PFAS Information
CVWD is actively monitoring and testing our water system for PFAS chemicals and is complying with state monitoring advisories. CVWD is also working to comply with federal advisories effective in 2027 and 2029.
CVWD also monitors the community water system and tests more than 17,000 samples annually for more than 100 other regulated and unregulated substances to ensure it delivers customers safe, high-quality drinking water that meets state and federal regulations.
Resources
State Water Board: www.waterboards.ca.gov/drinking_water/certlic/drinkingwater/PFOA_PFOS
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: www.epa.gov/pfas
Email CVWD at waterquality@cvwd.org with questions regarding water quality or PFAS.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are answers to common questions regarding per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
Click the question to see the answer.
Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of thousands of human-made chemicals that have been used extensively in numerous consumer and personal care products, such as Teflon pans, stain-resistant carpets, fast food packaging, firefighting foams, and other materials designed to be waterproof, stain-resistant, or non-stick.
Certain PFAS chemicals (including PFOA and PFOS) are no longer manufactured in the United States. However, they are still produced internationally and imported into the US in consumer goods such as carpets, apparel, textiles, paper, packaging, coatings, rubber, and plastics.
In addition, PFAS are added to cosmetics and other personal care products to increase water resistance, durability, and stain resistance. Studies have found PFAS in various personal care products, including lipsticks, eyeshadows, moisturizers, nail polish, and cleansers. Read more on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration website.
Chemical manufacturers are the source of PFAS chemicals. Across the nation, the chemicals have seeped into groundwater, lakes, and rivers. The substances move easily through the ground, entering groundwater that may be used for water supplies or private drinking water wells. Public water systems that have detected PFAS in the water supply are researching the source and working to understand the impact.
The State Water Resources Control Board’s (SWRCB) Division of Drinking Water (DDW) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) set standards and regulate drinking water in California.
EPA finalized a National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) establishing legally enforceable levels, called Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs), for six PFAS in drinking water. PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFNA, and HFPO-DA as contaminants with individual MCLs, and PFAS mixtures containing at least two or more of PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA, and PFBS using a Hazard Index MCL to account for the combined and co-occurring levels of these PFAS in drinking water. EPA also finalized health-based, non-enforceable Maximum Contaminant Level Goals (MCLGs) for these PFAS.
| Compound | Final MCLG | Final MCL (enforceable levels) |
| PFOA | Zero | 4.0 parts per trillion (ppt) (also expressed as ng/L) |
| FPOS | Zero | 4.0 ppt |
| PFHxS | 10 ppt | 10 ppt |
| PFNA | 10 ppt | 10 ppt |
| HFPO-DA (commonly known as GenX Chemicals) | 10 ppt | 10 ppt |
| Mixtures containing two or more of PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA, and PFBS | 1 (unitless) Hazard Index | 1 (unitless) Hazard Index |
The final rule requires:
- By 2027, public water systems must monitor for these PFAS and have three years to complete initial monitoring, followed by ongoing compliance monitoring.
- In 2027, water systems must also provide the public with information on the levels of these PFAS in their drinking water.
- Public water systems have five years (by 2029) to implement solutions that reduce these PFAS if monitoring shows that drinking water levels exceed these MCLs.
- In 2029, public water systems with PFAS in drinking water that violate one or more of these MCLs must take action to reduce the levels of these PFAS in their drinking water and notify the public of the violation.
CVWD complies with the state's Monitoring, Notification, and Response Levels for PFOA, PFOS, PFBS, and PFHxS established by the State Water Resources Control Board’s Division of Drinking Water (DDW)
- Results from these orders above the Notification Level require notification to the governing body for areas where the water has been served.
- Results from these orders above the Response Level require public water systems to take the water source out of service, utilize treatment or blending of the source, or provide public notification of the response level exceedance.
While the state has not adopted a Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) regulation, it does not require treatment. State Notification Levels are precautionary health-based advisory levels established by DDW, which will be used to develop statewide enforceable drinking water regulations.
| PFAS | Notification Level (ng/L, ppt) | Response Level (ng/L, ppt) |
| PFOA | 5.1 | 10 (1) |
| PFOS | 6.5 | 40 (1) |
| PFHxS | 3 | 20 (2) |
| PFBS | 500 | 5,000 (3) |
ng/L = nanograms per liter
ppt = parts per trillion
(1) Exceedance based on a quarterly running annual average (QRAA)
(2) Exceedance based on a single or the average of single and duplicate sample
(3) Exceedance based on a single or the average of single and confirmed sample
*Note: GenX chemicals have not been detected in the Basin; PFBS has been detected at levels far below all current state advisories, and the federal Health Advisory level is included as part of USEPA’s proposed PFAS Hazard Index.
Notification Levels (NL)
The NL is the level at which water agencies must notify local elected officials and governing bodies of contaminants in regional water supplies. NLs are precautionary health-based advisory levels established by DDW while the state conducts further research and analysis to determine the necessity of setting an enforceable drinking water maximum contaminant level (MCL).
Response Levels (RL)
The RL is the level at which the state recommends the water not be served to the public without treatment or blending to reduce contaminants.
The state has issued draft Public Health Goals (PHGs) for PFOA and PFOS. Once the PHGs are finalized, DDW will use them as the basis for developing statewide enforceable drinking water regulations, a process which should take approximately two years.
Although CVWD and other public water systems are not the source of these chemicals, we are working hard to monitor the quality of your drinking water supply using the best technologies and practices available.
- Water agencies that monitor results that indicate PFAS above the DDW Notification Level will be required to notify the governing body of the areas where the water has been served (e.g., the City Council or County Board of Supervisors).
- DDW also requires that agencies notify customers of PFAS detections through the annual Consumer Confidence Report, which must be available to each customer on website postings or bill inserts.
To read CVWD's most recent Consumer Confidence Report, visit cvwd.org/CCR/2024.
CVWD is committed to delivering safe, high-quality water to its customers. Public health is a top priority.
- CVWD serves drinking water to a population of 270,000 and more than 114,000 meters across 1,000 square miles.
- CVWD employees monitor and collect more than 17,000 water samples annually. These samples are tested to ensure drinking water meets state and federal water quality standards and provides a safe and reliable supply.
- CVWD continues researching the most cost-effective approach to meeting current and future regulations as the state adopts more stringent laws.
- CVWD is also pursuing grants and low-interest loans since funding is not provided to meet these regulations, which ultimately puts the costs on water agencies and their rate payers.
While CVWD is not the source of these chemicals, we are still working hard to monitor their presence and, if necessary, determine the most cost-effective response for our customers, including water treatment, finding alternative water sources, blending water sources, or taking wells out of service.
Other options include constructing PFAS-removal facilities using technologies such as granular activated carbon, ion exchange, or high-pressure membranes such as reverse osmosis.
Though the state does not require treatment, CVWD continues researching the most efficient and cost-effective methods to comply with regulations.