Lakeland School District superintendents fill reusable bottles with water at a fountain near the high school lobby.
Water testing over the past two years has revealed levels of “permanent chemicals” known as PFAS that are 10 times higher than federal standards.
Filters make water from fountains safe to drink, but a school in Scott Tupp, Lackawanna County, plans to install a treatment system throughout the building.
“This is a microcosm of what’s happening across the state and in different places,” Superintendent Mark Wyand said. “The health, safety and well-being of our students and staff is always our top priority.”
From school drinking fountains to private wells and municipal water systems, testing and new regulations are raising awareness of “forever chemicals” across Northeast and North Central Pennsylvania. Residents, utilities, and government agencies are working to treat water and minimize risks.
“People are becoming more aware of how prevalent PFAS are in everything we use,” Wyandot said. “It seems like it’s kind of a ubiquitous thing. And, you know, it’s alarming.”
What are PFAS?
PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) is a general term for a wide variety of man-made chemicals, according to Penn State Extension, where researchers are studying the effects.
“PFAS are not naturally occurring; they are synthetic chemicals,” explains Faith Kibuye, an affiliated faculty member in Penn State’s School of Ecosystem Science and Management and an expert on water resources expansion. “This is not a single compound; it is a group of chemicals with unique properties.”
The chemicals repel water, oil, and dirt, and some can remain stable even in extreme temperatures. Since the 1940s, it has been used in a wide range of products including industrial, domestic, architectural, construction, textile, medical, and automotive sectors.
Common uses include firefighting foam, fire protection, stain resistance, nonstick cookware, waterproof clothing, packaging, and cosmetics, according to Penn State University. Eventually, those chemicals can reach groundwater.
“But now we have the capacity, the equipment, and the scientific methodology to be able to detect them at very low concentrations in the environment,” Kibuye said. “PFAS science is still rapidly evolving, so further research is being conducted to elucidate the feasibility of remediation at a large-scale level.”
Impact of PFAS
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized key drinking water regulations for 2024. The agency considers drinking water with concentrations of most types of PFAS chemicals greater than 1 part per trillion to be unsafe.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) points out that one part per trillion is equivalent to one drop of water in 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that most people in the United States have been exposed to some form of PFAS. Although most known exposures are relatively low, exposures can be high, especially if people are exposed to concentrated sources over long periods of time.
According to the EPA, certain levels of exposure can reduce fertility, affect children’s development, increase the risk of cancer, and reduce a person’s ability to fight infectious diseases.
Chemical testing
EPA regulations require water utilities, including schools that rely on private wells, such as Lakeland, to be tested for PFAS.
After first testing two years ago, more than 30 Pennsylvania schools that rely on well water have tested above EPA standards.
Lakeland’s most recent tests showed the high school had a concentration of 1 part in 30 trillion, well above the EPA limit of 4 parts per trillion, according to DEP data. The district is installing a water treatment system throughout the building, replacing the point-of-use filters installed in the fountains and cafeteria two years ago.
pollution in columbia county
Mobile home parks in Columbia County recorded some of the highest PFAS levels in the state when testing began in 2024.
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DEP first discovered signs of contamination in a well system at Brookside Village in TWP North Center. In April 2024.
The DEP’s investigation is ongoing and it is expanding testing beyond Brookside Village Mobile Home Park in North Center Twp, which recorded levels 110 times the state standard.
As of the end of March, DEP had tested more than 285 wells, 115 of which had detected PFAS levels above federal standards. The agency has provided bottled water to 81 households and installed 34 home treatment systems. Bottled water will continue to be provided until DEP installs an in-home treatment system, municipal water becomes available, or another final remedy is determined.
Based on initial information, DEP believes the contamination was caused by the historical spread of sewage sludge on agricultural land in the area. DEP has identified multiple locations that are permitted to accept sewage sludge. A review of Bloomsburg city records showed other sites accepted sludge before separate permits were required. DEP continues to investigate the site where the sludge was spread, the agency said.
Investigation and remediation activities are funded through the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act (HSCA) program. The most recent budget approved for the study is $802,119.
DEP plans to hold public hearings and public hearings to update residents on investigative activities. The event, scheduled for May 11 at Central Columbia High School, 4777 Old Berwick Road, Bloomsburg, will begin with an open house at 5 p.m., where residents can speak with DEP representatives and partner agencies and organizations. A public hearing will be held from 7 p.m.
looking for a solution
In Pike County, Matamoras city officials warned customers in April that they had received test results that were 1 in 30 trillion, higher than the federal standard of 1 in 4 trillion.
According to the notice, the agency is reducing overall use of the affected wells until the issue is resolved. Officials are working with the DEP and other experts to consider replacing the well or building a treatment plant. Other wells used by the authority are under DEP restrictions.
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WVIA News
Lakeland High School was built on former farmland. Water in the building exceeds federal PFAS limits.
The City of Lakeland does not know exactly what caused the PFAS contamination in the school’s well water. Wyandot said the land the school is located on was used for agriculture. The level of the adjacent elementary school in another well was initially beyond its limits. Although water levels are lower now, he said the district may eventually install a water treatment system there as well.
DEP entered the district into a program that provides engineering services. A state Department of Education program will pay for half the cost of the high school’s water treatment system. The district is soliciting bids.
“We certainly wouldn’t have wanted to be in the position we’re in right now,” Wyandot said. “We are grateful that we were able to first, recognize the issue and, second, to inform the community and take swift action.”
