In the summer of 2020, Augusta County Service Authority, now conducting business as “Augusta Water,” authorized testing at five finished (after treatment) water entry points into our South River Water System.  Sources for this water system include the Lyndhurst Well, Coles Run Reservoir, Ridgeview Well, Hershey Well and Hurdis Well.  The testing was performed by Eurofins, a certified, independent laboratory.  All samples returned with “No Detections” for 18 PFAS compounds.  A spreadsheet showing those results is linked below.

2020 South River Water System Test Results

In the fall of 2022, Augusta Water participated in the Virginia Department of Health Office of Drinking Water (VDH-ODW) Phase 2.1 Testing.  Finished water from entry points at six of our water plants (Augusta Springs, Churchville 3 & 5 (blended), Churchville 6, Deerfield, Middlebrook and Coles Run) was sampled as part of a state-wide program funded by the Commonwealth of Virginia.  This testing was performed by Pace Analytical, a certified, independent laboratory employed by VDH-ODW.  Samples from the six sites were each tested for 25 PFAS compounds, and of the total 150 tests conducted, 149 were below the Practical Quantitation Limit (PQL).  The PQL is defined as the lowest concentration of a contaminant that can be reliably achieved within specified limits of precision and accuracy during routine laboratory operating conditions.  Test PQLs were below the Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCL) for the PFAS compounds listed in the National Primary Drinking Water Regulation.  An MCL is the highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water.  MCL’s are enforceable standards set by U.S. EPA.  A spreadsheet showing those test results is linked below.  

One sample from our Coles Run water treatment plant (in the South River Water System) initially returned a compound result higher than the PQL.  Initial testing reported a value of 3.1 parts per trillion (ppt) for the compound “PFBA.”  However, this test exhibited abnormal quality control results, so Pace Analytical conducted a second test on the same sample.  The second test returned with a level of PFBA less than the PQL, although Pace Analytical did provide an “estimated” level.  While PFBA is a PFAS compound, it is not a compound for which an MCL has been established in the National Primary Drinking Water Regulation.  The testing of the other five water systems did not detect any PFAS compounds above the PQL (although Pace Analytical again provided “estimated” levels at or below the PQL).    In the linked spreadsheet, results for the initial test at Coles Run are included under the column heading “Coles Run 1” and the repeated test results are included under the column heading “Coles Run 2.”

2022 Virginia Department of Health Office of Drinking Water Test Results

Throughout 2023, and still continuing, Augusta Water has authorized the sampling of finished water per the EPA’s Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule 5 (UCMR5).  This sampling is complete in the South River water system and included two separate series of samples at four groundwater wells (Hershey, Ridgeview, Hurdis and Lyndhurst) and four separate series of samples at Coles Run Reservoir.  The testing was performed by Eurofins.  All samples tested through UCMR5 have returned with “No Detections” for any of the PFAS compounds specified and with no abnormal quality control results.  Significantly, Coles Run was one of the points sampled in the UCMR5 sampling and the “No Detections” result from the UCMR5 sampling supports the second test result performed in 2022 by Pace Analytical under the VDH-ODW Phase 2.1 Testing.  The Verona/Weyers Cave water system is also covered under UCMR5 and will be tested in 2025.  Spreadsheets showing all results received to date are linked below. 

2023 UCMR5 South River Water System Test Results

Raw (Untreated) Water Sampling
Augusta Water has conducted additional raw (untreated) water testing of all its water sources.  The first round of raw water testing was performed in the Spring of 2024.  On March 22, 2024, Augusta Water received the first set of results from Eurofins.  The results were for seven raw water sources (Vesper View Well, Crimora Mines Well, Harriston Well No. 1, Harriston Well No. 2, Dices Spring, Berry Farm Spring/Berry Farm West Well blend and Berry Farm West Well) and indicated “No Detections” in any of these sources (“North Systems Results”).

