Redding’s water supply does not currently have high levels of ‘forever chemicals,’ says water manager
In March, Redding was testing its water supply as part of a federal effort to gather information about unregulated contaminants. A group of chemicals known as PFAS were discovered. PFAS stands for per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances. These chemicals stay in the environment for a very long time, and are linked to negative health effects including cancer. But, on Tuesday, Redding’s Water Utility Manager Josh Watkins said the data doesn’t tell the whole story. … Watkins said that the well has not been used since it was taken offline in September. … The most dangerous PFAS chemicals have mostly been voluntarily phased out, according to the EPA. However, because of their nature, these chemicals remain in the environment. One ongoing use of PFAS chemicals is in firefighting foam used at airports.