EPA PFAS monitoring and testing concludes

City of Austin | December 2, 2024

Read the full article by City of Austin

"Today, Austin Water released results from a year’s worth of water quality testing as part of a nationwide effort by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to determine the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in public drinking water. Austin Water’s results reveal little to no detectable traces of PFAS in the City’s drinking water. Because PFAS levels were either not detected or lower than upcoming EPA regulatory limits, no additional treatment to address these substances is required at this time.

"This great news validates decades of work to protect and safeguard our water at its source," stated Austin City Manager, T.C. Broadnax. “Austin’s embrace of strong environmental protections to reduce pollution in the Highland Lakes has played a vital role in keeping our water supply safe and clean."

Austin’s water supply benefits from the many environmental protections that have been in place for decades, such as a ban on the discharge of pollutants in the Highland Lakes and the Lower Colorado River Authority’s participation in Texas Commission for Environmental Quality’s Clean Rivers Program. As a result, the Highland Lakes, which are the source of Austin’s drinking water, are less impacted by industries and activities that produce PFAS contaminants."