What you need to know about PFAS in Peoria

By Philip Haldiman
Mail | X: @PhilipHaldiman

PFAS, included in a category known as “forever chemicals,” have become a hot topic for many Peorians lately with construction of the new Amkor Technology facility planned for the Vistancia commercial core in north Peoria.

The microchip testing and packaging company recently told the public that no PFAS will go into the wastewater stream once the operation is up and running.

But in the larger context of the city, PFAS have been found in some of Peoria’s water wells.

The chemicals break down slowly over time, and are found in many different consumer, commercial and industrial products.

At concentrations typically found in drinking water, they are not dangerous in the same way as acute water contaminants like E. coli, which may be dangerous if consumed even once.

But the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says exposure to PFAS over time can cause potential health risks.

Here’s what you need to know about PFAS in Peoria.

Peoria wells

The most studied PFAS compounds are perfluorooctanoic acid, known as PFOA, and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, or PFOS, which are equal in size to a single drop of water in 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Jennifer Peterson, the city’s environment and wastewater water services manager, said that in Peoria, to date, two wells have had detections above maximum contaminant levels: one with PFOA at 6.47 parts per trillion and one with PFOA at 5.44 ppt. The maximum contaminant level for PFOA in drinking water is 4 ppt, according to EPA.

If a water system exceeds a maximum contaminant level of 4 ppt, the city must take steps to reduce the levels in drinking water, per EPA regulations.

Peterson said both contaminated wells have been turned off while the city evaluates remediation options.

During the past few years, the EPA has worked to update its PFAS regulations, and in April 2024, under orders from the Biden administration, officials finalized drinking water regulations and established MCLs for six PFAS compounds in drinking water. The rules require routine monitoring to start in 2027 and compliance with the MCL by 2029.

However, under new orders from the Trump administration in May, the EPA announced it will keep the MCLs for two types of PFAS chemicals — PFOA and PFOS — but rescind and revisit the regulations for the other four PFAS compounds. As part of this announcement, the EPA kept 2027 for routine monitoring to begin, but proposed extending the MCL compliance deadline to 2031.

Proactive Sampling

There are currently 29 city of Peoria drinking water wells in active status, which means they are available for use if needed, based on water demand, but may not be in daily use.

Under the new PFAS drinking water regulation, routine sampling for PFOA and PFOS will begin in 2027, but Peterson said workers have already sampled all 29 active drinking wells for PFAS.

“No matter how frequently they are used, active wells are kept in good operating condition and sampled routinely to ensure they meet water quality regulations,” she said. “The city has sampled its active sources as part of a proactive sampling strategy and as part of EPA’s required sampling events for compounds under study for future regulation.”

EPA regulations to date are focused on drinking water and not sewer discharge, but the city has legal authority to prevent the introduction of pollutants into the wastewater system that could interfere with the operation of the system or pass through the system without adequate treatment.

Peterson said the city achieves this through an industrial pretreatment permit, a document that allows certain industries to discharge wastewater into a publicly owned treatment works after they have treated it to meet specific standards.

An industrial pretreatment permit has enforceable discharge limits, as well as requirements for monitoring and reporting, facility inspections, spill and emergency response plans, and best management practices for the storage and handling of materials, Peterson said.

“The city develops permit discharge limits by evaluating facility data and incorporating applicable local, state, and federal effluent standards,” she said. “The city may change the permit at any time to incorporate new local, state, or federal pretreatment standards or requirements, or if information shows that the discharge poses a threat to the city’s collection and treatment system, city personnel, or the environment.”

Amkor

The city will impose an industrial pretreatment permit on Amkor, which must be in place no later than 90 days before the permitted facility begins to discharge into the sanitary sewer, according to city code.

“While no official permit application has been submitted to date, the city has been engaging in conversations with Amkor about federal and local industrial pretreatment requirements and the information that will be required as part of a permit application,” Peterson said.

Amkor will also be responsible for the installation, operation, and maintenance of any treatment technology needed for their wastewater discharge to meet their permitted discharge limits.

Although, he did not go into details, David McCann, a senior vice president with Amkor Technology, said in a video statement: “To address emerging concerns regarding PFAS, Amkor plans to eliminate PFAS in direct materials and outsource pretreatment of PFAS-containing indirect materials to specialized service providers. As a result, no PFAS will go into the wastewater stream.”

The city will continue to monitor state and federal efforts on emerging contaminants and will incorporate any new limits into future permit revisions, as needed, to protect human health and the environment, Peterson said

“Amkor will have permit discharge limits for (PFAS) to prevent pass-through into the environment and to ensure that Peoria maintains compliance with its own permit discharge limits,” she said. “Ensuring that the discharge from our water reclamation facility meets all applicable federal and state regulations is an important part of protecting the local aquifers.”


Senior News Editor Philip Haldiman can be reached at phaldiman@iniusa.org, or on X @philiphaldiman. We’d like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments, pro or con, on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org.

Philip Haldiman
Senior News Editor | Peoria

phaldiman@iniusa.org

Meet Philip
Haldiman is an award-winning journalist who most recently took first place for investigative reporting in 2023 from Arizona Newspapers Association. He joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2015, covering Sun City West his first year. Since 2016, he has covered the city of Peoria. Prior to coming to INI, he was a reporter with The Arizona Republic for seven years, covering numerous cities throughout the Valley. Before that, he was a freelance writer.

Community: Haldiman spearheads the Peoria Independent Hometown Heroes Awards program, honoring local individuals and businesses that give back to the community. He has hosted local candidate forums over the years and is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists. Haldiman also served as a member of the Journalism Program Community Advisory Board at Glendale Community College. Outside journalism, Haldiman served as a member of the city of Peoria Complete Count Committee for the Census, 2019-2020. Lastly, he has served as a member of his HOA governing board since 2021.

Education: Arizona State University with a BA in Journalism and Mass Communications and a BA in Theater. 

Random Fact: Haldiman is a fourth-generation Arizonan as well as wrote and produced an autobiographical comic book about his time spent in Hollywood and his life as a cult film star.

Hobbies: He enjoys hiking Arizona’s mountainous landscapes and is currently working on a play for the stage.