Residents who use private wells near Naval Air Station Whiting Field may get temporary water filtration systems at the expense of the U.S. Navy after years of known “forever chemicals” impacting local wells.
In a Friday release, NAS Whiting Field announced that the Department of War authorized the Navy to implement corrective action for private wells near Whiting Field and its Outlying Landing Fields that exceed 70 parts per trillion of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
“In 2017, due to a known or potential release of PFAS-containing materials at NAS Whiting Field, the Navy began sampling nearby private drinking water wells for PFAS, including including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS),” NAS Whiting Field said in a release. “Under updated DoW policies, the Navy has reevaluated past off-base well results. For private wells that now exceed current action thresholds, the Navy is requesting permission to install interim water treatment systems at no cost to homeowners while actively working to permanently connect these residences to public water.”
The chemicals, mostly found in firefighting foam on base, tested above U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards in at least 11 private wells near NAS Whiting Field back in 2021, the News Journal previously reported.
Following new water standards issued by the EPA that public drinking water systems must meet by April 2029, the DoW issued a new policy that private wells impacted by PFAS originating from naval installations ought to meet these new standards if allowed by the landowner.
If the individual landowners agree, the Navy will install the water filtration system until the residence can be connected to a public water system. Anyone who uses a public water system does not need their water sampled for PFAS, according to NAS Whiting Field.
According to NAS Whiting Field, the installation sent 2,300 letters to residents they say may have a well, and an additional 20,000 postcards were sent to residents who are located within the sampling area but don’t necessarily have a well.
Residents can visit what NAS Whiting Field calls the “virtual open house website” at www.whitingfieldpfas.com to learn more information.
See if your home is in the PFAS sampling area
Benjamin Johnson is the breaking news, crime and military reporter for the Pensacola News Journal. He covers local law enforcement, courts, breaking news and military within Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. He can be reached at bjohnson@pnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Navy plans fix for toxic PFAS in Milton private wells
Reporting by Benjamin Johnson, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Benjamin Johnson, Pensacola News Journal | USA TODAY Network
