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Nogales staff say drinking water meets standards; PFAS tests negative so far but arsenic remediation remains costly
Summary
Public Works Director Eric Stewart told council Nogales meets ADQ and EPA standards, that all wells tested to date are negative for PFAS, and that arsenic remediation media replacement costs run about $350,000 to treat multiple wells. Council asked for ongoing monitoring schedules and staffing details.
Public Works Director Eric Stewart briefed the Nogales City Council on June 10 about current drinking-water quality standards and emerging regulatory requirements.
Stewart summarized three priority areas: arsenic, PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), and chlorination. He said the federal arsenic maximum contaminant level has been 10 parts per billion since 2001 and that Nogales uses arsenic-removal media on some wells; replacing media on the city’s three arsenic-treatment wells would cost roughly $350,000, so replacements are staged as monitoring indicates need.
On PFAS, Stewart said the EPA issued national drinking-water standards in 2024 at four parts per trillion. "All wells we tested so far are negative in PFAS," he reported, calling that "good news for us," and said the city will continue required testing as federal and state rules evolve.
Stewart also described chlorination practice and upgrades: Nogales uses chlorination to protect public health and is retrofitting its last production facilities to an injection system for more consistent dosing instead of manual tablets.
Council asked about sampling frequency and operations. Stewart said arsenic is sampled quarterly, bacteria monthly, and chlorine levels are monitored regularly; the city has a staff member focused on water treatment and will continue coordination with Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ).
Why this matters: Emerging PFAS rules are among the most significant new regulatory challenges for water utilities nationwide. Nogales’ negative PFAS tests reduce immediate regulatory exposure, but arsenic treatment and routine monitoring carry maintenance costs and must be budgeted in water-fund planning.
Next steps: Staff will continue monitoring, complete planned retrofits to injection systems, and bring future updates to council if tests or regulatory actions change.
