CUC health advisory

Area Inside Red Line May Receive Water That Exceeds The EPA Lifetime Health IL Advisory Level of 70 parts per trillion for PFOS/PFOA. (CUC)

Since 2016, the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. has regularly detected levels of PFOS and PFOA that exceed the United States Environmental Protection Agency lifetime Health Advisory level of 70 parts per trillion in a limited area of its drinking water system. CUC is advising customers in the following villages to avoid drinking or cooking with the water: Chalan Laulau, lliying, Chalan Kiya, As Terlaje, Kannat Tabla, Fina Sisu, San Jose, and parts of southern Garapan, Gualo Rai, Susupe, As Lito, and As Perdido.

The EPA lifetime health advisory level is an amount below which no harm is expected from PFOS and PFOA based on a daily consumption of water over a lifetime. A proven way to remove PFOS and PFOA is to filter the contaminated water through a granulated activated carbon system. CUC is actively pursuing funds to buy and install GAC systems.

Until CUC has GAC systems, we have tried to reduce the amount of PFOS and PFOA in the water by removing a total of 10 wells that contain high levels of PFOS and PFOA. The last two wells were turned off on Jan. 30, 2020, and a sample was collected on Feb. 4, 2020, from the As Terlaje Tank that serves the affected areas. The sample contained 25 parts per trillion PFOS and this is below the EPA health advisory. We do not have the results from another sample collected on March 23, 2020, but we expect it to be higher than 25 ppt because PFOS and PFOA moves throughout the underground water field.

Although the February sample was below the EPA health advisory level, CUC advises consumers in the affected areas to avoid ingesting the water until CUC has installed the GAC filtration systems that will reliably reduce the amounts of PFOS and PFOA below the EPA health advisory level. Consumers within the affected areas should not drink tap water, cook with tap water, or make ice for consumption with tap water. The CUC water can be used for bathing or washing dishes or clothes as PFOS and PFOA do not move easily through the skin. CUC is making this advisory action to help the affected population limit their lifetime exposure to these chemicals.

For more information about PFOA and PFOS visit EPA’s webpage https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/drinking-water-health-advisories-pfoa-and-pfos or the BECQ Safe Drinking Water Program at (670) 664-8500. (PR)

Area Inside Red Line May Receive Water That Exceeds The EPA Lifetime Health IL Advisory Level of 70 parts per trillion for PFOS/PFOA. (CUC)