PFAS in West Virginia's Groundwater and Surface Water

Study Objectives

1. Identify the drinking-water supplies in West Virginia that have select PFAS compounds in raw source water.
2. Determine if there are geochemical, watershed, industrial-use, land-use, or geohydrologic factors that affect the presence of these compounds.
3. Inform state agencies and the public of any need for additional PFAS investigations.
4. Assist state regulatory agencies in protecting public health by providing information on statewide PFAS distribution in source waters.

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Findings

Out of 279 sites sampled, 212 sites (76% of sites sampled) had no PFAS detected above the reporting level. Sixty-seven sites (24% of sites sampled) had at least one PFAS detected, 47 of which were in groundwater sources and 20 in surface-water sources.

See the maps below for more details on the locations of PFAS sampling in West Virginia, including locations where elevated PFAS was measured.

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Sites with detections for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOAS) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) were highest in the western counties, with four samples exceeding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s health advisory (HA) level of 70 nanograms per liter (ng/L) and three sites with concentrations between 20 and 40 ng/L. West Virginia’s eastern panhandle had one site that exceeded HA and one site with concentrations between 40 and 70 ng/L. These sites were located in highly susceptible karst and alluvial groundwater aquifers on the east and west sides of the state.

Overall, 37 sites had detections above the reporting level for PFOA, PFOS, or both. Eighteen of the 37 sites with detections for PFOA or PFOS were located in counties that border Ohio on the western side of the state in the Ohio River Valley and 13 sites with detections for PFOA or PFOS were located on the eastern side of the state in the eastern panhandle.

It is important to note that the results outlined here represent source water prior to treatment and are not necessarily representative of supplied drinking water.

Sampling

Public-water systems sampled for this study were identified by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources and included systems classified as community water systems (drinking water system that regularly serves at least 25 residents and/or has at least 15 year-round service connections) and all daycares and schools that operate their own water systems. 

USGS scientists collected 173 samples from groundwater sources and 106 samples from surface-water sources. In addition to testing for PFAS, this study also measured pH, specific conductance, water temperature, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, and alkalinity for all samples. PFAS was analyzed at all 279 sites, major ions and trace elements were analyzed at 272 sites, and nutrients were analyzed at 270 sites.

It is important to note that data collected for this study do not assess variability in results over time, which may be important at some sites based on local conditions. Further monitoring and study is needed to assess possible temporal variability.