PFAS Information

Prescott Valley shuts down four wells after positive PFAS tests 

After the City of Prescott announced in July that it had shut down two of its wells near the Prescott airport because of positive tests for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), Prescott Valley tested all but two of its 27 wells (the two were offline). The Town subsequently tested the two offline wells, with no PFAS detected.

The Town shut down the four positive wells and retested to confirm results. The four returned positive on the retests, as did influent and effluent at its wastewater treatment plant.

Prescott Valley followed up with a special Council meeting on Sept. 8 that included information from an Arizona Department of Environmental Quality representative. That meeting may be viewed on this page.

The four positive wells are Little Pete and Lake Valley in central Prescott Valley, and Quailwood 2 and 3 in east Prescott Valley. The Town’s wells are interconnected so water can be moved to different areas to serve the community during repairs or shutdowns.

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are not currently regulated by the EPA, but the agency has advised that exposure to high levels of these chemicals may be harmful to human health. In June 2022, EPA significantly reduced the health advisory levels for the chemicals.

Other communities throughout Arizona and the nation are also experiencing positive tests for PFAS with the lowered testing threshold. The chemicals are commonly found in some grease-resistant paper such as in fast-food containers, pizza boxes, stain resistant coatings, water resistant clothing, some cleaning and personal care products, paint products, and aqueous firefighting foams.

More information on PFAS may be found at: 

https://www.epa.gov/pfas

https://www.azdeq.gov/pfas-resources

View the entire Legend Technical Services laboratory test results (pdf)

Prescott Valley water is tested annually and meets all safe drinking water standards required by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. View the entire water quality report at https://pv-azgov.info/3c9HDrd