Harford County takes steps to ensure water is free of "forever chemicals"

Harford County is taking steps to ensure the water is safe, healthy to drink, and free of "forever chemicals."

"We want to make sure what we're putting out is good quality," said William Smith, superintendent of laboratories in Harford County.

Thanks to a new machine recently purchased by Harford County, the water will undoubtedly be safe to drink.

"PFAS stands for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. It's the forever chemicals that you hear on the news," said Smith.

Impacts of "forever chemicals"

PFAS is often found in everyday products, like pots and pans, makeup, dental floss, and, oftentimes, the water supply. 

Natalie Exum, an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Health at Johns Hopkins, says high PFAS levels can be dangerous.

"We're learning that they have effects on our immune systems, they are connected with Thyroid disease and thyroid cancer, kidney cancer, cholesterol, where, you know, there's even some associations now with breast cancer and other cancer outcomes, reproductive outcomes," said Exum.

This new machine breaks down the water samples and separates out the compounds to measure different levels of PFAS.

Keeping Harford County water PFAS-free

It comes nearly two years after 10 Harford County Public Schools were forced to distribute bottled water due to higher-than-safe levels.

County Executive Bob Cassilly said that contributed to the decision to fund the $375,000 machine.

"The fact that kids at schools have to move to bottled water and that you have school buildings aren't safe for the kids to go to the water fountain to drink, that's a kicker. We've got to start moving now," said Cassilly.

Harford County is the first in the state to bring the operation in-house.

And the best part, it's faster and cheaper, which is why employees at the lab say the investment was a no-brainer.

"Previously, when we were sending out to a subcontract lab, we would sample it, say today, we'd get results 2-4 weeks later. By that time, a month's worth of volume has gone through those vessels," said Smith. "Now we can monitor that in real time and have results in two or three days rather than in two or three weeks."

Since investing in the machine, the levels of PFAS are at one part per trillion, less than the maximum set by the EPA of four parts per trillion.