County water clear of ‘forever chemicals’

It was a change in federal drinking water standards for arsenic back in 2006 that resulted in building a pipeline between Minden and Carson City 14 years ago.

On Thursday, Douglas County commissioners approved an approximate 4 percent wholesale water rate to provide water to Indian Hills, the capital and northern Douglas County over the next five years.

The new rates go into effect on July 1.

Meanwhile, the county has been watching the discussion on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as “forever chemicals” for several years, according to Public Works Director Phil Ritger.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently announced new drinking water standards regarding the chemicals in drinking water.

“Last year we began participating in a voluntary program with Nevada Department of Environmental Protection to test our water systems for PFAS,” Ritger said. “All of our systems, both at the Lake and here in the Valley, resulted in no-detection for any of the myriad of PFAS chemicals.”

Douglas isn’t the largest water purveyor in the county, but all of the drinking water outside of the Lake Tahoe Basin comes from underground sources. There are wells at Lake Tahoe, but much of the drinking water for residents comes from the lake itself after being treated.

Minden Town Manager JD Frisby confirmed that the town doesn’t test for PFAS but expects it will have to at some point.

“It is not part of our required test by the State and EPA,” he said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if that doesn’t change in the future though.”

Arsenic exists naturally, but “forever chemicals” are a group of man-made chemicals that have been widely used in various industrial and consumer products for decades. Due to their persistence in the environment and potential adverse health effects, addressing PFAS contamination has emerged as a top priority for environmental regulators and public health officials nationwide.