HALLOWELL — The drinking water of 912 residences, businesses, schools and government buildings is now in excess of state limits on potentially harmful forever chemicals, recent Hallowell Water District testing showed.

Tests on March 26 measured PFAS levels at 20.1 parts per trillion, higher than any test in the past three years. The district, which is required by state law to notify customers about PFAS levels above the limit of 20 parts per trillion, mailed a notice to residents and businesses Thursday.

Researchers have linked even low levels of PFAS exposure to adverse health outcomes, including decreased fertility, developmental delays in children and an increased risk for some cancers. The EPA announced last year that it would lower the regulatory limits on several types of PFAS in drinking water to just 4 parts per trillion by 2029, saying there was “no level of exposure to these contaminants without risk of health impacts.”

PFAS are a group of widely used, man-made chemicals that can take thousands of years to break down. Most people have some level of PFAS in their bloodstream from water, food or other sources.

The March 26 test showed PFAS levels had increased by 28% since Nov. 8, when the district last tested its two wells.

Hallowell Water District Superintendent Zach Lovely said the uptick in PFAS levels is likely a result of increased flow from the Kennebec River. The river, which is high in PFAS levels due to agricultural and industrial pollution, partially replenishes the groundwater source used by the water district.

“The higher the flow is, the more influence on the aquifer,” Lovely said.

The water district’s online notice suggested using bottled water that has been verified as PFAS-free for consumption, especially for formula, juice and water for children. Boiling, letting and ordinary filtration methods do not reduce PFAS levels.

Hallowell Water District’s PFAS-free spigot, which allows residents to avoid the elevated PFAS levels in city drinking water, is seen last year outside the district’s office in Hallowell. Hallowell is building a filtration facility, but it won’t be ready for several years. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel file

In the short term, the only no-cost, PFAS-free drinking water Hallowell residents can access is via a spigot at the water district’s building at 52 Winthrop St. The spigot was set up last April and Lovely said about 15-20 residents have used it daily since then. Residents are limited to five gallons per day.

Some residents, though, worry that the spigot is only accessible to those with reliable transportation and those who can carry a five-gallon container of water by themselves. In-home remedies to eliminate PFAS can cost hundreds and require consistent monitoring.

Hallowell resident and environmental lawyer Kristin Aiello told Hallowell City Council members in a June meeting that she was concerned about the accessibility of the spigot for residents with disabilities or who lack access to reliable transportation.

“Many of us are fortunate — we have access to information, we can learn that this water is not safe and that we need to get (PFAS-free water), but there are people who don’t know that,” Aiello said. “I would like to see the council be on top of this, frankly. The water is not safe to drink in Hallowell.”

Former Ward 3 Councilor Ryan Martin proposed a $35,000 program to deliver PFAS-free water to those in need across the city, but the initiative was cut during contentious budget discussions and is unlikely to return in the next budget year.

Officials in the nearby Greater Augusta Utility District also recently suggested providing its PFAS-free water to Hallowell through a set of valves, but that strategy probably isn’t viable because of engineering limitations, Lovely said in February.

Lovely said the Hallowell Water District has made progress on its multi-million dollar PFAS filtration facility, including finalizing a filtration method. The facility, which would remove effectively all PFAS from Hallowell’s drinking water, is expected to be up and running by the end of 2028, before the new federal limits for PFAS levels take effect.

Lovely said the water district intends to keep residents updated as PFAS levels fluctuate.