Dear Valued Water Customer:

On June 15, 2022, the U.S. EPA issued new Health Advisory Levels (HAL) for PFAS. PFAS are human-made chemical substances that have been detected in water systems across the nation, and are in everyday products such as non-stick cookware, carpets, firefighting foams, and paint.

We know you have one overriding concern: Is my water safe? The water we deliver to our customers meets all regulatory requirements. And it is worth noting that the U.S. EPA said it is not recommending using bottled water instead of tap water based on these new health advisory levels. In fact, many bottled water brands have been found to contain PFAS.

It’s important to understand that health advisories assess the health risks from chemicals. While these health advisories are non-enforceable and non-regulatory, they provide important technical information to drinking water system operators and officials.

We are studying and coming to a more complete understanding of the new advisory levels for PFAS in drinking water. What we do know is the U.S. EPA and Dayton share the same goal: Protecting public health by removing PFAS contaminants from drinking water.

In Dayton, we’re ahead of many in addressing PFAS. The U.S. EPA guidance for dealing with PFAS in drinking water includes additional water sampling, working closely with state authorities such as the Ohio EPA, limiting exposure by closing potentially contaminated wells and providing consumers with consistent, accurate information about water tests. We’re already doing all of that. We’ve taken legal action against organizations that we know are the source of PFAS. We also made it clear that we want to work with them to move as quickly as possible to fix the problem.

The EPA also recommends studying the latest technology. In conjunction with the U.S. and Ohio EPA, we’ve studied, we’ve evaluated, and we’re deciding now on cost-effective and safe steps to achieving no PFAS in our drinking water.

Those solutions are costly. So, we’re also eager to work with the EPA and others to secure funding, to protect our ratepayers while removing these contaminants from our drinking water, once and for all.

If you have any questions about PFAS and our water, please visit our website for more information.

We drink the same water you drink – as do our loved ones, friends, and neighbors. Nothing is more important to us than the health and welfare of our citizens.

Sincerely,
Michael Powell Director, Department of Water