Leeds PFAS Water Notification - Schools and Daycares

PFAS in Drinking Water – Schools and Daycares
IMPORTANT NOTICE: ELEVATED PFAS WATER SAMPLE RESULT(S)
107-0020 Leeds Elementary
ELEVATED PFAS WATER SAMPLE RESULT(S)
In April 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), announced finalized regulations for per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water. All public water systems under these regulations will be required to begin monitoring for PFAS by 2027 with requirements to be in full compliance by 2029. To help our water system prepare for these new regulations, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) sampled our water system sources to assess any PFAS contamination that may be in our water. Samples collected on May 29, 2024 from TP01, detected levels of PFAS compounds above the new regulations. PFAS detections are listed below by PFAS compound in parts per trillion (ppt) along with the regulatory levels:
Sample PFAS Compound Detected Level (ppt) Regulation (ppt) TP01 PFOA 8.27 4

WHAT IS PFAS?
PFAS are manmade chemicals that do not occur naturally in the environment. Because these chemicals have been used in numerous consumer products and industrial applications for decades, most people have been exposed to them throughout their lifetime. These compounds are considered “forever chemicals” because they are very persistent in the environment and do not breakdown.
WHAT ARE THE HEALTH EFFECTS OF PFAS?

Exposure to PFAS over certain levels may result in adverse health effects, including developmental effects to fetuses during pregnancy or to breastfed infants (e.g., low birth weight, accelerated puberty, skeletal variations), cancer (e.g., testicular, kidney), liver effects (e.g., tissue damage), immune effects (e.g., antibody production and immunity), thyroid effects and other effects (e.g., cholesterol changes).

WHAT IS BEING DONE?
Although the EPA’s regulations do not require any actions from our water system until 2027, we feel it is necessary to act now. We are currently exploring treatment options for the school’s water supply. Until a suitable treatment system is in place, bottled water will be made available and the schools water supply will only be used for non-consumption purposes.

WHAT ELSE SHOULD I KNOW ABOUT PFAS?
The following resources provide valuable information about PFAS:
• Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and Your Health from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
• PFAS in the US Population from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
• PFAS Explained from the EPA
• Meaningful and Achievable Steps You Can Take to Reduce Your Risk from the EPA
• PFAS in Private Drinking Water Wells from MDE

For more information, please contact Andrew Curran at 410-287-4653 or awcurran@ccps.org.