The City of Delray Beach has committed to regularly testing water samples for PFAS in order to provide transparency of process to our customers and confirm that Delray Beach’s drinking water meets and/or exceeds all regulatory standards set by the Florida Department of Health (FDOH), the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 

Delray Beach is one of the few cities in the State of Florida that regularly tests for PFAS.

Florida Department of Health, Bureau of Environmental Health

Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) & Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA)

What are PFOS and PFOA?

Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) are part of a group of chemicals called perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). These are a family of man-made compounds that do not occur naturally. They break down very slowly. PFOS and PFOA are the most common and the best-studied of these compounds. Most exposures occur through consumer products and food. They may also get into drinking water wells.

In the past, these chemicals served to make products resist stains, grease, and water. They were used in many common products. Most production of PFOS and PFOA has stopped, but there are still some uses.

For additional health information, please call the Florida Department of Health at 850-245-4240 or visit online at www.floridahealth.gov/environmental-health/drinking-water/Chemicals-HALs.html

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Lifetime Health Advisory Levels related to PFAS

EPA develops health advisories (HAs) to provide information on contaminants that can cause human health effects and are known or anticipated to occur in drinking water.  EPA's health advisories are non-enforceable and non-regulatory and provide technical information to states agencies and other public health officials on health effects, analytical methodologies, and treatment technologies associated with drinking water contamination.

In 2016 the EPA established the health advisory levels at 70 parts per trillion. When both PFOA and PFOS are found in drinking water, the combined concentrations of PFOA and PFOS should be compared with the 70 parts per trillion health advisory level.

On June 15, 2022, EPA issued interim updated drinking water health advisories for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) that replace those EPA issued in 2016.  The interim health advisory levels issued by the EPA are 0.004 and 0.02 parts per trillion, for PFOA and PFOS respectively.  Current analytical methods cannot detect PFOA and PFOS at the level of the interim HAs, according to the EPA.

For more information about the health effects from exposure to PFOS or PFOA in different situations, please see the Drinking Water Health Advisories for PFOA and PFOS  page at www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/drinking-water-health-advisories-pfoa-and-pfos.

Delray Beach PFAS testing results of treated drinking water:

PFAS In The Environment

PFAS are long-lasting chemicals that can also be found in some consumer products (food packaging, cookware, stain resistant carpeting and upholstery, water repellent clothing, etc.).  PFAS has been detected in soil, water, and air samples.

 Source: Pepper & Prevatt, 2020

These chemicals break down slowly over time and make their way into the soil and water sources across our nation and world-wide.

Source: http://riversideca.gov/press/understanding-pfas

The City of Delray Beach is currently working on a project to construct a new water treatment plant.  The new water treatment plant is meant to replace or complement the existing aged conventional lime softening plant.  The new water treatment plant will be designed and constructed to meet all the latest regulatory requirements of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Florida Department of Health.  The new water treatment plant is projected to be online in later part of 2026.

Responding to Questions on Health Advisories:

Pursuant to the June 2022, “Webinar on Drinking Water Health Advisories for Four PFAS (GenX, PFBS, PFOA, PFOS) and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Announcement”¹:

1. Should I be concerned about my health?

• “EPA’s lifetime health advisory levels offer information that indicates the safe levels of exposure through drinking water over the course of a person’s lifetime to avoid adverse health effects.” ¹
•  “These levels are calculated to offer a margin of protection that also takes into account exposure through other sources beyond drinking water.”¹
•  “If you are concerned about potential health effects from exposure to these PFAS above the health advisory level, EPA encourages you to contact your doctor or health care professional.” ¹

2. Should I drink bottled water?

• “At this time, EPA is not recommending bottled water for communities based solely on concentrations of these chemicals in drinking water that exceed the health advisory levels.” ¹

3. Should I install a filter?

• “Individuals who are concerned about PFAS in their wells or in their homes may consider in-home water treatment filters that are certified to lower the levels of PFAS in water.” ¹
•  “EPA has information available on these filters on EPA’s website.” ¹
• Keep in mind that current analytical methods cannot detect PFOA and PFOS at the level of the interim health advisory levels, so even if, in-home water treatment filters are installed, it does not assure that the PFOA and PFOS levels will be below the interim health advisory levels.

¹ ‘Webinar on Drinking Water Health Advisories for Four PFAS (GenX, PFBS, PFOA, PFOS) and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Announcement’, EPA, 2022, https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2022-07/PFAS%20HAs%20for%20Water%20Utility%20Briefing%20-%20June%2022Final.pdf, (accessed August 17, 2022).