CUC is advising customers in the following villages to avoid drinking or cooking with the water: Chalan Laulau, lliying, Chalan Kiya, As Terlaje, Kanat 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 or GAC 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 January 30, 2020 and a sample was collected on February 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 at https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/drinking-water-health-advisories-pfoa-and-pfos
You may also call the BECQ Safe Drinking Water Program at 664-8500.
