LOW LEVELS OF PFAS DETECTED IN PEPEʻEKEO WATER SYSTEM

LOW LEVELS OF PFAS DETECTED IN PEPEʻEKEO WATER SYSTEM Posted on Oct 20, 2025 in Newsroom HONOLULU - Low levels of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were detected in water samples collected at the Kulaʻimano Well A of the Pepeʻekeo water system, Public Water System HI0000106, owned by the Hawaiʻi County Department of Water Supply (DWS). Kulaʻimano Well A serves Pepeʻekeo area of the island of Hawaiʻi. The detections of Perfluorooctane Sulfonic Acid (PFOS), which is one of the regulated PFAS, are below the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) and are unlikely to pose a public health risk. [Link] The detections of PFOS ranged from 2.6 to 3.0 nanograms per liter (ng/L), which are below the EPA MCL for PFOS of 4.0 ng/L. MCLs are the highest levels of contaminants that are allowed in drinking water by the EPA. The detection of PFAS at the Kulaʻimano Well A was confirmed by samples collected on Aug. 18, 2025, and Sept. 23, 2025. The DWS formally notified the Hawaiʻi Department of Health (DOH) of the initial detection of PFAS via email on Oct. 8, 2025. According to the EPA, PFAS, which have been used since the 1940s, are fluorinated organic chemicals that have been used extensively in consumer products such as carpets, clothing, fabrics for furniture, paper packaging for food and other materials (e.g., cookware) designed to be waterproof, stain-resistant or nonstick. They are also a component of fire-fighting foam and have many industrial uses. For more information on PFAS, please see https://www.epa.gov/pfas or https://health.hawaii.gov/pfas. Users may also contact DWS. This press release is issued in accordance with Hawaii Revised Statutes §340E-24(b), which requires notification of previously detected contaminants in underground sources of drinking water or any public water supply. # # # News Release - LOW LEVELS OF PFAS DETECTED IN PEPEEKEO WATER SYSTEM