The Village of Dupo issued its response to a recent notification from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency that a higher level of “forever chemicals” were detected in the town’s water system than federal and state quality standards.

The Illinois EPA said perfluorooctanesulfonic acid was present in the most recent water sampling required by the U.S. EPA.

This sample identified PFOS at 4.5 parts per trillion, which is above the federal and state groundwater quality standard of 4 ppt. 

“Dupo would like to thank all of the residents who have reached out and shared their concerns regarding the testing under the new EPA standard which triggered the required public notification,” the village posted Monday on its Facebook page, adding “village leadership had never experienced a reportable PFAS reading from the EPA before.”

The post went on to state that Dupo’s water comes from the American Bottoms Aquifer, which is directly connected to the Mississippi River – meaning river levels significantly influence groundwater levels. Currently, river levels are low.

The village added that PFAS in the water supply are not unique to Dupo. 

“In Illinois, approximately 50 percent of public water supplies have detectable PFAS,” the village post states. “The exact source of PFAS in our aquifer is unknown. The EPA indicates that PFAS chemicals came from industrial products and consumer products and the PFAS were discharged into the environment.”

The Village of Dupo said it will be working with consultants and the EPA to evaluate a proper course of corrective action.

According to the EPA, PFAS are a group of manufactured chemicals that have been used in industry and consumer products since the 1940s because of their useful properties. There are thousands of different PFAS, some of which have been more widely used and studied than others.

One common characteristic of concern of PFAS is that many break down very slowly and can build up in people, animals and the environment over time.

PFAS can be present in our water, soil, air, and food as well as in materials found in homes or workplaces.