'Forever chemicals' in Cloquet water exceed new federal limit

Apr. 18—CLOQUET — "Forever chemicals" found in one city water well exceed the legal limit after a new federal ruling was issued last week.

The Environmental Protection Agency issued new standards limiting the amount of polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly referred to as PFAS or "forever chemicals," that can be safely consumed through drinking water. The new ruling puts one source of Cloquet's municipal water above the acceptable federal level.

"One of our five wells that make up our potable water supply is likely to exceed the standard that they set," said Caleb Peterson, the city's director of public works.

PFAS are common, industrially produced chemicals used in food packaging, cookware, and household and personal care products. However, negative health effects from exposure to PFAS are becoming increasingly known. Sustained exposure to PFAS is believed to be associated with decreased fertility, development delays in children, increased cancer risk and compromised immunity.

The city was

already aware of the existence of PFAS

in the city's drinking water. However, the new EPA ruling puts the already known amount of PFAS above legal consumption limits and gives the city five years to remediate the problem.

The PFAS in Cloquet's water can be traced to one of the city's five water wells. Though the PFAS in that particular well exceeds the federal limits, the city mixes water from the contaminated well into water from its four other non-contaminated wells. This dilutes the water so that PFAS exposure is below federal consumption standards when it reaches the tap.

"The amount of PFAS that consumers are drinking is less than the maximum contaminant level overall, but from that particular well and entry point, it is over the maximum contaminant level," said Kim Larsen, a supervisor with the community public water supply unit at the Minnesota Department of Health.

The city has been reviewing its options to address the situation since it was first made aware of the possible EPA ruling last year. Because the city has taken a proactive approach to addressing the issue, Peterson is hopeful it will have a solution before the five-year deadline.

"As a water supplier, obviously we strive to be transparent, and we want to provide the absolute best quality water that we can," Peterson said.

The city is considering three options to correct the issue.

The first possible and most costly solution would involve the construction of a treatment facility to remove the PFAS from the well water. This would likely be a multi-million-dollar project, according to Peterson.

The city could also explore new water sources and take the contaminated well out of production.

However, because the contaminated water makes up 20%-30% of the city's total water and is diluted to the point that once it reaches the tap it is below the federal standards, the city may ultimately not need to do anything to address the PFAS, Peterson said.

Still, drinking water contaminated with PFAS remains a concern for some Cloquet residents.

"I fear for my grandson. He's been drinking this water his whole life," resident Elizabeth Love said. "He's 8 now. So yeah, a lot of fear. Like, what's going on?"

Loves believes the city and state governments have failed to effectively communicate PFAS risks with residents. Though she can treat her water, she worries about her neighbors who can't afford water treatment.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is investigating the source of the contamination. Once the source is determined, the agency will try to stop it from continuing to contaminate the water, if possible.

However, the first phase of the investigation is still in the early stages and will likely not be completed for another two months, according to the MPCA. Once the phase one of the investigation is complete, the agency hopes to have an initial understanding of the source and the next steps to address the issue.

Drinking water is just one way that people can be exposed to PFAS. Exposure can also happen through fish consumption; eating food produced near where PFAS was used; swimming in contaminated water; and using common consumer products such as non-stick cookware, stain-resistant carpeting, water-repellent clothing, certain cosmetics and even dental floss.

Reverse osmosis and activated carbon treatment systems can reduce the levels of PFAS in drinking water.

"It's in our environment," Larsen said. "So limiting all your exposures is a good practice."

This story originally did not mention that the MPCA is in phase one of their investigation. It was updated at 10:17 a.m. April 19. The Pine Journal regrets the error.