ROCHESTER, Minn. - The Environmental Working Group, or EWG, reports drinking water in dozens of cities across the country, including Minnesota and Iowa, is contaminated with high levels of PFAS. PFAS are also called "forever chemicals." They got that name because they don't break down naturally and will build up in our bodies, potentially causing serious health problems. The Quad Cities in Iowa ranks the second highest area found with toxic PFA chemicals in tap water while Minneapolis sits at 18th.
KIMT reached out to Rochester Public Utilities to see if they're seeing any problems with elevated levels of PFAS. "RPU completed a round of Per-fluoroakyl substances (PFAS) in 2009 & 2014. No PFAS were detected in the water. RPU is working with MN Dept. of Health to additional PFAS testing in 2020. RPU is very pro-active in our source water testing and to date there has been no detections."
