15-05-2025
SD tests for ‘forever chemicals' in rivers to identify, address potential contamination
The Big Sioux River flows under a Highway 34 bridge near Egan in southeastern South Dakota. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight)
South Dakota's state government is testing for 'forever chemicals' in rivers across the state.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been used in industry and consumer products since the 1940s, including in modern products such as nonstick cookware and water-resistant clothing, and don't break down easily in the environment or in the human body. Research indicates PFAS exposure may be linked to negative developmental and reproductive effects, and an increased risk of some cancers.
Concerns about their prevalence in the environment and their impacts on human health have grown steadily in recent years, as they've been discovered in drinking water, fish and food packaging.
State offering free PFAS cleanup to local fire departments, schools
The Biden administration set first-ever limits on the chemicals in last year. EPA-mandated testing has found them in nearly half of Americans' drinking water. Publicly available test results found a type of PFAS called perfluorooctane sulfonic acid at Mount Rushmore National Memorial as well as smaller amounts of other PFAS contaminants in Aberdeen, Harrisburg, Rapid Valley Sanitary District, Lincoln County Rural Water System and the Mni Wiconi water system. The Trump administration is planning to weaken drinking water limits on PFAS, according to Politico.
The state Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources began testing rivers this spring to 'establish a baseline' for the presence of PFAS in surface waters across the state, according to Ben Koisti, spokesman for the department.
The department will use results to determine risks and help 'identify and address potential contaminant sources,' Koisti said in an emailed statement.
'The results can also be beneficial for water systems that use surface water as their water source,' Koisti said. 'If PFAS contamination is identified in an area and at concentrations that pose a potential risk to a drinking water system, DANR will take action to further identify the source and mitigate the contamination to protect the impacted water supply.'
Testing is underway with additional sampling planned at the 30 testing sites this fall. Results will be posted on the department's website. The East Dakota Water Development District tested 11 sites along the Big Sioux River in eastern South Dakota last year, finding the contaminants were most concentrated downstream of cities like Watertown and Sioux Falls in its preliminary data.
The department's sampling sites were selected based on geographic distribution, population density, and whether the surface water contributes to a drinking water supply. There are 26 water systems in the state that rely on surface water for drinking water.
The project costs about $15,000 using federal EPA funds through the Public Water System Supervision grant.
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