Thurmont to distribute water advisory regarding chemical levels

Emmett Gartner, The Frederick News-Post, Md.
Updated ·2 min read

Feb. 1—Thurmont will, by Friday, distribute an advisory from the Maryland Department of the Environment regarding elevated levels of "forever chemicals" detected in the town's water system, said Mayor John Kinnaird at a town meeting on Tuesday.

The chemicals, known as PFOA and PFOS, were detected by MDE in an October 2022 testing event, the results of which were shared with the town in mid-December along with a recommendation from the department to distribute an informational advisory regarding the chemicals.

The recipient of that correspondence, however, did not share it with Kinnaird or the Public Works Department's water superintendent until earlier this week.

After Kinnaird received the letter, he shared it with the town's Board of Commissioners, who collectively decided to distribute it via mail to the town's water customers, Kinnaird said.

The chemicals found in Thurmont's wells are part of a broader group of compounds present in firefighting foam, nonstick cookware, flame-retardant fabrics and other consumer products.

The chemicals' "forever" label is based on how difficult the compounds are to break down and their ability to persist in the environment and humans for an unknown amount of time.

The potential source of the chemicals in Thurmont's wells is not listed in MDE's correspondence with the town, which MDE shared with The Frederick News-Post.

The advisory will include information about the chemicals and the town's plan to mitigate their concentration.

Kinnaird said the town is testing its water frequently in accordance with MDE's other recommendations regarding the levels.

Thurmont's chief administrative officer, Jim Humerick, wrote in an email Wednesday that the town applied for a grant through MDE to help pay for the chemicals' mitigation.

"If approved, the funding will be used to enhance our treatment practices to remain in compliance with MDE regarding PFOS/PFOA," Humerick wrote.

The town's current chemical levels are not in violation of any state or federally enforced guidelines, though they are above a level that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency determined could impact human health over a lifetime of exposure.

MDE spokesperson Jay Apperson previously wrote in an email that the department is prioritizing towns with elevated PFOA and PFOS concentrations such as Thurmont when connecting municipalities to available infrastructure funding.