Mike Koopal, executive director of the Whitefish Lake Institute, reported to the City Council earlier this month that PFAS, or forever chemicals, were found in all the surface water bodies in Whitefish. 

“We tested for this in First, Second and Third creeks, Whitefish Lake and Whitefish River, and basically, we found some PFAS in all surface water bodies,” he told the City Council. 

The news came in the wake of other reports about PFAS found in the Flathead River basin and in wells on Big Mountain. 

The Daily Inter Lake reported that forever chemicals were detected in water at all Bio Station sampling locations, including sites in Flathead Lake, the Flathead River, the Swan River and Stoner Creek. 

A notice from the Big Mountain Water Company reported detectable levels of PFAS in two of its six wells during routine testing. Only one sample showed a concentration above the maximum contaminant level set by the Environmental Protection Agency. 

Whitefish Public Works Director Craig Workman said the PFAS in Second and Third creeks are below the EPA level that would require treatment, but added, “The fact that it's been detected means it's there.” 

According to the EPA, there are thousands of different PFAS, manufactured chemicals that have been used in industry and consumer products since the 1940s. Typically testing is done for 40-60 of the compounds. 

Research is ongoing to determine how exposure to different PFAS can lead to a variety of health effects, including cancer, obesity, reduced immunity, and developmental and reproductive ill effects. 

"The money's not there for us to tease out each specific parameter so for right now, it's basically a presence/absence of PFAS and PFOS, collectively," Koopal said. 

One question is, "Where is it coming from?" He said each compound has a signature that can trace it to its source: the nonstick pan, fire retardant or Gore-Tex clothing.  

"Why do we have it in First and, especially, Second and Third creek?" Koopal asked. "Those are undisturbed watersheds." 

The EPA has set maximum contaminant levels for a handful of the 1,500 compounds of forever chemicals, yet their effects on human health are still widely unknown. 

"I look at the various chemical contaminants, whether its PFAS or things in septic leachate or the BTEX or perchlorates ... all those things combined can affect human health," Koopal said. "In my opinion, it's incumbent on us to keep the stuff out of our water. As we learn more about it, err on the side of caution." 

MOST OF Whitefish's drinking water comes from Haskill Creek, and the supply is augmented by water from Whitefish Lake, especially in the summer months when demand is higher. 

Workman is scheduled to present the water and wastewater master plans to the City Council on Aug. 17. 

"These master plans are ... like the blueprint ... for the next 20 years,” Workman said. “What do we have to do in the next 20 years to keep up with growth and maintain the same level of water quality that we have today, if not, improve it, based on regulatory requirements?” 

He said the regulations change every year; for the last decade, the EPA has been concerned about lead and copper. He said the agency makes a set of rules, sends them to the states, and the states require each water system to comply. 

"These [master] plans are ... how do we keep up with those standards and keep an eye out for the emerging pollutants that the EPA is charged with looking at,” he said. “The newest one, of course, being micro plastics in drinking water, PFAS.”  

While he agrees with Koopal that a wildfire could contaminate Haskill Creek, Workman said it would likely not immediately affect Whitefish Lake, due to the submerged intake. 

“It won't ruin that right away, but if there is a zebra mussel infestation in Whitefish Lake, then that could reduce our ability to take water from Whitefish Lake, because they basically cling onto the sides of the pipe and restrict the suction,” Workman said. “I'm not saying that it's going to happen. We have a pretty rigorous program to prevent zebra mussels from getting in the lake, but I think it's inevitable that someday it will happen, and so that's what Mike talks about.”  

Some solutions to having PFAS in the water source are to drill a new well, look for groundwater sources, or install technologies to clean the water, like reverse osmosis. Workman said the city has investigated using ground water sources. 

“It's our opinion, through past studies, that there are concerns about introducing groundwater to a surface water system,” Workman said, adding that water with a different pH or alkalinity is capable of dissolving the lead joints on some of the city’s old cast iron pipes, resulting in health issues like those seen in Flint, Michigan. 

“It's our opinion, right now, that our current surface water sources have adequate supply; that we don't have to be drilling wells. But at some point in the future, that could happen,” he said. “It would likely result in a totally different water distribution zone where we would try to prevent the surface water from coming in contact with the ground water.” 

Reporter Julie Engler can be reached at 406-862-3505 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at whitefishpilot.com/support.