12/20/2019
MONTPELIER, Vt. – The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) confirmed that three public drinking water systems have per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) levels above Vermont’s 20 parts per trillion (ppt) standard. The three systems with exceedances are Fiddlehead Condominiums, Killington Mountain School, and Mount Holly Elementary School. Each water system has notified its users and issued a Do Not Drink notice.
The system information and test results are as follows:
- Fiddlehead Condominiums serves 60 users in Fayston. The test results for the five regulated PFAS compounds were 29 ppt.
- Killington Mountain School serves 125 users in Killington. The test results for the five regulated PFAS compounds were 25 ppt.
- Mount Holly School serves 120 users in Mount Holly. The test results for the five regulated PFAS compounds were 323 ppt.
DEC drinking water specialists are working with the owners of the three water supply systems to engage a professional engineer to develop a short-term plan to protect public health by supplying safe drinking water to all users. The engineers will also identify long-term remediation recommendations to ensure that drinking water remains reliably and consistently below the drinking water standard. DEC is also working with the three water systems to investigate the underlying source of the PFAS contamination and determine if there is a responsible party.
All Public Community and Non-Transient, Non-Community drinking water systems in Vermont are required to test for PFAS by December 1, 2019 by Act 21 which was signed into law on May 15, 2019. The public systems required to test for PFAS include municipal water systems, mobile home parks, homeowners’ associations, and schools and businesses served by their own on-site water supply. To date, DEC has received laboratory results for 65% of the state’s public drinking water systems required to test. The public water supply testing results are available here.
DEC will continue to work with public and private community systems, and schools and businesses to implement Act 21 requirements and ensure drinking water meets Vermont’s stringent drinking water standards. To learn more about Vermont’s response to PFAS contamination, visit dec.vermont.gov/pfas. For information about public health impacts, visit healthvermont.gov/water/pfas.