The Iowa Environmental Protection Commission approved more funding Wednesday for the EPA required tests of drinking water for the chemicals known as PFAS. Kathleen Lee of the DNR Water Quality Bureau says it started with voluntary sampling while they set up the rules and now have approved permits for the regular sampling.
The EPA started requiring samples in 2024 and Lee says it took some time to get things running on the state level.
Water facilities serving more than 10,000 people have to test four times a year, and those serving under 10,000 have to test twice a year. The state commission approve nearly $400,000 for additional testing, which will come from an EPA grant. Lee says the early testing shows PFAS found in Iowa water is below national projections.
Lee says the amount of future water testing will be quarterly, annual, or tri-annual based on the results of the initial testing.
The total amount budgeted for the PFAS testing with the additional money added will be more than 1.4 million dollars.
