NOTICE OF VIOLATION FOR PFAS IN WELL 13 July 2026
This information is being provided to City of Camas, WA, water system customers to inform you of a City violation of Washington State’s State Action Level (SAL) PFOS in Well 13. Well 13 was turned on and put into the City’s system June 16, 2026 due to increased demand from City users.
Status of Well 13
In accordance with the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) requirements the City is notifying customers that water sampling in June of 2026 showed Well 13 had a PFOS detection that was above the “State Action Level” (SAL). The PFOS detection level from the June sample was 16.3 ppt (Parts Per Trillion) and the SAL is 4 ppt. It is important to note that the DOH revised its SAL limits from 15 ppt to 4 ppt to for PFOS to align with the EPA’s contaminant levels.
You can help by reducing your irrigation use to every other day (e.g. odd/even based on the last number of your address), or using native plantings and not irrigating at all, which can minimize the need for the use of Well 13.
City’s PFAS Response Plan & EPA Rule
In 2021, the Washington State Board of Health (SBOH) adopted a rule that required water system utilities, including the City of Camas, to test for PFAS contaminants. PFAS are a newer class of contaminants regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). As discussed above, the rule also requires the City to notify customers if any test results exceed the SAL.
The City has taken the PFAS concerns seriously and continues to be proactive in our approach to the water system. After volunteering in late 2020 to test our water system for PFAS prior to most other providers in the State, the City has begun construction on the treatment system. The system is anticipated to be online before Well 13 is turned on in late May or early June of 2027. Well 13 is usually turned off in mid-September, when demand drops from City users. Once the new treatment system is online, Well 13 will be producing water year round.
In addition to designing treatment for Well 13, the City’s team of experts are also assisting the City with completion of a comprehensive PFAS response management plan which will include a review of the City’s well sources and identification of all potential funding resources for future treatment or new water sources. Although the City’s other well sources have been testing below the State Action Level of 4 ppt, based on prior PFOS test results which were greater than 4.0 ppt, it appears that other City wells may now need additional monitoring under EPAs Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL). As such, as part of the City’s response management plan we will be monitoring all wells and investigating further to determine if additional treatment or alternative sources are needed to meet the new MCL.
Exposure to PFAS occurs in various ways, including through drinking water. Because of the widespread use of PFAS in manufacturing, it has become a world-wide issue and one that until very recently, even the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or Safe Water Drinking Act did not address or provide guidance for the States or water providers to follow. On April 10, 2024, EPA announced their final National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for six specific PFAS. This included development of a Maximum Contaminant Level for PFOA, PFAS, PFHxS HFPO-DA and PFBS. EPA also finalized health-based, non-enforceable Maximum Contaminant Level Goals (MCLGs) for these same PFAS.
Washington DOH recently adopted changes to WAC 246-290-315 and WAC 246-290-71006 on December 15, 2025. The adopted changes align the SALs with the MCLs while keeping current protections related to PFAS in place until new federal regulations are effective.
There are multiple PFAS rule stages, progressing to the MCLs becoming effective in April 2029. These are described in the table below. Effective January 15, 2026, SAL values were aligned with the federal MCLs. Exceeding the original SAL was based on confirmed detection. With the rule change, exceeding a SAL is now based on the running annual average (RAA) exceeding the SAL. The City will use the trigger levels shown below to determine monitoring requirements in 2027, after the initial monitoring period ends. Routine compliance monitoring begins April 26, 2027.
This is of the highest priority for the City’s water system, and we are working as quickly as possible to get treatment in place and have a solid response management plan as a roadmap for the future.
The standards established by EPA are set to reduce PFAS to the lowest levels that are feasible for effective implementation. If you are concerned about the level of PFAS in your drinking water, consider installing an in-home water treatment (e.g., filters) that are certified to lower the levels of PFAS in your water. For more information, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2024-04/water-filter-fact-she...
For fact sheets and more information on the new EPA National Primary Drinking Water regulation related to PFAS, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/sdwa/and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas
For more information related to the City’s water system and PFAS, please visit https://engagecamas.com/pfas-and-the-camas-water-system or contact Rob Charles, Utilities Manager (360-817-7003 or rcharles@cityofcamas.us) . Please do not hesitate to share this notice with others who may drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments and businesses).
