WALKERTON — The Walkerton Clean Water Centre (WCWC) has added a new fact sheet and resources on perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water systems to its Drinking Water Resource Library.
PFAS are a large group of synthetic compounds that are often referred to as “forever chemicals.” They are used in a wide variety of industrial and consumer products such as adhesives, cleaning products, cosmetics and specialized chemical applications, including fire-fighting foams. This group of chemicals is resistant to heat, water, oils and grease, making them highly persistent in the environment and able to accumulate in living tissues, taking several years to decades for the body to eliminate. Due to their persistent nature, the chemicals can enter drinking water wells by leaching into groundwater.
The full fact sheet and related resources can be accessed free of charge through the Drinking Water Resource Library, at:
- wcwc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/PFAS-Fact-Sheet-2021-02-23-FINAL-ENG.pdf
- wcwc.ca/per-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas-pfoa-pfos/
WCWC creates fact sheets to share information with water professionals. For more information, or to request topics for future fact sheets, please visit wcwc.ca, call 866-515-0550 or email dwrl@wcwc.ca.
WCWC is an Ontario government agency, established in 2004, to help ensure clean and safe drinking water for the entire province. WCWC coordinates and provides education, training and information to drinking water system owners, operators and operating authorities, and the public, in order to safeguard Ontario’s drinking water. To date, high-quality drinking water training has been provided to more than 95,000 participants across Ontario. Through partnerships, WCWC also provides training for the 134 First Nations communities in Ontario.