On April 3, 2024, Augusta Water received the second set of results from Eurofins.  The results were for six additional raw water sources (Middlebrook Well, Augusta Springs Spring, Deerfield Well, Churchville Well No. 3, Churchville Well No. 5 and Churchville Well No. 6).  In these samples, results from Churchville Well No. 5 indicated amounts of PFOA, PFBS and PFOS that, while above the PQL, were below the EPA MCL.  Results for the other five sources indicated “No Detections” (“West Systems Results”).

It is important to note that historically, water from the Churchville Well No. 5 had been blended with water from the Churchville Well No. 3 before entering the water distribution system.  The 2022 VDH-ODW Phase 2.1 testing included finished water testing for this blended water as “Churchville 3 & 5.” As shown in the chart of test results for the VDH-ODW sampling, Pace Analytical detected some PFBS, PFHxA, PFPeA, PFOS and PFOA in the blended water sample, but the amounts were below the PQL and Pace reported “estimated concentrations below the reporting limit.”  Since the raw water results from the Churchville Well No. 3 indicated “No Detections,” the raw water test results appear to support the earlier finished (blended) water results.

On April 19, 2024, Augusta Water received the third set of results from Eurofins.  The results were for the final five raw water sources (Ridgeview Well, Hershey Well, Lyndhurst Well, Coles Run Reservoir, and Hurdis Well) and indicated “No Detections” in any of these sources (“South River Systems Results”).

Actions Taken / Follow-up Sampling
When Augusta Water received the results on April 3, 2024, indicating detectable amounts of PFAS compounds in Churchville Well No. 5, staff reviewed capacity records for the other two Churchville Wells that were in service (Churchville No. 3 and Churchville No. 6) and which had returned test results of “No Detections.”  Staff determined that Churchville Well No. 3 and Churchville Well No. 6 had more than adequate capacity to provide for the Churchville Water System, so on April 4, 2024, Churchville Well No. 5 was taken out of service and has remained out of service since that date.  This decision was made out of an abundance of caution, even though no raw water test results for Churchville Well No. 5 had exceeded the EPA MCL, and no finished water test results for blended Churchville Wells 3 & 5 had even exceeded the PQL.

Follow-up sampling was commissioned for Churchville Well No. 3, Churchville Well No. 5 and Churchville Well No. 6.  On May 8, 2024, Augusta Water received notice from Eurofins that testing related to the follow-up sampling Churchville Well No. 5 had failed their Quality Control.  Since the Quality Control failure made any test results of questionable validity, Augusta Water commissioned repeat sampling. 

On June 19, 2024, Augusta Water received the results on the follow-up testing from Eurofins.  As in the initial raw water sampling for these wells, results from Churchville Well No. 3 and Churchville Well No. 6 indicated “No Detections.”  Results from Churchville Well No. 5 (out of service since April 4, 2024) indicated detectable levels of PFPeA, PFHxA, PFOA, PFBS and PFOS.  While these compounds were detected, none of the concentrations exceeded any EPA MCL.

Augusta Water will conduct further sampling of the three Churchville Wells through fall and winter of 2024.  All raw water sources will be re-sampled in 2025.

In conclusion, Augusta Water tested 24 samples of its finished water during 2020-2024.  All samples, except one, were below the PQL with the PQLs being below the MCL's established in the National Primary Drinking Water Regulation. Initial testing on the one sample showed one PFAS compound above the PQL.  However, repeat testing of the same sample and subsequent testing of the same source have all reported results less than the PQL or “No Detections.”  

Augusta Water has also tested all 18 of its raw water sources in 2024.  All samples, except one, returned results of “No Detections.” The one sample with measurable levels of PFAS was Churchville Well No. 5, which had levels that were below the EPA MCL. Even though the levels met EPA’s standards, Augusta Water has taken the added step of taking Churchville Well No. 5 out of service and has not distributed any water from it since then.  Augusta Water performed follow-up testing on all Churchville wells which confirmed the initial results.