Only 2 private wells in Eastern Henrico show elevated PFAS levels

Only two private wells among the 259 tested by Henrico County in recent months for dangerous chemicals known as PFAS returned levels higher than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s health advisory level of 70 parts per trillion, county officials said Mar. 4.

Twenty-eight wells had some levels of the chemicals between 3 and 34 ppt, but 229 showed no signs of the chemicals at all. The two wells that exceeded the EPA’s advisory level registered readings of 86 ppt and 126 ppt.

Henrico Department of Public Utilities officials have shared results with residents and are developing short- and long-term measures to address the issue, they said. Options include further and ongoing testing, support for regular maintenance of wells, installation of treatment systems and ultimately connecting properties to the public water and wastewater systems.

The DPU also is providing bottled water to the homes served by wells that showed PFAS concentrations above the EPA’s preliminary health advisory level of 70 parts per trillion.

PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are long-lasting chemicals used in a variety of products, including carpet, fabric and food packaging as well as firefighting foam and industrial products to resist water, grease and stains. They do not break down over time. Long-term exposure to, or ingestion of, elevated levels of PFAS can cause health issues ranging from cancer to birth defects, according to the EPA.

Henrico County officials first became aware of elevated PFAS levels in the White Oak Swamp Creek in October 2021, after testing by Newport News Waterworks confirmed them there. (That agency uses the Chickahominy River as a source for public water and was testing after identifying PFAS during its intake process.)

But a Henrico Citizen investigation found that federal officials knew about the presence of the chemicals in the White Oak Swamp Creek more than four years earlier – after they conducted their own testing at the former site of the Virginia Air National Guard base at Richmond International Airport – but apparently never notified local or state officials.

“Henrico’s extensive testing of private wells in the area of White Oak Swamp Creek is now complete and gives us a sense of what the needs of our community are,” Henrico DPU Director Bentley Chan said. “As we have been throughout this process, Henrico is committed to protecting the health and well-being of our community. To that end, we will continue to be transparent and proactive as we partner with residents as well as state and federal agencies to address this issue responsibly and as quickly as possible.”

Henrico confirmed the elevated PFAS levels in samples of surface water taken from White Oak Swamp Creek in November. Then, in collaboration with homeowners, DPU staff collected water samples from 259 wells in December – an increase from an initial plan to test 120 wells. The samples were tested by Enthalpy Analytical, a North Carolina-based environmental lab, at no cost to the homeowners.

In addition to providing technical and other support to residents, DPU is working with state agencies to analyze the test results. That review will consider the PFAS levels detected and the wells’ locations and depths, Chan said. He noted that the impacted wells are largely scattered, although some are in clusters.

State and federal agencies continue to investigate the potential source or sources of PFAS chemicals in the White Oak Swamp Creek area and whether further regulatory action is warranted, Chan said. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality is working to complete a study of sediment, fish tissue and groundwater in the region that it hopes will help determine where the chemicals are present and how long they’ve been there.

“As a county, we recognize the recent well testing answers some – but not all – of the questions we face in the White Oak area,” Chan said. “We are committed to working closely and openly with our residents, engaging with the appropriate federal and state agencies and doing everything in our power to safeguard the health and well-being of our community and the environment.”

Learn more about the county’s well-testing efforts online and on the county’s YouTube channel or by contacting DPU officials at water@henrico.us or (804) 501-7540.