• 2013: We tested our finished drinking water for six per-fluorinated compounds as part of the EPA’s Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR3) program. None of the compounds were detected.
  
  
• 2016: We developed a Source Water Protection Plan, designed to identify, and mitigate threats to the Poudre River and Horsetooth Reservoir. As part of this plan, Utilities conducted a review of potential sources of PFAS in our drinking water supplies. There were no identified industrial sources of PFAS within the watersheds and no past or existing storage facilities were identified through a State records review. It is possible that sources of treated municipal wastewater that are upstream of Horsetooth Reservoir may contribute PFAS from household and commercial sources.
  
  
• 2020: Fort Collins Utilities participated in the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s (CDPHE) PFAS voluntary sampling program. This program was designed to help water providers across Colorado and the communities they serve to determine if PFAS are present in their drinking water. As part of this program, one finished water sample was collected at the point of entry to the Fort Collins Utilities’ water distribution system. Total PFAS at 0.56 parts per trillion (ppt) were detected in the sample, which was below the EPA Health Advisory level of 70 ppt at that time. This result was flagged, indicating that it was below the lab's ability to accurately quantify the result. The detection of PFAS in 2020 could be due to improvements in detection technologies since 2013, rather than the occurrence of a new PFAS source in our watersheds. It might also be due to sample contamination as a result of the ubiquity of the substances in the environment. PFAS analytical results for this program can be found on the CDPHE webpage.
  
  
• 2022: Following the release of the Health Advisories in June, Fort Collins Utilities resampled its two raw water supplies and finished drinking water. No PFAS were detected from those samples. 

Studies have found exposure to PFAS can:

• Impact the immune system
• Impact the cardiovascular system
• Lead to decreased birth weight
• Lead to cancer

Adverse health impacts are not expected with lifetime exposure levels below the health advisory.

While this is a concern, it is not a crisis. The lower your exposure, the lower your risk. You do not need to stop drinking tap water.

Fort Collins Utilities strives to provide clean, safe, good-tasting drinking water to its customers. We proactively test the drinking water and monitor our watersheds for sources of PFAS, including the Cache la Poudre River and the Colorado-Big Thompson (CBT) project (Horsetooth Reservoir).

PFAS have not been identified in either of the City’s source watersheds; however, it is known that treated wastewater discharges can be a source of PFAS.

Additionally, in some cases, PFAS can occur in drinking water supplies and in finished drinking water (typically localized and associated with a specific facility, e.g., manufacturer, landfill, wastewater treatment plant, firefighter training facility). 

• Boiling, freezing, or letting water stand does not reduce PFAS levels. 
• If concerned, reduce exposure by using water treated by an in-home water treatment filter certified to lower PFAS levels.
• Both the EPA and CDPHE do not recommend bottled water unless it has been treated with reverse osmosis. Bottled water is as likely to contain PFAS as tap water.
• If you have specific health concerns, consult your doctor.

Chemical compounds, like PFAS, are often manufactured to make life easier, better or safer. But over time, studies may reveal unintended consequences. 

Research and information on PFAS is continually evolving and there is still a lot not known, including:

• How to remove PFAS from drinking water
• How to manage and dispose of PFAS
• How harmful PFAS are to people and the environment 
• The extent of human exposure to PFAS 
• How to accurately and precisely detect and measure very low levels of PFAS in air, water, soil, and wildlife 

• 2000-2002 - PFOS was voluntarily phased out of production in the U.S. by its primary manufacturer.
• 2006-2015 - Eight major companies phased out their production and use of PFOA, and the chemicals that degrade to PFOA.
• 2012 - EPA included PFOA and PFOS on the list of contaminants that water systems were required to monitor under the Third Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule. 
• 2021 - EPA committed to establishing national primary drinking water regulations for PFOA and PFOS.  
• 2025 - Water utilities will be required to monitor 29 PFAS during the Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule.