Follow Up on PFAS Public Notice Email
Posted April 22, 2025
Dear SIUE Community,
We want to provide some additional information about the mandatory notice emailed to SIUE faculty, staff and students on Monday, April 21, 2025, at approximately 11:30 a.m. regarding PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl/polyfluoroalkyl substances, a group of chemicals with properties that allow them to repel water, dirt and oil. The Illinois EPA required us to notify everyone at SIUE about PFAS levels due to new Groundwater Quality Standards that were recently adopted by the State of Illinois.
The test results of 8.4 ng/L or 8.4 parts per trillion of perfluorooctanoic acid are from the City of Edwardsville’s Community Water System wells. The well water is treated, and we purchase the treated water from the City of Edwardsville. Visit the City of Edwardsville’s water treatment and testing for PFAS information.
As per the IEPA Public Notice, community water supplies must meet the new Groundwater Quality Standards by April 26, 2029. Here are the final EPA requirements for public water systems.
- Public water systems must monitor for these PFAS and have three years to complete initial monitoring (by 2027), followed by ongoing compliance monitoring. Water systems must also provide the public with information on the levels of these PFAS in their drinking water beginning in 2027.
- Public water systems have five years (by 2029) to implement solutions that reduce these PFAS if monitoring shows that drinking water levels exceed these MCLs (Maximum Contaminant Level).
- Beginning in five years (2029), public water systems that have PFAS in drinking water which violates one or more of these MCLs must take action to reduce levels of these PFAS in their drinking water and must provide notification to the public of the violation.
Testing by the City of Edwardsville and SIUE will take place and public notification of test results will happen in or before 2027.
Lastly, many questions have been asked about drinking fountains and bottle fillers in campus buildings. Those fountains and fillers which have the light indicating the filter status do have carbon filters that are changed as needed. Carbon filters can be effective in removing PFAS.
Sincerely,
Facilities Management
