting requirements related to PFAS for specific facilities.

• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed to regulate certain PFAS compounds, PFOA and PFOS, at a Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of 4 parts per trillion, require public water systems to regulate and monitor for certain PFAS compounds, and notify consumers and reduce PFAS levels if they exceed the regulatory standards. EPA expects to finalize this rule by the end of 2023.

• As a proactive measure, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) and WVDEP contracted the U.S. Geological Service (USGS) to sample the finished drinking water of 37 public water systems previously identified as having certain PFAS compounds in their raw-water source. Twenty-seven public water systems were found to have detectable levels of select PFAS compounds in their finished drinking water, 19 of which had detections above at least one of the EPA's proposed regulatory standards.

• DHHR's Bureau for Public Health and WVDEP are currently engaging with these 27 systems through a working group formed in March 2023 to evaluate treatment processes and best approaches to removing these compounds from finished water, as well as identify funding options to minimize the burden on customers.

• West Virginia will receive $18.9 million in federal funding over two years to address emerging contaminants like PFAS in drinking water. That funding can be used for a wide range of activities, including research and testing, treatment, source water activities, restructuring, consolidating, or creating water systems, and technical assistance.

PFAS Testing for Private Wells

The WVDEP is aware of concerns that private well owners may have regarding PFAS in their water supplies. Currently, monitoring private water supplies is not within West Virginia’s regulatory jurisdiction. Although the WVDEP cannot regulate testing of private water supplies, it is recommended that private well owners test their water supplies annually or anytime contamination is suspected.

Resources

• Labs Certified by the U.S. EPA for PFAS Analysis

Interagency PFAS Work Group

A West Virginia PFAS Work Group was convened in 2019, consisting of members from the WVDEP, DHHR, WVDNR, and the USGS, with the goal of determining the best path forward for studying PFAS. This collaborative working group meets quarterly to share developing news on these emerging contaminants, discuss PFAS investigation activities in the State, evaluate any recently produced data, determine State needs and action plans based on these updates (including implementation of federal regulations).

Statewide PFAS Sampling in Public Source-Water Supplies

During the 2020 Legislative Session, the West Virginia Legislature passed Senate Concurrent Resolution 46 (SCR46) requesting the WVDEP and the DHHR to cooperatively propose and initiate a public source-water supply study to sample PFAS for all community water systems in West Virginia, including schools and daycares that operate treatment systems regulated by the DHHR.

Site Investigations

Through its Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA, or more commonly referred to as the “Superfund” law) Program, WVDEP coordinates with EPA and the U.S. Department of Defense to investigate sites with known or suspected contamination.

Learn More

• CERCLA

Next Steps

West Virginia has identified areas with PFAS compounds in raw water and sampled the finished water at the 37 sites that had the highest PFOA and PFOS detections in the raw water. The State is working with public water systems with detectable levels of select PFAS compounds in their finished water to evaluate treatment processes and best approaches to removing these compounds, as well as identify funding options to minimize the burden on customers.

Technologies have been proven to reduce PFAS in drinking water to very low levels, such as activated carbon, anion exchange, and high-pressure membranes, and the best approach may vary from one water system to the next. West Virginia will receive $18.9 million in federal funding over two years to address emerging contaminants like PFAS in drinking water. That funding can be used for a wide range of activities, including research and testing, treatment, source water activities, restructuring, consolidating, or creating water systems, and technical assistance.

WVDEP and DHHR will also be initiating finished water sampling at 100 additional sites that had detections in the raw water and developing PFAS action plans to identify and address sources of PFAS, pursuant to HB 3189.

The WVDEP will continue to review all new and relevant information as it becomes available to help protect human health and the environment.

Additional Information

• ATSDR PFAS
• ATSDR Shepherd Field Base Assessment
• Mid-Ohio Valley/C8 Science Panel
• EPA PFAS
• ITRC PFAS
• USGS Region 1: North Atlantic-Appalachian PFAS Capability Team
• PFAS Resources Program Area

Contact Us

West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection
601 57th Street SE
Charleston, WV 25304
Phone: (304) 926-0499​