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TO: Mayor Richard C. Irvin
FROM: David E. Schumacher, P.E., Superintendent of Water Production
DATE: March 11, 2021
SUBJECT:
A Resolution Authorizing various laboratory water analyses from Eurofins Eaton Analytical, LLC for budget year 2021 for the Water Production Division.
PURPOSE:
To obtain authorization for various laboratory water analyses from Eurofins Eaton Analytical, LLC, South Bend, IN, (Eurofins), during the budget year 2021 totaling approximately $45,000.00.
BACKGROUND:
Since 2015, the Water Production Division (WPD) has utilized Eurofins, as a certified laboratory, to perform many different types of water analyses which are required for regulatory reporting to various state and federal agencies for raw well water, raw Fox River, and finished water. Some examples of analyses performed by Eurofins for the WPD are Volatile Organic Chemicals, Synthetic Organic Compounds, Inorganic Organic Compounds, Inorganic Metals, Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Products, Endocrine Disruptors, Giardia and Cryptosporidium, Tritium, and Disinfection By-Products.
Historically, the cost of these water analysis services have fluctuated between $15,000 to $25,000 annually, and thus have not needed City Council approval previously.
DISCUSSION:
Recently, the compounds known as Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in drinking water have become a very discussed and researched topic in the national drinking water industry. PFAS are a group of approximately 5,000 human-made substances that have been manufactured in the United States since the 1940s for their unique oil and water-resistant properties and have been utilized for a variety of applications ranging from water and stain-proofing to firefighting. This has resulted in PFAS being released into the air, water, and soil. Some PFAS have been phased out of production due to environmental and human health concerns, yet they persist in the environment and may contaminate surface and ground waters.
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