Read the full article by Christopher Arnott (Hartford Courant)
“Connecticut Water sent a notification to Unionville customers recently that PFAS, known as forever chemicals, have been detected in measurable amounts in source water in Farmington.
In a letter dated Jan. 29, Connecticut Water says ‘We recently tested water sources in the Unionville system. One groundwater source, our Connecticut Sand & Stone wellfield in Farmington, showed detectable levels of PFAS at 18 parts per trillion (ppt). This is a water source for customers throughout the Unionville system.’
PFAS stands for ‘Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances’ and refers to a large number of so-called ‘forever chemicals’ that find their way into drinking water from sources such as food packaging, fabric coatings, nonstick cookware and firefighting foam. That last item has been cited in previous examples of PFAS detected in Farmington, when the foam has leaked into the Farmington River. Hundreds of fire stations across the state store and use the foam.
There are growing concerns across the nation about how PFAS chemicals can impact public health and the environment. Research indicates that even tiny amounts of these compounds in drinking water can lead to various types of cancer, immune system and childhood development problems, high cholesterol, diabetes and other serious health issues…”