After years of testing the city’s sewer system and wastewater treatment plant, Bangor now knows where the highest amounts of dangerous forever chemicals are coming from.
The Bangor Water Quality Department began sampling its wastewater treatment plant for forever chemicals in partnership with the Department of Environmental Protection in April 2022. That’s when a state law requiring certain municipal, industrial and commercial wastewater dischargers test for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl chemical compounds — often called PFAS — took effect.
The initial testing showed Bangor had higher levels of PFAS in its sewer system than many other communities. But it didn’t show where the chemicals were coming from, according to Amanda Smith, Bangor’s director of water quality.
understanding forever chemicals
The city began a second and third round of testing in 2023, the latter of which concluded in June 2024, to find where the PFAS in Bangor’s sewer system is coming from, Smith said. None of the city’s PFAS evaluations included environmental sampling.
This comes as the state and nation are learning more about the dangers of forever chemicals and boosting testing efforts to determine how much of it is in the environment. The effects of long-term PFAS exposure are still being studied, but forever chemicals have been linked to numerous health problems and birth defects.
Additional testing showed the highest levels of PFAS in the city’s wastewater were coming from the Pine Tree Landfill and the site of the former Dow Air Force Base, which now holds the Bangor International Airport, Bangor Air National Guard and Bangor Army National Guard.
Despite the results, the city’s drinking water is safe because it’s sourced from Floods Pond in Otis, far from the two sites, said Chuck Harrison, general manager of the Bangor Water District. Floods Pond is also protected from swimming, boating, fishing and other activities that could contaminate the water.
Bangor’s drinking water is also tested for PFAS consistently, Harrison said, and shows “undetectable” amounts of the chemicals.
Developed in the 1930s, the man-made chemicals were commonly used in household items, including cooking tools, food packaging and even clothing because they’re resistant to grease, heat and water. PFAS are often referred to as “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down easily.
The city’s findings align with a 2022 report from the U.S. Air Force that warned decades of using PFAS-laden firefighting foam on the land contaminated the area with the harmful forever chemicals. Furthermore, groundwater in the area could be spreading the chemicals beyond the property and contaminate nearby water supplies.
understanding pfas levels
The Bangor Air National Guard changed its firefighting foam to a version that doesn’t contain the toxic chemicals earlier this month.
Knowing the Bangor Air National Guard Base puts the highest levels of PFAS into the city’s sewer system, the U.S. Air Force is looking to launch additional testing at the site. The Air National Guard has agreed to share the results with the city and collaborate on how to remediate the issue.
The Bangor Air National Guard also plans to be transparent with the community about how it plans to address environmental issues, such as PFAS, at the site.
