PFAS-Contaminated Well 13 Back Online

Camas has turned Well 13 back on again, and the basic reason is simple — the city needs the water. Demand is climbing with warmer weather, other wells have had mechanical problems, and officials say the system needs every available source to avoid shortages. The problem is that Well 13 is also the city’s PFAS well — the one that has repeatedly tested above Washington’s state limit. So this is not a clean resolution. It is a tradeoff. ### What changed this week? The city posted that Well 13 would be activated on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, because hotter weather pushed system demand high enough that all city wells were needed. In a separate notice, Camas said an emergency mechanical issue had also knocked two other drinking water wells out of service, which forced the city to lean on Well 13 earlier than planned. (cityofcamas.us) ### Why is Well 13 the controversial one? Well 13 is the Camas source with the PFAS problem. PFAS are the so-called “forever chemicals” used in things like stain-resistant coatings, nonstick products, and firefighting foam. They stick around in water and in the body for a long time, which is why even very small concentrations matter. Ca(cityofcamas.us) city’s cleanup plan. (cityofcamas.us) ### How high were the PFAS readings? The clearest number the city has published is from June 2025. Camas said two samples from Well 13 averaged 39.75 parts per trillion, while Washington’s state allowable level for PFOS is 15 parts per trillion. That does not mean every glass of water citywide comes straight from We(cityofcamas.us) notices and why the well is politically radioactive. (cityofcamas.us) ### Why not just keep the well off? Because Camas says it does not have enough summer supply without it. The city’s 2025 statement said shutting Well 13 down during peak demand could lead to shortages or outages, and this week’s notice used basically the same logic. In other words, officials are balancing two bad options — use a contaminated source temporarily, or risk not having enough water when demand spikes. (cityofcamas.us) ### What is the city building? The long-term fix is a treatment system at Well 13. City project documents describe an ion exchange system designed to remove PFAS from groundwater before it reaches customers. Camas approved a $1.61 million engineering agreement in April 2024 for PFAS evaluation and Well 13 treatment (cityofcamas.us)2027. (cityofcamas.us) ### Why does 2027 matter so much? Because that is the date attached to the end of this stopgap era. The city even says this will likely be the final summer Well 13 operates before treatment is finished — though it adds “subject to change,” which is doing a lot of work there. Until the filtration system is online, Camas is still managin(cityofcamas.us)s would rather not depend on. (cityofcamas.us) ### Are state and federal rules getting tighter? Yes — and that is part of why this story keeps getting sharper, not fuzzier. Washington already has PFAS state action levels, and the EPA finalized national drinking water standards for six PFAS in April 2024, including 4 parts per trillion limits for PFOA and PFOS. That broader regulatory squeeze makes a delayed fix harder to shrug off. (doh.wa.gov) ### Bottom line Well 13 is back because Camas needs the water now, not because the contamination issue is solved. The city’s real news is not the restart — it is that residents are still waiting for the treatment system that would make this annual summer dilemma go away. (cityofcamas.us)