Last summer, PFOS concentrations above federal standards for drinking water were detected in water samples from the Tazlina Well owned by the Copper River Basin Regional Housing Authority (CRBRHA.)
A May 2025 test detected 10.8 ppt of PFOS. A sample from June 2025 had 12.4 ppt PFOS. The federal standard established in April 2024 is 4.0 ppt. PFOS is a type of chemical within the PFAS group. The PFAS chemical PFHxS was also detected, although it was at levels below the federal standard of 10 ppt.
In a phone interview, Cindy Christian, Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Drinking Water Program Manager, stated DEC has been working with CRBRHA. Christian stated DEC tested samples of Tazlina Well water run through a filter installed in a test housing unit. There were no detectable levels of PFAS in the samples. She shared it was “really good” to see that a filter product worked successfully in this situation.
CRBRHA CEO Teri Nutter stated in a phone conversation the new filters are an under-sink model made by the company Hydroviv. Hyrdoviv’s website lists the retail price as $266 per filter although a quick search showed some discounts are available.
Nutter stated CRBRHA recently received a shipment of filters to install throughout the units it administers. Staff will reach out to tenants to arrange installation. The filters must be replaced every six months, which Nutter confirmed would be the responsibility of CRBRHA within its own housing units.
Christian stated it will be “more complicated” to install a filter on the watering point. Her office has sent CRBRHA a grant application for federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funds distributed by DEC. She pledged to continue providing technical support and to “work with [CRBRHA] to help find grant funding to put treatment on that well. I think that would be the best solution.”
Nutter stated CRBRHA is working on a solution for the watering point. She stated a series of filters might be needed, which could substantially slow the water’s flow rate. It will also be necessary to have samples tested to ensure the filtration is successful, so it may be some time before a solution is confirmed.
Nutter also shared seeking a new well is not completely off the table. She stated she is looking into funding for exploratory research and has consulted with a state DEC hydrologist. However, it would be important to make sure a new water source does not also contain the same chemicals. How widespread the chemicals are in the watershed is a major uncertainty.
The federal PFAS standards established in 2024 came with a requirement for community water systems to complete initial monitoring between 2025 and 2027. Community water systems out of compliance with the new standards have until 2029 to implement remediation. The EPA also established a $1 billion fund to help with remediation.
Christian explained there are no prior data on PFAS for our region because there was no previous requirement for public or community water systems to test for PFAS. Nutter emphasized the well has historically been tested on the required schedule for other contaminants.
It is impossible to know whether PFAS levels in the water were higher or lower in recent decades, or how long the PFAS has been there.
It is also unknown, without testing other water sources, whether this issue is confined to just this well.
Another mystery is where it came from. Christian shared in many cases across the state, the source is obvious. She gave the example of Eielson Air Force Base, where there is a known history of spraying firefighting foams both in training and in aviation accidents.
DEC will not do a full environmental investigation on sites that have PFAS levels below 70 ppt.
I am still researching potential sources of pollution, but there are two I feel comfortable eliminating from contention.
The closest site to the well recorded in the DEC Contaminated Sites program is the Alaska Department of Transportation (DOT) Tazlina Maintenance Station Injection Well. DEC Project Manager Michael Hooper, the staff contact for that site, stated that there were petroleum products, lubricants, and other chemicals disposed of in that well. However, there is no evidence of any chemicals containing PFAS.
Hooper added the EPA required DOT to switch over from injection wells, where chemicals can go into the ground, to a storage tank system. The Tazlina Maintenance Station switched over about ten years ago. DEC is getting ready to “close out” the former injection well site, meaning they have done enough testing to determine contamination from the site is sufficiently contained.
What about the 2023 refrigerant brine leak at Pump Station 11? According to DEC Environmental Program Specialist Melissa Woodgate, “the substance composition is 0.2% Sodium chromate To (corrosion inhibitor) and 26% calcium chloride (brine). This brine solution does not include PFAS chemicals.”
Firefighting foams are often the culprit in these cases. According to Christian, water issues are more likely to occur if the foams are sprayed rather than simply being stored. Do any elders recall deploying “AFFF” foams in the area near the well?
According to the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), it is not possible to attribute a specific individual’s symptoms or illnesses to PFAS exposure as opposed to another cause. It is also not possible to predict a specific individual’s health outcome based on their exposure to PFAS.
Still, the new information about the water has caused some users to revisit past experiences. Tracy Santos, who has spent 15 summers in the Copper Basin, shared that learning about PFAS in the water caused her to look back on her husband’s passing and her own health issues. She wonders whether the chemicals contributed. “I can't prove any of this. I’m lost,” she shared.
Disclosure: CRBRHA is a Copper River Record advertiser. This did not influence our coverage of this issue.
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