5.2 ERMUSR 06-03-2025 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Monitoring Results – Unregulated Substances/Emerging Contaminants In addition to testing drinking water for contaminants regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act, we sometimes also monitor for contaminants that are not regulated. Unregulated contaminants do not have legal limits for drinking water. MDH, U.S. EPA, and other health agencies may have developed comparison values for some of these compounds. Some of these comparison values are based solely on potential health impacts and do not consider our ability to measure contaminants at very low concentrations or the cost and technology of prevention and treatment. These values may be set at levels that are costly, challenging, or impractical for a water system to meet (for example, large-scale treatment technology may not exist for a given contaminant). Sample data is listed in the test results table. PFAS and lithium are two contaminants of concern due to their potential adverse health effects. PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of man-made chemicals that can accumulate in the environment and human body, leading to health issues. Lithium, while a naturally occurring element, can also pose risks when present at elevated levels. The results of UCMR 5 sample collection and testing in 2024 showed no detection of PFAS or lithium contaminants in Elk River’s drinking water system. Elk River Municipal Utilities (ERMU) also conducted an independent round of testing for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in addition to the UCMR 5 testing. ERMU’s independent testing also resulted in no detection of PFAS contaminants, further affirming the high standards of water quality in Elk River. Detection of a regulated or unregulated contaminant should not cause concern. The significance of a detection should be determined considering current health effects information. We are often still learning about the health effects, so this information can change over time. A person drinking water with a contaminant at or below the comparison value would be at little to no risk for harmful health effects. If the level of a contaminant is above the comparison value, people of a certain age or with special health conditions—infants, children, elderly, and people who are pregnant or have impaired immunity—may need to take extra precautions. We are notifying you of the unregulated or emerging contaminants we have detected as a public education opportunity. Unregulated contaminant monitoring helps U.S. EPA to determine where certain contaminants occur and whether the agency should consider regulating those contaminants in the future. For more information, visit: • MDH’s A-Z List of Contaminants in Water: health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/water/contaminants/index.html • Fourth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 4): health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/water/com/ ucmr4.html • Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule: epa.gov/dwucmr/fifth-unregulated-contaminant-monitoring-rule • UCMR5 Program Overview Fact Sheet: epa.gov/system/files/documents/2022-02/ucmr5-factsheet.pdf In the past year, your drinking water may have been tested for additional unregulated contaminants as part of the Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule; results are still being processed. The Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule 5 (UCMR5) Data finder (epa.gov/dwucmr/fifth-unregulated-contaminant-monitoring-rule-data-finder) allows people to easily search for, summarize, and download the available analytical results. Public Meetings The Elk River Municipal Utilities (ERMU) Commission meets on the second Tuesday of every month at 3:30 p.m. The meetings are held in the ERMU Conference Room, 13069 Orono Parkway. 172