Vancouver officials are trying to remove a family of long-lasting, synthetic chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, from the city’s drinking water sources. On Monday night, councilors approved a $1.3 million contract with California-based engineering firm Brown and Caldwell to begin cleaning up a third water system in the city.
PFAS can be found in air, water, soil and food, and they are linked to a variety of health concerns. They’re used in everything from nonstick cookware to food packaging and firefighting foam. The chemicals can be found in people’s blood, and exposure can lead to a range of health problems including developmental delays in children, increased cancer risk and weakened immune systems, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Vancouver’s drinking water comes from groundwater aquifers. Eight of the city’s nine wellfields contain PFAS contaminants that exceed limits set by the EPA in 2024. Under the agency’s recent regulations, cities across the country have until 2029 to reduce PFAS in public drinking water sources.
Two other water stations in Vancouver already have mitigation plans to remove PFAS. The city is investing in granular activated carbon to filter the chemicals from drinking water at Water Stations 4 and 14. The new design phase for Water Station 9 approved Monday is expected to take five months.
The city first detected PFAS in municipal water in 2020. Officials estimated it would cost more than $200 million to fully clean up the city’s drinking water and support ongoing maintenance.
Removing the contaminants from city drinking water is not cheap. Vancouver has raised $37.5 million in low-interest loans and grants for cleanup at water stations 4 and 14 from the Washington State Department of Health, EPA and other sources. The city has applied for additional forgivable state loans and federal grants to fund ongoing cleanup.
