KINGMAN – The City of Kingman is sharing the current status of the vadose zone well. While construction is complete and discharge authorization has been granted by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), the well is not yet in operation.
The injection well is designed to help recharge the local groundwater basin and support other groundwater recharge efforts in the area. While the City has met all regulatory requirements for effluent discharge, staff took the additional step of testing for drinking water regulatory requirements before moving forward. The test results showed that perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, were higher than those allowed in drinking water, set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to protect public health.
PFAS are a group of human-made chemicals that have been used in products such as non-stick cookware, stain-resistant fabrics, and firefighting foams. Because PFAS do not easily break down, they are sometimes called “forever chemicals,” and federal and state agencies have recently set new drinking water standards for them.
Two rounds of sampling from the City’s wastewater effluent showed PFAS results at or above drinking water maximum contaminant level (MCL). Because of this, City staff have made the decision not to discharge into the aquifer well at this time. Instead, the City is currently evaluating advanced filtration options designed to remove PFAS before discharging into the aquifer.
“At the time of construction, neither EPA nor ADEQ had finalized PFAS standards for drinking water,” said City Manager Tim Walsh. “Since then, standards have been adopted, and we are taking the extra step of applying those standards to our operations to protect Kingman’s groundwater.”
The City of Kingman will continue to work with ADEQ, EPA, and technical experts as it evaluates treatment options and will keep the community informed as progress is made.
