By Pete Gawda
Polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, are found in many commercial, consumer and industrial products including firefighting foam, nonstick cookware and fast-food packaging. Thousands of these compounds have been around since the 1940s. Some have been studied extensively; others have not. They are called “forever chemicals” because many are highly persistent in the environment.
Some PFAS could negatively affect human health, especially in children, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. One of the most common ways for humans to be exposed is through drinking water because PFAS are common and can make their way into drinking water sources.
PFAS are spreading across some waterways of Colorado, putting fish, wildlife and drinking water at risk according to a study by CoPIRG Foundation. Note: Refer to a summary of the CoPIRG Foundation’s press release regarding this study, see the preceding article on this page.
“PFAS contamination is a serious health challenge that demands rigorous standards, clear science, and practical solutions,” Department of Health and Human Services secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. said in a May 26, 2026 press release.
The EPA has established National Primary Drinking Water Regulations for utility systems. These regulations set maximum contaminant levels of certain pollutants including some types of PFAS. By 2029, utilities will be required to take action to correct levels exceeding applicable regulatory limits of certain PFAS as defined by these regulations.
There is some good news about PFAS involving Cherokee Metropolitan District and the City of Fountain.
“After over a year of design, testing, permitting and land acquisition we are breaking ground on a full- scale treatment facility early next year,” Kevin Brown, general manager of Cherokee, told the NFH in an email on Oct. 20. He went on to say that Cherokee Metropolitan District tests each of its water entry points quarterly for PFAS. Brown said one of the PFAS tested was just over the EPA limit; the other one was under the maximum limit. He expects to have the new plant operating ahead of the 2029 deadline for compliance with EPA standards.
According to an Oct. 15 article in The Gazette, PFAS were first detected in Fountain’s municipal water supply in 2016. The city then began upgrading its water treatment system aided by class action settlements from companies that produce PFAS. The city also received funds from the U.S. Air Force because firefighting foam used at Peterson Air Force Base was believed to be the source of some of the PFAS found. According to The Gazette, there were no detectable levels of PFAS in the city’s water supply at the time of the Oct. 15 article.
The bad news concerns Antler Creek, Drake Lake and Widefield Water and Sanitation District. Drake Lake is southwest of Meadow Lake Airport on Mallard Drive. Antler Creek begins near Antler Creek Golf Course and flows south of the lake. Antler Creek is a tributary of Black Squirrel Creek. Results of PFAS testing for Antler Creek and Meadow Lake were announced in CoPIRG’s press release of Oct. 14. However, the exact location of testing on Antler Creek and the types and amounts of PFAS were not stated in the press release.
The CoPIRG Foundation press release said the groups behind the report are calling for phasing out the use of PFAS in all consumer products, banning industrial facilities from dumping PFAS into rivers and sewage treatment plants and ending the application of sewage-laden sludge on farmlands.
