DEC Announces Monitoring Plan for Emerging Contaminants in Drinking Water Systems in Alaska Native Villages and Disadvantaged Communities

For immediate release: July 17, 2023
Contact: Kelly Rawalt, Department Media Contact, 907-465-5009

Anchorage, AK — The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is pleased to announce a monitoring plan for sampling drinking water for 29 per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in 193 Alaska Native Village and disadvantaged communities' Public Water Systems using the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Emerging Contaminants Tribal Drinking Water Grant.

"Establishing a baseline of PFAS contamination in Alaska is vital, especially in light of EPA's forthcoming rule," said DEC Commissioner Jason Brune. "After completing this monitoring project, we will use the data collected from these Alaskan community public water systems to work with EPA to determine next steps."

Sampling is set to begin this summer and will be completed by 2024. Samples will be collected by trained local operators and sent to a certified laboratory for analysis.

"This project provides Tribal and disadvantaged communities across Alaska with the opportunity to know if PFAS contamination is present in their communities' drinking water – these are contaminants not yet regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act. In this era of unprecedented funding for water infrastructure, armed with this information, these Alaskan communities will have access to resources available through the Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities grant program. We look forward to continuing to work with DEC as they work to support Alaska Native and disadvantaged communities located in Alaska." said EPA Region 10 Administrator Casey Sixkiller.

In Alaska, identified spills or releases of PFAS into the environment have thus far been associated with the use of aqueous film-forming foams (AFFF) during firefighting or fire training activities. Scientific research indicates that PFAS are linked to a variety of adverse health effects. Understanding of the impact and extent of those effects is constantly evolving.

PFAS is a collective term referring to a large and complex class of human-made compounds. PFAS have been widely used in numerous industrial and residential applications since the 1950s. Their stability and unique chemical properties produce waterproof, stain resistant, and nonstick qualities in products.