NAVAL AIR STATION PENSACOLA

Environmental Restoration Program Public Website

The Navy is requesting permission to sample private drinking water wells within sampling areas near
Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, Corry Station, and Saufley Field to test for certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAS.

Property owners with a drinking water well in one of the sampling areas may call 866-470-NASP (866-470-6277)
to schedule a sampling appointment. Appointments are currently being scheduled between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm beginning May 6^th 2025.

If your drinking water is provided by the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority or People's Water Service Company of Florida, the Navy does not need to sample your drinking water.

INTRODUCTION

PFAS are a family of thousands of different chemicals that have been used since the 1950s in many household and industrial products because of their stain- and water-repellent properties. PFAS are now present virtually everywhere in
the world because of the large amounts that have been manufactured and used. Once these compounds are released, many of them tend to stay in the environment for a very long time. The Navy and Department of Defense (DoD) have developed policies to address past releases of PFAS at installations nationwide.

The most common activity that could have resulted in the historical release of PFAS to the environment at NAS Pensacola, Corry Station, and Saufley Field (Figure 1) is the use of firefighting foam (specifically, aqueous film-forming foam, or AFFF) for testing, training, firefighting, and other life-saving emergency responses. Because of this historical use, PFAS are present in the groundwater at NAS Pensacola, Corry Station, and Saufley Field. PFAS may be present in drinking water wells located in the direction that groundwater flows away from NAS Pensacola. PFAS have been detected in drinking water wells located in the direction that groundwater flows away from Corry Station and Saufley Field.

On April 26, 2024, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a final National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) establishing nationwide drinking water standards for certain PFAS under the Safe Drinking Water Act. The regulation applies to public drinking water systems. Operators of public drinking water systems regulated by the NPDWR have five years to meet these standards. In September 2024, DoD published “Prioritization of Department of Defense Cleanup Actions to Implement the Federal Drinking Water Standards for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances under the Defense Environmental Restoration Program,” which describes DoD’s plans to incorporate the EPA’s drinking water regulation into DoD’s ongoing PFAS cleanups and prioritize actions to address private drinking water wells with the highest levels of PFAS from DoD activities.

Table 1 presents the DoD PFAS Interim Action Levels for Private Drinking Water Wells. The DoD’s September 2024 memorandum can be found here. Table 1. DoD PFAS Interim Action Levels for Private Drinking Water Wells

PFAS	Level
perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)	12 parts per trillion (ppt)
perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS)	12 ppt
perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA)	30 ppt
perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS)	30 ppt
hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA or GenX)	30 ppt
hazard index for mixture of at least two of PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA, and perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS)	3 (no units)

ACTIONS BASED ON RESULTS

The preliminary results from the private drinking water well sampling are expected approximately 30 days after collecting the samples. The Navy provides notification to the property owners and tenants (if present) of their drinking water results and any follow-up actions, if needed, as results are received.

The Navy will address PFAS in private drinking water wells in keeping with the DoD policy:

PFAS at or above the DoD PFAS interim actions levels for private drinking water wells (Table 1). The Navy will work with property owners to implement an interim action as soon as possible. Options for interim actions may include connection to public water supply or installation of a drinking water system. For any drinking water wells with PFOA and PFOS, individually or combined, above 70 ppt, the Navy will provide bottled water for drinking and cooking to property owners or tenants until a long-term interim action is implemented.

PFAS below the DoD PFAS interim action levels for private drinking water wells (Table 1). For final remedial actions, the Navy will address private drinking water wells down to EPA NPDWR or background levels, in accordance with Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).

Figure 1: Location Map of NAS Pensacola, Corry Station, and Saufley Field