(Radio Iowa) – The city of Dubuque is reporting higher-than-recommended levels of pollutants called PFAS (PEE-fah’s) in its drinking water. Dubuque Water Department operations supervisor Nick Connolly says the numbers are subject to change throughout the year. “Our minimum was two-point-four (2.4) and our maximum was four-point-two ( 4.2), so, it will fluctuate a little bit through the year, and we are right on the cusp of the proposed action level,” he says.

Connolly says they have made adjustments. “We have changed some of the processes and kind of how we do things. We are trying to use more of our deep aquifer water that at this time has not tested positive for any of the PFAS chemicals, and we blend in the shallow wells as needed,” Connolly says. Connolly says the Environmental Protection Agency has heightened its regulation on PFAS as testing has become more accurate.

The city intends to spend nearly 15 million dollars over the next five years to build a new well for access to deep aquifer water and filter rehabilitation. Sometimes called “forever chemicals,” PFAS have been used in a variety of products since the 1940s and can bring adverse health effects.