The City of Bend Water Department is committed to providing its customers with safe, reliable drinking water.

The City is closely tracking national regulatory developments about perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, which can be found in drinking water.  The City will ensure ongoing compliance with all drinking water standards and requirements and, most importantly, will continue to monitor water quality to ensure that your drinking water remains safe.

Recently, through testing, PFAS were detected in one of the City’s wells. That well was shut down, and water from that source is not currently being distributed. The City is continuing to test for PFAS at that well and each of its other eight water sources.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHAT ARE PFAS?

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, are a group of human-made chemicals that have been manufactured and used for a wide range of consumer and industrial products since the 1940s. They are used in many household products, including nonstick cookware (e.g., Teflon™), stain repellants (e.g., Scotchgard™), and waterproofing (e.g., GORE-TEX™). They are also used in industrial applications such as in firefighting foams and electronics production. PFAS chemicals persist in the environment.

More information on PFAS from the Environmental Protection Agency can be found at www.epa.gov/pfas.

Yes, two tests have detected very small amounts of PFAS in one groundwater well. 

In May 2023, the Bend Water Department tested its drinking water for 29 PFAS chemicals. Eight of the nine drinking water sources, including our Bridge Creek surface water source, found no detectable amount of PFAS in the sampling. However, sampling at one of our groundwater sources of drinking water found the following detections of four PFAS chemicals. The levels are in parts per trillion (ppt):

Another test sample taken from the same site in December 2023 showed similar concentrations.

Repeat samples taken at the well in August 2023 did not show detections for any PFAS. However, further samples from Copperstone Well #1 in October and December 2023 were inconsistent. Some samples detected similar concentrations to those noted in the table above, and some samples detected no PFAS.

* From Water Research Foundation and American Water Works Association, 2022

WHAT IS THE CITY DOING ABOUT PFAS IN DRINKING WATER?

As soon as the detections were first discovered, the Bend Water Department stopped using the well, known as Copperstone Well #1, as a source of drinking water. Water from the well is not currently being used and will be used only in the case of an urgent need.

The Bend Water Department will continue to monitor PFAS and work closely with Oregon Health Authority to eliminate the potential for any future PFAS contamination.

In addition, the Bend Water Department will continue to follow the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and EPA guidance related to assessing contamination, informing state authorities and customers on assessment results, limiting exposure, and more.

The Bend Water Department is monitoring for PFAS by participating in the EPA’s “Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule” (UCMR) program. We will share all the results from our UCMR sampling here once it’s available.

The City of Bend will participate in a class action lawsuit against 3M and DuPont, manufacturers of certain firefighting foams containing PFAS. The lawsuits claim that PFAS manufactured by these defendants contaminated public drinking water sources. 3M and DuPont have agreed to settle claims filed against them in these lawsuits in return for payments to impacted water systems. Participating in the settlements qualifies the City for payments to offset the costs of remediating its impacted drinking water sources if that becomes necessary.

CAN I STILL DRINK MY TAP WATER AND USE IT TO COOK AND BATHE? 

Yes. EPA is not recommending bottled water for communities based solely on concentrations of PFAS chemicals in drinking water that exceed the health advisory levels. Additionally, studies have shown that only a small amount of PFAS can get into your body through the skin and that PFAS cannot be removed by heating or boiling water. Read more information from the EPA here.

However, some customers may make the personal choice to use water filters or drink bottled water. Certified water filtration systems may lower levels of some PFAS if the filter is properly maintained. Information on certified filter systems can be found here.

Federal EPA and the Oregon Health Authority environmental agencies are responsible for regulating the amount of PFAS that can be in drinking water. Because what we know about PFAS is evolving at a fast rate, the rules and regulations governing PFAS are also changing quickly.

On April 10, 2024, EPA announced National Primary Drinking Water Regulations that established legally enforceable levels, (called Maximum Contaminant Levels or MCLs,) for six PFAS in drinking water. 

According to the the Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) EPA webage:

• Public water systems (such as the City of Bend) must monitor for these PFAS and have three years to complete initial monitoring (by 2027), followed by ongoing compliance monitoring. Water systems must also provide the public with information on the levels of these PFAS in their drinking water beginning in 2027.
• Public water systems have five years (by 2029) to implement solutions that reduce these PFAS if monitoring shows that drinking water levels exceed these MCLs.
• Beginning in five years (2029), public water systems that have PFAS in drinking water which violates one or more of these MCLs must take action to reduce levels of these PFAS in their drinking water and must provide notification to the public of the violation. 

 WHAT CAN I DO TO REDUCE MY OVERALL EXPOSURE TO PFAS? 

PFAS can be found in many consumer products. One way to reduce exposure is to think about what products you are buying and using.

• Buy products from companies who have committed to removing PFAS from their manufacturing.
• Be aware. Many companies are working to remove PFAS from their products. However, until the removal is complete, products including nonstick cookware (e.g., Teflon™), stain repellants (e.g., Scotchgard™), and waterproofing (e.g., GORE-TEX™) may have PFAS. PFAS are also found in certain types of dental floss, nail polish, facial moisturizers, eye makeup, and more. Here are a few PFAS ingredients to avoid:
  • Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)
  • Perfluorononyl Dimethicone
  • Perfluorodecalin
  • C9-15 Fluoroalcohol Phosphate
  • Octafluoropentyl Methacrylate
  • Perfluorohexane
  • Pentafluoropropane
  • Polyperfluoroethoxymethoxy Difluoroethyl Peg Phosphate
  • Polyperfluoroethoxymethoxy Peg-2 Phosphate
  • Methyl Perfluorobutyl Ether
  • Perfluorononylethyl Carboxydecyl Peg-10 Dimethicone
  • Perfluorodimethylcyclohexane
  • Perfluoroperhydrophenanthrene
• Avoid non-stick cookware that has PFAS. Consider using stainless steel or cast-iron pots and pans. When the coating on existing non-stick cookware shows signs of wear-and-tear, replace them with stainless steel or cast-iron cookware.

• Other products, like fertilizers and compost, may also have PFAS. Here is a list of product types that may have PFAS.

The Oregon Association of Clean Water Agencies has shared helpful resources related to PFAS exposure:

• Facts About PFAS exposure: an informational sheet with key facts about PFAS risks in English and  in Spanish.
  
• PFAS: What You Can Do: to inspire individuals to reduce their PFAS exposure in English and in Spanish.