Resident urges pre‑disturbance PFAS testing at Evans Creek relocation site after elevated PFOS in local wells

A Redmond resident urged the council to require PFAS testing at the Evans Creek relocation project site before construction disturbs soil that could affect the city's drinking water supply.

David Morton told the council he has measured PFOS at about 5.5 parts per trillion in Redmond drinking wells one and two, and he described PFBS also being present. "This is above EPA's maximum contaminant level of four parts per trillion," Morton said in public comment. He suggested the most plausible PFAS source is a three‑day fire in August 2013 at the Allwood recycling site (now DTG Recycle), which sits upgradient of the city’s supply wells and was fought with firefighting foam that he said contained PFOS.

Morton said sentinel monitoring wells were not tested for PFAS when downgradient testing was most needed after the 2013 fire and recommended a pre‑disturbance PFAS site investigation for the Evans Creek relocation work, which he estimated would cost about $50,000. He argued that cost is small compared with the roughly $19 million Evans Creek project price tag and the $25–$30 million cost of potential wellhead treatment. "Proceeding without first testing the creek relocation site for PFAS would be a continuation of the failure to protect Redmond's critical aquifer recharge area," Morton said, and he asked the council to make testing a condition of the project and to publish the full findings.

Council did not take immediate action on the request during the meeting; staff follow‑up would be required to confirm monitoring data, the city's testing history and whether the Evans Creek project scope includes pre‑disturbance PFAS testing.