Western PFAS: Water Scarcity Meets Chemical Contamination
The American West—already grappling with its most severe drought in 1,200 years—faces a compounding crisis from PFAS contamination of the limited freshwater supplies that remain. Military aviation bases throughout the West (Edwards AFB, Luke AFB, Hill AFB, Naval Air Station Lemoore, Travis AFB) have contaminated groundwater aquifers that western communities depend on. Desert aquifer systems that recharge slowly are particularly vulnerable to persistent PFAS contamination. And as drought reduces stream flows and groundwater levels, PFAS concentrations in remaining water supplies increase—creating a situation where the most water-stressed communities simultaneously face the most concentrated PFAS exposure.
Military Bases and Western Groundwater
The western US hosts a concentration of military aviation facilities with significant AFFF contamination histories. Luke Air Force Base (Glendale, AZ): PFAS groundwater plume affecting the West Valley aquifer that serves 400,000+ residents; Maricopa County has spent $100+ million on investigation and interim remediation. Edwards Air Force Base (Kern County, CA): PFAS from decades of test aircraft crash and fire response contaminated Antelope Valley aquifer—a critical water source for a high desert community with limited alternative supply options. Naval Air Station Lemoore (Kings County, CA): PFAS plume in Kings River alluvial aquifer affecting agricultural irrigation wells and domestic water supply. Hill Air Force Base (Ogden, UT): PFAS in Weber River aquifer contaminating municipal water wells for Layton and other Utah communities. Each of these sites involves DoD remediation programs, but plume containment and treatment at the aquifer scale in desert environments presents extraordinary technical challenges.
California’s Comprehensive PFAS Response
California leads western states in PFAS regulatory response. California’s State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) established the nation’s first state MCLs for PFOA (5.1 ng/L) and PFOS (6.5 ng/L) in 2020—before EPA’s federal standards. California’s Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) program systematically monitors PFAS in over 2,000 domestic wells statewide—producing the most comprehensive statewide private well PFAS dataset in the US. California’s PFAS in products laws (textiles, food packaging, cosmetics, cookware) represent the most comprehensive state-level PFAS product restriction framework in the nation. California’s WaterFix program—designed to address long-term water supply resilience in the context of climate change—is beginning to incorporate PFAS monitoring into its advanced treatment and conveyance planning.
Arizona, Nevada, and Colorado: Emerging Programs
Arizona’s ADEQ has established PFAS response protocols for contaminated sites and initiated monitoring of public water systems through Cycle 5 monitoring, finding PFAS in 38% of tested Arizona public water systems—a high prevalence reflecting the state’s military base density and industrial history. Nevada’s NDEP has prioritized PFAS investigation at Nellis AFB and McCarran International Airport, with groundwater plumes affecting Las Vegas Valley Water District supply wells. Colorado’s CDPHE has established interim PFAS action levels for drinking water at 70 ppt (historical EPA HAL) while developing state-specific MCLs, and has funded PFAS monitoring for all community water systems through Proposition 116 (Safe Drinking Water Act funding). The Colorado River Basin—from which seven states draw water—has been studied for PFAS at key diversions, with initial sampling showing low but detectable concentrations that will require monitoring as upstream PFAS sources are better characterized.
The western PFAS crisis represents the intersection of two of the most urgent environmental challenges of the 21st century—water scarcity and chemical contamination—creating imperative for comprehensive filtration solutions that can serve communities facing both challenges simultaneously.