‘Should we be drinking the water?’ Sierra Vista residents want answers about ‘forever chemicals’ – By Clara Migoya (Arizona Republic) / July 15, 2023
SIERRA VISTA — Deborah Gearty had barely heard of “forever chemicals” before she learned that they were in her drinking water.
In late April, the East Slope Water Company mailed a notice to Gearty and her neighbors informing them that PFAS, short for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, had been detected in the water the company serves to about 450 people in the southwest corner of the city, near Ramsey Canyon.
PFAS are a broad class of manufactured chemicals, used in everything from dental floss to firefighting foam, that are highly toxic and difficult to get rid of. Research shows long-term exposure, even to low traces of these chemicals, can cause severe health issues.
Two of the contaminants were above advisory limits outlined by the Environmental Protection Agency in the distribution area west of Highway 92, known as East Slope West, the letter said. It made no mention of the potential health effects of long-term exposure or whether the company had a plan of action.
