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W A T E R E N E R G Y L I F E <br />RIVERSIDE PUBLIC UTILITIES <br />Board Memorandum <br />P U B L I C U T I L I T I E S <br />BOARD OF PUBLIC UTILITIES DATE: APRIL 24, 2023 <br />SUBJECT: UPDATE ON PER- AND POLYFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES (PFAS) <br />REGULATIONS AND RIVERSIDE PUBLIC UTILITIES' TREATMENT <br />APPROACH <br />ISSUE: <br />To receive and file an update report on Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) regulations <br />and Riverside Public Utilities' treatment approach. <br />RECOMMENDATION: <br />That the Board of Public Utilities receive and file an update report on per- and polyfluoroalkyl <br />substances (PFAS) regulations and Riverside Public Utilities' treatment approach. <br />BACKGROUND: <br />Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), a collective term for a large group of synthetic <br />organic chemicals, comprises more than 12,000 substances of emerging contaminants of <br />concern. They are human -made chemical compounds designed to repel oil and water. They <br />have a wide range of applications, from use in firefighting foam to consumer products designed <br />to be waterproof, stain -resistant, and nonstick. They are known as "forever chemicals" due to <br />their persistence in the environment. They bioaccumulate in living organisms, which has the <br />potential to cause adverse human and ecological health effects. <br />Through the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board), the State of California <br />has adopted and delegated to the Division of Drinking Water (DDW) to issue new regulations <br />requiring public water agencies to test and monitor for PFAS. Health and Safety Code section <br />116455 authorizes State Water Board to issue notification and response levels for contaminants <br />in drinking water delivered for human consumption in the absence of an established maximum <br />contaminant level (MCL). <br />Proposed and anticipated Federal and State drinking water regulations will result in setting <br />Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCL) for PFAS compounds, requiring many water systems to <br />treat and reduce the concentration of PFAS compounds in drinking water. The items below show <br />the progression of these regulations and Riverside Public Utilities' (RPU) actions in preparation. <br />• In May 2016, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) issued a <br />lifetime health advisory for perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic <br />