Is Columbus’ drinking water safe from PFAS? What the city is doing.
PFAS will not go away until we stop adding more to our world.
Battelle develops technology to eliminate the “forever chemicals” PFAS
Columbus-based Battelle is developing technology to eliminate PFAS, or “forever chemicals.”
Kristen Atha is director of the Columbus Department of Public Utilities.
Every day we turn on the tap to get a glass of water, take a shower or wash our dishes, usually without thinking about it.
Clean, affordable water is essential and vital. For most of Central Ohio, the Columbus Department of Public Utilities provides this basic need. We are your local water provider, working around the clock not only to treat water, but also to protect the health of our residents and our environment.
When it comes to water treatment, we have always been pioneers.
115 years ago, the Columbus Experiment brought people from around the world together to study the way we treat our water – using cutting-edge technology to remove bacteria – and thus reduce the risk of typhoid fever among local residents.
Today, our department is leading the way by applying the latest science and technology to protect public health, clean the environment and provide healthy drinking water.
What was the Columbus Experiment? Moment in time
One of the current challenges facing Columbus and other water utilities is man-made: the group of perfluorinated or polyfluorinated alkyl substances, also known as PFAS.
They are often called “forever chemicals” because they do not break down through natural processes. They are found in so many products that it would be more accurate to call them “forever and ubiquitous chemicals.” Over the past 80 years, PFAS have penetrated every part of our environment: soil, air and water, and they are also in our bodies.
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We know the source of PFAS pollution: Companies like 3M and DuPont invented PFAS, used it in firefighting foam and non-stick coatings, and made billions of dollars selling their PFAS-containing creations around the world, even though they knew their products were damaging human health.
There are some places in Ohio where there are significant levels of PFAS. While this is not the case in central Ohio, trace amounts have been detected in our water sources.
By “trace” we mean values in the range of parts per trillion: that is equivalent to one drop per 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Is Columbus water safe from PFAS?
This year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency implemented strict new guidelines regarding PFAS. Columbus is currently in compliance with these regulations and we proactively monitor both our tap water and our source water to determine treatment needs and ensure we remain compliant.
We drink the water, our children drink the water, and you should feel safe drinking or using our water.
In addition to our ongoing work to ensure the safety of our drinking water, we are also taking steps to stop PFAS pollution at the source – and hold polluters accountable.
To that end, Columbus, along with hundreds of cities, has filed a lawsuit against 3M, DuPont and other manufacturers to protect our community from the financial burden associated with installing new treatment technologies to remove PFAS from our water, should it ever become necessary.
It is worth noting that our treated water currently complies with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new PFAS guidelines, but we must be prepared for any changes.
Additionally, we are raising our voices to call on the federal government to ban current and future use of PFAS, and we encourage you to do the same.
PFAS will not go away until we stop adding more to our world.
Columbus is working toward that goal, but until then, we will continue to do everything we can to keep our water clean. Beyond complying with environmental laws, we are a national leader in proactively protecting our community from pollution and the impacts of climate change.
Our department is filled with water professionals who have dedicated their careers to ensuring reliable and equitable access to clean water. We work day and night to meet the demand as our region continues to grow, and we will never stop working to ensure our water remains safe.
You can reduce the amount of PFAS in your home by choosing PFAS-free cookware, clothing, cosmetics, furniture and other products. For more information, visit: columbus.gov/pfas
Kristen Atha is director of the Columbus Department of Public Utilities.
