A letter sent this week from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base to the city of Dayton sheds more light on how the two parties are addressing potential water contamination emanating from the base and a city-owned site.
To date, the Air Force has spent more than $4 million in remediation efforts that included hundreds of sampling analyses on the monitoring wells.
PFOS and PFOA are components of many industrial and commercial products, including a legacy firefighting foam used by the Air Force and civilian airports to combat petroleum-based fires associated with aircraft fires.
"We continue to share your concerns with water contaminated by legacy firefighting foam," McDonald wrote to Dayton City Manager Shelley Dickstein.
According to McDonald, test results showed contaminant levels ranging from 3.7 to 1,285 parts per trillion were detected at the site, which is well above the EPA limit of 70 ppt.
At the base, the city’s monitoring network samples indicated low levels of PFAS — less than 10 ppt — well below what the EPA considers to be a health issue.
were previously identified at two drinking water wells at the base.
"In as much as the Air Force has conducted preliminary assessment at all our installations, accessing your own use of Aqueous Film Forming Foam will be valuable in understanding your future actions."
Based on these results, the EPA determined Wright-Patt and the fire training center may be a source of contamination.
Despite the possible threat of contamination, the EPA, the city and the Air Force have all said Dayton’s drinking water remains safe for consumption.

Most school-aged children who are up to date on their immunizations should be covered against tetanus, but adults often are not as diligent in keeping up to date, according to a news release from Lin Montgomery, public health coordinator for the health department.
Tetanus is a serious bacterial infection that affects the nervous system and causes muscles throughout the body to tighten.
It’s also called lockjaw because the infection often causes muscle contractions in the jaw and neck; however, it can eventually spread to other parts of the body.
The bacteria usually are found in soil, dust and manure and enter the body through breaks in the skin — usually cuts or puncture wounds caused by contaminated objects.
Exposure is most common when individuals are cleaning up construction sites or the damage and debris caused by floods.
Tetanus vaccines are available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at the health department, 801 W. Second St., Seymour.
The cost most often is covered by individual insurance.
Also, rural individuals on private wells might want to be aware of possible water contamination as a result of flooding because water from private wells may not be safe to drink.
If there is a concern a well has been contaminated, it is recommended that the water not be used for drinking and cooking purposes until the water has been tested or treated.
For information on testing and treating water, stop by the health department or call 812-522-6474.

LITTLE ROCK — When flooding submerges wellheads, there’s a good chance the well water supply has been contaminated, said Mike Daniels, water quality specialist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
“However, even if flooding has occurred nearby, then it is a good idea to have the water supply tested to assure it is still safe for humans and livestock,” he said.
“If there is any doubt about whether the quality of a water supply has been compromised, it’s important to have that water tested and follow procedures to sanitize the water supply.” You may submit water samples to the state Health Department or the Arkansas Water Quality Lab.
Visit arkansas-water-center.uark.edu/water-quality-lab.php to learn how to collect a sample to get an accurate result.
“It’s best to submit the sample within 24 hours after collection,” Daniels said.
However, “as long as the sample has been refrigerated, it will be about to provide realistic results for up to four days.” If the results show more than 10,000 colony forming units of total bacteria per milliliter, more than 100 colony forming units of coliform bacteria, or more than 50 colony forming units per milliliter, it’s a good idea to shock chlorinate the well.
Shock chlorination is a process by which home water systems, such as wells, springs and cisterns are disinfected using liquid bleach, or chlorine.
“It is the most widely recommended means of treating bacterial contamination in home water system as it is the quickest, cheapest and most efficient method of treatment,” Daniels said.
“Shock chlorination should only be done when the water supply will not be used by humans or animals for at least 24 hours because the initial chlorine levels are not safe to drink.” Visit uaex.edu/publications/pdf/MP292.pdf to learn more about shock chlorination in MP292 and improving home water quality.

WORKERS at the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing site were drinking water containing E. coli and enterococci bacteria for at least six days.
Elevated levels of the bacteria are indicative of faecal contamination.
Construction consortium Nexus was first alerted to the potential for contamination on February 15, when the company was issued with an improvement notice from Workplace Health and Safety Queensland, which a WHSQ spokesman said was "in relation to the provision of drinking water, including the quality, cross contamination risks, signage and availability".
The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union said a number of workers had recently taken sick.
Workers contacted The Chronicle after Nexus told crews their drinking water was contaminated on Monday, but would not explain further.
Nexus provided the results of water tests conducted on Tuesday, February 20, to WHSQ late on Wednesday.
The results showed elevated levels of the bacteria E. coli and enterococci in drinking water at four of 13 worksites.
The WHSQ spokesman said Nexus had advised water at the four sites was "immediately flushed, disinfected and chlorinated".
WHSQ inspectors, including an occupational hygienist were on site yesterday, and WHSQ has taken samples to conduct its own water testing.
A Nexus spokeswoman said no related sickness had been reported to the onsite paramedic in the past two weeks.

