News

JBLM Water in the Clear

  • Published
  • 446th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
JOINT BASE LEWIS-McChord, Wash. --  The drinking water on Joint Base Lewis-McChord has been found safe to drink after testing for the presence of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), two manmade chemicals found in many consumer and industrial products.

In accordance with Environmental Protection Agency Safe Drinking Water Act guidelines, JBLM is notifying on-base consumers of drinking water that three of the base’s 28 drinking water wells have been shut down and removed from the base drinking water system because they exceed the new EPA lifetime health advisory level (LHA) for PFOS and PFOA.

The remaining 25 wells will be used to meet JBLM’s drinking water needs. The three drinking water wells that were closed will remain so indefinitely.

To ensure the continued availability of safe drinking water for JBLM residents and employees, JBLM will continue a program of recurring sampling of drinking water sources for PFOS and PFOA and other requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act. When the PFOS/PFOA subject arose within the Department of Defense, JBLM’s Public Works Environmental Division proactively tested the base drinking water wells for PFOS/PFOA as part of the installation’s routine compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Visit these websites for more information:

EPA’s Drinking Water Health Advisories for PFOS and PFOA:

https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/drinking-water-health-advisories-pfoa-and-pfos

EPA’s FACT SHEET for PFOS and PFOA Drinking Water Health Advisories:

https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-06/documents/drinkingwaterhealthadvisories_pfoa_pfos_updated_5.31.16.pdf

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Public Health Statements for PFOS and PFOA:

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/phs/phs.asp?id=1115&tid=237

For health-related questions, please contact Madigan Army Public Affairs at 253-968-1901.

For other questions, please contact the JBLM Public Affairs at 253-967-0148 or 0158.