Health & Fitness
New Tool Shows PFAS Levels In Drinking Water In Woodbury, Across MN
PFAS are often called "forever chemicals," as they don't break down in the environment. Prolonged exposure can lead to serious health risks.
WOODBURY, MN — Woodbury residents can now check on the levels of “forever chemicals” in their drinking water, thanks to a new online data dashboard launched Tuesday by state officials.
The Minnesota Department of Health’s new dashboard displays the results of tests for PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — in public water systems across the state.
PFAS, also known as perfluorochemicals, are often called "forever chemicals" because they do not break down in the environment. Prolonged exposure to PFAS can lead to negative health effects, including higher cholesterol, thyroid disease, reduced immune response, changes to liver function and increased risk of kidney and testicular cancer, according to the Department of Health.
Find out what's happening in Woodburyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
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Tests have been conducted at more than 400 community water systems, which serve about 75 percent of all Minnesotans who use those systems, officials said.
Find out what's happening in Woodburyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Those tests revealed PFAS in about two-thirds of Minnesota’s community water systems, though the “vast majority” had PFAS levels below current guidelines, according to the Department of Health.
“Some PFAS are commonly found at low levels in drinking water, but it’s rare to find elevated PFAS in drinking water outside of communities with known contamination sites,” MDH environmental research scientist Jane de Lambert said in a news release.
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A community water system in St. Paul Park was the only system to have PFAS levels over the guidelines, but officials said the city does “not typically” use the well that exceeded the limits.
More than 560 other community water systems in Minnesota have not been tested, as of Thursday, according to the dashboard. Officials said they expect 1 percent of those wells — about five — to have PFAS levels above the current guidelines.
Commissioner of Health Jan Malcolm said the state’s testing program and new dashboard are “just two examples of how Minnesota continues to be a national leader in providing safe drinking water.”
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“With this new tool, Minnesotans will be able to see for themselves whether PFAS is a concern for the health of their communities and their families,” Malcolm said in the release.
Though Woodbury has faced PFAS-related issues in the past, its wells were within the health guidelines during recent tests, the dashboard shows.
High PFAS levels have forced Woodbury officials to remove many of its municipal wells out of service in recent years. The PFAS in Woodbury’s groundwater have been traced back to chemicals that were made at 3M's Cottage Grove facility for almost 60 years until 2002. Those PFAS were disposed of at multiple sites in Washington County.
Solid waste, industrial solvents and acids from 3M's Cottage Grove and St. Paul manufacturing facilities were disposed of at a site in Woodbury located along the city's border with Cottage Grove, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.
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Woodbury and Cottage Grove residents also used that site to dump municipal waste, including household, automotive and construction debris, health officials said.
Woodbury crews are working to expand capacity at the temporary water treatment plant near the intersection of Valley Creek Road and Tower Drive. The plant could be required for more than five years as the city works to build a long-term treatment facility, officials said.
Woodbury bought a parcel of land south of Hargis Parkway and east of Radio Drive, on which officials plan to build a permanent facility to treat the city's water for PFAS. Construction is expected to start in 2023 or 2024, officials said.
Minnesota reached an $850 million settlement agreement with 3M in 2018, with about $700 million to be directed to mitigate PFAS in drinking water in the Twin Cities' east metro.
Woodbury officials said they will try to have most of the costs for the permanent facility funded through the settlement agreement.
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