NAVAL AIR STATION PENSACOLA

Environmental Restoration Program Public Website

Property owners with a drinking water well in one of the sampling areas whose well has not already been sampled by the Navy may call 866-470-NASP (866-470-6277) to schedule a sampling appointment.

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.

WELCOME TO THE NAVY PAGE FOR PFAS AT NAS PENSACOLA

HERE YOU WILL FIND INFORMATION ABOUT:

What PFAS are and how PFAS have been released to the environment at NAS Pensacola, Corry Station, and Saufley Field

PFAS releases at:

Private drinking water sampling near:

Actions based on private drinking water sampling results

Links for more information

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 the Department of War (DoW) 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 and have also been found in some private drinking water wells located in the direction that groundwater flows away from NAS Pensacola, 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, DoW 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 DoW’s plans to incorporate the EPA’s drinking water regulation into DoW’s ongoing PFAS cleanups and prioritize actions to address private drinking water wells with the highest levels of PFAS from DoW activities.

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

Table 1. DoW 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)

These levels are based on current EPA NPDWR levels. If EPA updates applicable requirements, DoW will review and update its policy as appropriate.

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 necessary follow-up actions, as results are received.

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

PFAS at or above the DoW PFAS interim action levels for private drinking water wells (Table 1). The Navy will work with property owners to implement an enduring solution which includes an interim action (drinking water treatment system) and final action (connection to public water supply). 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 the enduring solution is complete.

PFAS below the DoW 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