ASHEBORO, N.C. — Farmer Elementary School parents and staff were told that the water at the school is not safe to drink.
Randolph County Schools Superintendent Dr. Stephen Gainey sent out two messages to parents and staff this week. It alerted them to 'a high level of PFAS' in the school's water supply. He said the State Department of Environmental Quality found the issue.
PFAS, also known as forever chemicals, can cause serious health problems if someone is exposed to them over a long period of time, according to DEQ. Concerns include liver problems, development issues and increased risk for certain cancers.
Most PFAS exposure happens through drinking contaminated water or eating contaminated food. PFAs are man-made chemicals found in many places' daily items and foods.
In a letter to parents and staff, Gainey said what the source of the PFAS is. He said the school district was told to prevent people from drinking water from the school. Gainey said the district sent bottles of water to Farmer Elementary.
There are currently no school programs or classes going on because of summer break. The superintendent said only about five to six staff members are working on campus right now.
The school district is working with state and county health leaders to address the problem. It's not clear how long it could take to resolve. Gainey's letter said more sampling needs to be done on the water supply.
DEQ said it has been testing public water systems for the past three years to assess PFAs levels. Those tests found the chemicals in well water west of Asheboro. DEQ told Farmer Elementary to test their water. Early data found 'significantly elevated levels' of PFAS in one of the wells and high levels in tap water.
DEQ is doing more testing at homes within a quarter-mile radius of the school.
The EPA recently introduced new safety standards to address PFAS in the water supply. This will require utilities to reduce them to the lowest level at which they can be reliably measured. It's not clear when it goes into effect