

WIWSA “Virtual Booth” at Sound Waters University 2023
Exhibitors & Sponsors – Sound Water Stewards of Island County, WA WIWSA once again sponsored Sound Waters University 2023 and is displaying a virtual booth. The booth contains our new brochure. Continue reading WIWSA “Virtual Booth” at Sound Waters University 2023

‘I don’t want to live like this anymore’: East Selah families still fighting for access to clean water amid PFAS well contamination
EAST SELAH, Wash. — East Selah resident Brandi Hyatt has been unable to use the water in her home near the Yakima Training Center for a year due to high levels of a group of dangerous “forever chemicals” called PFAS, found in their wells.
Her family has been living off of bottled water for cooking, drinking, brushing teeth and washing hands and has been showering at the local YMCA, concerned about the toxic effects of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances on human health.
“It’s stressful. It’s less than ideal,” Hyatt said. “I don’t want to live like this anymore.” Continue reading ‘I don’t want to live like this anymore’: East Selah families still fighting for access to clean water amid PFAS well contamination

Local and state officials hear from Selah residents affected by drinking water contamination
Selah residents affected by the groundwater contamination near the Yakima Training Center spent Thursday night speaking with local and state health and environmental officials about their concerns over the U.S. Army’s handling of cleanup efforts. Continue reading Local and state officials hear from Selah residents affected by drinking water contamination

EPA Takes Key Step to Stop Unsafe PFAS from Reentering Commerce
Proposed rule would prevent companies from starting or resuming the manufacture, processing or use of an estimated 300 substances. EPA Takes Key Step to Stop Unsafe PFAS from Reentering Commerce | NRWA WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency … Continue reading EPA Takes Key Step to Stop Unsafe PFAS from Reentering Commerce

DRAFT Guidance for Investigating and
Remediating PFAS Contamination in
Washington State
You’re invited to review and comment on our draft cleanup guidance for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance contamination and cleanup.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are collectively known as PFAS. This group comprises thousands of unique synthetic organic chemicals that are extremely stable and persistent. Continue reading DRAFT Guidance for Investigating and
Remediating PFAS Contamination in
Washington State

Focus on: PFAS Cleanup Levels
Focus on: PFAS cleanup levels (wa.gov) This focus sheet provides the Washington StateDepartment of Ecology’s (Ecology’s) recommendedsoil and groundwater cleanup levels for part of agroup of harmful compounds known as per- andpolyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. Continue reading Focus on: PFAS Cleanup Levels

Skipped showers, paper plates: An Arizona suburb’s water is cut off
RIO VERDE, Ariz. — Joe McCue thought he had found a desert paradise when he bought one of the new stucco houses sprouting in the granite foothills of Rio Verde, Arizona. There were good schools, mountain views and cactus-spangled hiking trails out the back door.
Then the water got cut off. Continue reading Skipped showers, paper plates: An Arizona suburb’s water is cut off

New Bay Area maps show hidden flood risk from sea level rise and groundwater
Amid dramatic ocean swells and drenching atmospheric rivers, a new report lays bare a hidden aspect of sea level rise that has been exacerbating flooding in the Bay Area.
The report, which was released Tuesday, maps areas that could flood from groundwater hovering just a few feet, or even inches below ground. This layer of water gets pushed upward as denser water from the ocean moves inland from rising tides. On its way up, even before the water breaks the surface, it can seep into the cracks of basements, infiltrate plumbing, or, even more insidiously, re-mobilize toxic chemicals buried underground. Continue reading New Bay Area maps show hidden flood risk from sea level rise and groundwater

U.S. military takes important step towards PFAS-free firefighting foams
New rule comes after years of PFAS contamination of water supplies for millions of Americans
Health advocates praise this move while calling for transparency and requirements for the safety of new foams
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) released a revised military specification (“mil spec”) for the purchase and use of firefighting foam free of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). Revisions to the mil spec were required by the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The new rule comes after years of PFAS contamination of water supplies for millions of Americans.
This new specification also impacts airports. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was directed by Congress to allow airports to use fluorine-free foams by October 2021 and issued a new alert today. Continue reading U.S. military takes important step towards PFAS-free firefighting foams

Locally caught freshwater fish across the United States are likely a significant source of exposure to PFOS and other perfluorinated compounds
Locally caught freshwater fish across the United States are likely a significant source of exposure to PFOS and other perfluorinated compounds – ScienceDirect Abstract Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, gained significant public and regulatory attention due to widespread contamination … Continue reading Locally caught freshwater fish across the United States are likely a significant source of exposure to PFOS and other perfluorinated compounds