As part of its responsibilities under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) implements Section 1445(a)(2), Monitoring Program for Unregulated Contaminants. The SDWA requires that once every five years, EPA issue a list of priority unregulated contaminants to be monitored by certain public water systems across States, Tribes, and Territories. These contaminants may be present in drinking water but are not yet subject to EPA drinking water standards.
UCMR 5 monitoring included 29 per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and lithium.
PFAS are a group of synthetic chemicals used in a wide range of consumer products and industrial applications including non-stick cookware, water-repellent clothing, stain-resistant fabrics and carpets, cosmetics, firefighting foams, electroplating, and products that resist grease, water, and oil. PFAS are found in the blood of people and animals and in water, air, fish, and soil at locations across the United States and the world.
UCMR 5 requires water systems to include results for contaminants detected above the minimum reporting level.
Of the 30 contaminants monitored, the City of Harker Heights had three contaminants detected above the minimum reporting level, listed in the table below. Most of the December 2023 test results were discarded by the laboratory and collected again in May 2024. Since the May 2024 results were not finalized, the 2023 Annual Water Quality Report was published with the December 2023 test results. The revised table below includes the May 2024 test results.
Reporting units below are in Parts per Billion (ppb)
|
Unregulated Contaminant |
Collection Date |
Average Level (ppb) |
Range of Levels Detected (ppb) |
UCMR Minimum Reporting Level (ppb) |
|
Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS) |
2023 and 2024 |
0.0034 |
0.0-0.0034 |
0.003 |
|
Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) |
2023 and 2024 |
0.0040 |
0.0032-0.0048 |
0.003 |
|
Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) |
2023 and 2024 |
0.0067 |
0.0054-0.0080 |
0.005 |
If you have questions about this matter, please contact the Public Works Department at 254-953-5649.