A LEGAL standard for PFAS in mains water will be introduced, if the States agree, limiting the maximum amount of the toxic chemical to a third of its current level.
Environment Minister Steve Luce is proposing that the Island’s Water Law is updated to make it a legal requirement that the total sum of four types of PFAS does not exceed four nanograms per litre within five years.
The current sum of PFOS, PFOA, PFNA and PFHxS, according to the latest water quality report by utility Jersey Water, is 12 ng/l.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of man-made chemicals that have been used widely in industrial processes and consumer products. They have been manufactured and used globally for several decades and are now present in the environment worldwide, including Jersey
PFAS have been used in products designed to resist heat, oil, stains and water. Common applications include clothing, furniture, adhesives, food packaging, heat-resistant non-stick cooking surfaces and the insulation of electrical wiring.
Known as ‘forever chemicals’, they are extremely difficult to break down or secrete, and have been linked in humans to such conditions as cancer, low immunity and infertility.
In Jersey, PFOS was an ingredient of firefighting foam sprayed for years at the Airport. High concentrations have been found in water, including boreholes, streams and ponds, around the aerodrome.
It has also been found at high levels in people’s blood.
Because Jersey Water abstracted drinking water from boreholes in St Ouen’s Bay, and because PFAS has been used in so many products, the carbon-based chemical is present in trace levels in mains water.
The 4 ng/l limit was recommended by a panel of scientists appointed by the government to advise it. Jersey Water has said it is committed to achieving this standard and will invest nearly £2m in the next two years to cover interim treatments and trial long-term treatment solutions.
The government – through its Investing in Jersey Strategy – is also committed to tackling the problem.
The report accompanying the proposition states: “At present, there are no statutory standards in the Law for PFAS in Jersey. In the absence of local regulatory limits, Jersey Water monitors PFAS in the public water supply by reference to standards in other jurisdictions in order to ensure the quality of water supplied to consumers.”
It adds: “The proposed standard reflects the recommendations of the Panel and applies a maximum concentration of 4 ng/L for the combined total of four PFAS.
“While Jersey Water’s public water supply currently meets existing United Kingdom and European Union standards for PFAS, the introduction of a local statutory limit will place these requirements on a formal legislative footing.”