NEW PALTZ – Experts in clean water and area public officials met at SUNY New Paltz during the day Tuesday to discuss clean water and how to rid lakes of the dreaded algae plumes that impact tourism, swimming and drinking water quality.
While the conference in New Paltz is centered on algae problems in Lake Carmel, Palmer Lake and Putnam Lake, all in Putnam County, and Monhagen Brook watershed including the five reservoirs serving Middletown, Governor Andrew Cuomo kicked off the day’s activities, saying water quality issues are a statewide problem.
He talked of chemical contamination in other parts of the state but omitted the massive Newburgh water contamination problem.
“We had in Hoosick Falls PFOA in the water source from a company that was there 2030 years ago,” the governor told invited elected officials in the morning.
“We have on Long Island the Grumman plume; Grumman was a big manufacturer, used all kinds of chemicals, was a great employer, made great aircraft, left an industrial strain that couldn’t see from the surface but it seeped into the groundwater and now the groundwater is migrating all across Long Island.” But, some 20 miles to the south of New Paltz, the City of Newburgh’s water supply, Washington Lake is contaminated with PFOS from the Stewart Air National Guard Base and Cuomo did not mention it.
But, when asked to comment on the City of Newburgh naming the state in a lawsuit over the tainted water, he made the glib comment that “they have to feed the lawyers.” He never acknowledged that Stewart Airport’s landlord is the State of New York.
We will continue to work hand-in-glove with the local community and will not rest until the DOD cleans up the mess they made.
We are evaluating the claims set forth in the notice letter.” Newburgh City Manager Michael Ciaravino later said the city’s “legal notices speak to important issues related to environmental and social justice for Newburgh.
This is about Newburgh standing up for itself to demand that it have the primary source of its drinking water free of man-made contaminants.” He said the federal government, State of New York “and a number of other potentially responsible parties will need to sort out their liabilities amongst each other.” Ciaravino said as “the owner of the contaminated land, which contaminated our water, the State of New York is well aware of its potential liability for the damage that has happened to Newburgh’s great fresh water resource at Washington Lake.” Copyright © 2018 Mid-Hudson News Network, a division of Statewide News Network, Inc.
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HOOSICK FALLS, N.Y. (NEWS10) – A special meeting is being held on Tuesday to vote on a resolution regarding reimbursements for costs related to the PFOA contamination.
This is a big deal for the village as it has taken on hundreds of thousands of dollars in costs from this whole ordeal.
It’s been quite a process trying to get help.
Initially, the village had asked for more than $700,000 in reimbursements but the companies refused and came back with less than half that amount.
Still, the mayor is calling this an important first step on their long road to recovery.
So if they do in fact accept this money, it doesn’t end there.
If that space is too small for the turnout, the backup location will be the senior center on Church Street.
A local daycare provider is now facing charges after police say he had… Play Video Play Loaded: 0% Progress: 0% Remaining Time -0:00 This is a modal window.
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Lilongwe — Results of the inquiry into the Area 18A water contamination incident that occurred in July, 2017 have been released and handed over to the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) in Lilongwe.
Chief Secretary to OPC, Lloyd Muhara, received the report from the task force chairperson, Rexie Chiluzi at Capital Hill in Lilongwe on Monday on behalf of His Excellency Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika.
The sad incident also prompted the country’s president, Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika to institute a taskforce to find out what had caused the water contamination in the township.
"The taskforce found out and confirmed that water was indeed contaminated with sewage on 18th July, 2017.
The source of sewage was a blocked sewer line that resulted in overflowing manhole," reads part of the report which was made available to the media.
"The flowing sewage infiltrated into the LWB’s burst pipe due to the sewage pool along the roadside drain as a result of low or no pressure in the water pipe," the report further reads.
However, the results of the tests showed negative of E.Coli, meaning the water was fit for human consumption.
"This, therefore, meant that the water was fit for human consumption," says the report and adds that further water tests conducted by Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) and Malawi Environmental Health Association also showed the water was negative of E.Coli, meaning it was fit for human consumption.
"There is need for government, through independent institutions, to make public announcements about the safety of water in Area 18 A in order to regain confidence since the affected people are still skeptical as to whether water being supplied to the area is safe for human consumption," the report further advises.
In the final assessment of affected households made by different institutions, LWB came up with 83, while the legal counsel representing the affected people found that 269 households were affected while Malawi Human Rights Commission estimated that 150 households were affected by the incident.

