The Greater Augusta Utilities District’s wastewater treatment plant in Augusta in 2023. The district shut down two of its drinking water wells last month after testing showed levels of PFAS above the limit allowed by the state. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

AUGUSTA — The Greater Augusta Utilities District shut down two of its drinking water wells last month after testing showed levels of PFAS above the limit allowed by the state.

The levels of PFAS, commonly known as forever chemicals because they stay in the environment for hundreds of years, were measured on Nov. 4 at 23.3 parts per trillion – 15% higher than the regulated maximum – at the two Riverside wells. The district was notified of the measurement on Nov. 19 and shut down the wells the same day. Levels had nearly tripled since the previous test in March.

“We are required by State rule to inform you of these levels, let you know the health risks and let you know what is being done to address this issue,” the district said in a notice last month. “Going forward, all drinking water will come from the three wells located near Bond Brook.”

The utility district, through its sewer, stormwater and drinking water programs, serves more than 10,000 customers in Kennebec County, from Monmouth to Hallowell to Manchester. Its water services, impacted by the high PFAS levels, are limited to Augusta.

Extended exposure to PFAS has been linked to increased risk of cancer and developmental delays in children, among other health impacts, according to the EPA. Most people have some level of PFAS in their blood due to its common use in household products like shampoo and nonstick cookware.

In April, the EPA set new regulations for public water districts to limit each of the two main types of PFAS – PFOA and PFOS – to below 4 parts per trillion by 2029. The overall levels of those two chemicals in the Augusta utility district’s drinking water were measured at more than double that new limit.

Ideally, the EPA said in an April news release, PFAS should be eliminated from the environment entirely, but the 4 parts per trillion level is the lowest possible standard that is feasible for effective implementation.

“This (regulation) reflects the latest science showing that there is no level of exposure to these contaminants without risk of health impacts, including certain cancers,” the news release said.

The Greater Augusta Utility District reviewed the proposed rule this spring and directed staff to determine how to best remove PFAS from wells on the east side of the Kennebec River, including the Riverside wells shut down last month. In the November notice, the district said that work is ongoing.

The nearby Hallowell Water District has also struggled to limit PFAS in its drinking water. Both of the main types of PFAS were measured at just less than double the 2029 EPA standard in Hallowell drinking water during the district’s most recent test at the end of 2023.

But, according to Hallowell Water District leadership, nearly all funding needed for a new $10 million filtration facility that would remove PFAS from the city’s drinking water by the end of 2027 has already been secured.