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Questions from Community Workshop #3 (Bonita): February 19, 2025

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1. Do water levels at Sweetwater Reservoir affect PFAS readings?

This plant is located in Spring Valley at Sweetwater Reservoir. Learn more about the plant here: https://www.sweetwater.org/254/Perdue-Water-Treatment-Plant 

2. Where is the Perdue Water Treatment Plant located?

This plant is located in Spring Valley at Sweetwater Reservoir. Learn more about the plant here: https://www.sweetwater.org/254/Perdue-Water-Treatment-Plant 

3. Is there a protocol for how samples are taken?

Sampling for PFAS must be conducted with extreme care due to its persistence in the environment. In California, laboratory staff undergo extensive training to follow strict protocols to avoid false positives. Factors such as recent gasoline handling, new clothing, and personal care products like makeup and deodorant must be avoided while conducting PFAS testing. Quality control measures, including field reagent blanks, help distinguish between true environmental contamination and external interference. These protocols ensure accurate detection, as PFAS levels are extremely low. 

4. What's the long-term treatment solution you're looking at?

There are three main best available technologies (BATs) for removing PFAS in the drinking water industry. One method is reverse osmosis, which our groundwater desalination facility already uses; this, provides effective protection against PFAS. However, our surface water plant does not currently have PFAS-specific treatment. The most likely technology for that facility would be ion exchange or granular activated carbon. These methods are widely recognized for their effectiveness in PFAS removal. 

5. What is considered safe? When is the water considered dangerous?

Customers may have concerns about water safety and personal water use and minimizing PFAS risk, after hearing about the updated testing results. Sweetwater Authority takes guidance from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for determining safety in drinking water. They have developed resources for ways to reduce PFAS risk. If customers decide to purchase water filters for drinking water, the EPA has developed recommendations in their latest fact sheet. Tips include:   

• Look for filters that specifically remove PFAS through reverse osmosis or activated carbon filters.   
• Check the labels for NSF/ANSI Standard 53 and 58 certifications   
• Make sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for installation and regular filter replacement to ensure optimal performance.

6. Do you test all the way to the tap in customers' homes?

The EPA monitoring rules are very specific. For UCMR and the National Primary Drinking Water regulations, sampling is required at the entry point to the distribution system—where treated water leaves the facility and enters the supply to customers.

7. Is this the highest it ever has been?

The data shared at recent public meetings this year are the highest levels we have documented. Testing for PFAS at the reservoir was only required starting in October 2024. Prior to that, monitoring orders were only for groundwater. In January 2025, the state amended the statewide monitoring order to include the raw water from Sweetwater Reservoir. Going forward, we will be monitoring the raw water and treated water on a quarterly basis.

8. If the EPA changes its monitoring requirements, will the California monitoring requirements be revised?

California has the authority to adopt EPA standards as they are or make them stricter, but Sweetwater Water Authority cannot predict what the state will decide. As the primacy agency, California regulates drinking water standards and can choose to go beyond federal requirements.

9. How do our levels compare to San Diego? How about other cities in California?

You can compare our levels to those in San Diego and other cities using the following resources: 

• EPA’s UCMR-5 Database: This national database includes test results for unregulated contaminants, allowing you to see how our detections compare to those reported in San Diego and other water systems. 
• California’s GeoTracker PFAS Map: This state resource tracks contaminant detections under monitoring orders, including data from our wells. It provides a way to compare our levels with those found in other parts of the state.

10. Will you wait until the April 2029 deadline to reach compliance, or might compliance happen before then?

The situation and regulatory environment is very dynamic; however Sweetwater  Authority is committed to acting swiftly and decisively once all data has been collected and analyzed as well as keeping customers informed every step of the way.

11. Is Sweetwater Water Authority part of a class action settlement? If so, will that settlement go towards a treatment plant?

Sweetwater Water Authority is part of a class action settlement has been reached with  four manufacturers involved. However, the total settlement amount has not yet been determined. While there is a settlement figure, the exact amount each entity will receive remains unclear. It is expected to be only a fraction of the actual costs of mitigating the substance. Once the final settlement details are available, the information will be presented to the board, and if funds are received, they will be allocated toward mitigation efforts. This issue is of statewide interest, and legislation is being proposed—though not yet introduced—at the state level to establish a PFAS mitigation plan.

12. What technologies exist to mitigate PFAS?

Currently, the three best available technologies are granular activated carbon, ion exchange, and reverse osmosis. While there are ongoing research efforts into novel filtration methods, such as destructive technologies for PFAS, these are still in the experimental stage and not yet available for full-scale treatment facilities. At this time, there is no new technology that can be implemented at a large treatment plant capable of processing up to 30 million gallons per day.

13. Is there any way for homeowners to have water tested at their home?

Sweetwater Water Authority does not conduct tests at customers' homes; however, homeowners wishing to test their tap water may contact state environmental or health agency for detailed advice or to obtain a list of state-certified laboratories using EPA-developed testing methods in drinking water. The National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Management System website may also be helpful in finding a laboratory to test for PFAS.

14. Will a treatment plant for PFAS also treat mineral content?

No, it won't be designed to remove minerals.

15. Does boiling get rid of PFAS?

No, boiling water does not remove PFAS, and it can actually concentrate PFAS as the water evaporates. 

16. Is it safe to swim in pool water? What about showering or washing dishes?

According to the EPA, studies have shown that only a small amount of PFAS can get into your body through your skin. Therefore, showering, bathing and washing dishes with water containing PFAS are unlikely to significantly increase your risk.

17. How can I stay informed?

Visit our PFAS education webpage at www.sweetwater.org/PFAS. We are posting all meeting presentations, questions/answers from each meeting, video recordings and other materials to this page.  Sign up for emails related to our ongoing PFAS outreach program at PFAS@sweetwater.org. We will be continuing our engagement with our customers and stakeholders as this topic progresses, including notifying our PFAS interest list regarding board discussion on the topic.