A taskforce instituted by President Peter Mutharika to investigate the Area 18 water contamination on Monday presented its report to Chief Secretary to Government Lloyd Muhara.
The taskforce in its report confirmed that Lilongwe Water Board (LWB) on July 18, 2017 supplied residents in Area 18 with water that was contaminated with waste matter.
The report that was presented by the taskforce chairperson Rexie Chiluzi also maintained LWB’s account that sewerage from a broken sewer slipped into a broken Lilongwe Water Board pipe that was supplying water to homes in the area.
“The sewer had been flowing in a roadside drain along Salima Street passing where the board’s water pipe burst which was 100 meters away from the overflowing manhole,” he said.
In its recommendations, the taskforce said LWB should be regularly conducting water quality tests in all parts of the city to ensure that quality of water conforms to standards.
The taskforce also advised Malawi Housing Corporation (MHC) to have people who will be monitoring the sewer system daily while the Lilongwe City Council (LCC) was told to improve sanitation in the city.
Members of the taskforce included Pacharo Kayira who is Chief State Advocate in the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Sphiwe Mauwa who is Director of Local Government Service in the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and Dr S.B Kabuluzi who is the Director of Preventive Health Services in the Ministry of Health and Population.
Secretary of the Taskforce is Victor Sandikonda was the Deputy Director of Administration in the Office of the President and Cabinet.
The taskforce was appointed in August last year and was given two weeks to complete its work but it has taken the group months to come up with its report.

Permaculture magazine Nearly 100,000 signatures have been made against the potential oil drilling (fracking) at Leith Hill in Surrey, due to water pollution concerns.
Over 91,500 people fear Leith Hill oil site may pollute local water A petition demonstrating public concern over the risk to local water supplies from oil drilling on Leith Hill is close to hundred thousand signatures.
The petition, hosted by 38 Degrees, which is addressed to the Environment Agency (EA) titled ‘Don’t risk water pollution from oil drilling on Leith Hill’ has been signed by over ninety-one thousand people, with more being added by the minute.
The organisers of the petition will be officially handing it in on Thursday 1 March at 6:30pm during a public consultation at the Dorking Halls, where residents have been invited to talk to EA representatives about how they will regulate the proposed oil and gas activities on Leith Hill in Surrey.
Short term oil extraction is increasingly being prioritised by our Government over the protection of our water resource.
Water will ultimately be much more valuable and important to our Nation than oil.
“Water is both a vital natural resource and a heritage, which must be protected, defended and treated as such.
Lester Sonden, then director of SESW, said he was concerned about the potential for long-term contamination of water sources.
However well-designed, there is a risk of failure at some time in the future.” Public confidence is also dropping in two of the companies responsible for the drilling to foot the bill should a clean up of this scale be necessary.
With over £50m wiped off UKOG’s share price recently due to possible formation damage at Broadford Bridge oil well in Sussex and Europa’s share price going steadily down by over 66% in 5yrs, from over 12p in April 2013 to 3.85p on Wed 21st Feb, campaigners against the drilling fear this could end up costing the tax payer a lot more than they bargained for, as well as causing irreparable damage to our water.

ROCKFORD, Mich. – Wolverine Worldwide is asking a Kent County court to hold 28 lawsuits against them while a federal lawsuit is resolved.
The company posted an update on their blog Thursday saying that while they are working with the community to resolve issues of contaminated drinking water, they have to defend themselves against legal action.
Drinking wells in the Belmont, Rockford and Plainfield Township areas have tested for high levels of PFOA/PFAS chemicals which were used as a part of waterproofing leather good produced at a tannery in Rockford.
The tannery closed years ago, but waste from the facility was dumped at legal locations throughout the area decades ago.
Recently, tests of water in that area showed increases in chemical contaminants.
The company has been providing filters and bottled water to residents in the affected area.
The blog post says that the company has been a good neighbor for 140 years and should be able to continue to work with residents.
The company earlier asked for 50 lawsuits to be dismissed.
Varnum LLP in Grand Rapids is representing hundreds of residents who have filed lawsuits.