PFAS in New Mexico

​New Mexico Environmental Department
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Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)PFAS contamination in New Mexico is one of the New Mexico Environment Department’s top priorities, as is the protection of human health and the environment. 

PFAS are a group of human-made chemicals that have been used for a large number of purposes since the 1950s. PFAS have been used in food packaging, cleaning products, stain resistant carpet treatments, nonstick cookware, and firefighting foam, among other products. While PFAS have made our lives easier – they come with the cost of adversely impacting our health and the environment.

Due to the widespread use of PFAS and the fact that they bioaccumulate, they are found in the bodies of people and animals all over the world, as well as ground and surface water. New Mexico has some of the highest documented levels of PFAS in the world with respect to wildlife and plants around Lake Holloman which is next to Holloman Air Force Base and White Sands National Park. In addition, the City of Clovis and rural Curry County have been suffering with PFAS pollution caused by Cannon Air Force Base. As a result, 3,600 dairy cow that were euthanized from PFAS poisoning after the herd consumed the groundwater that the U.S. Department of Defense contaminated and failed to clean-up.

Toxic PFAS pollution (white foam) along Lake Holloman

Euthanized dairy cows from toxic PFAS poisoning by the U.S. Department of Defense

Health Impacts

With an estimate 19,000 different forms of PFAS circulating through our economy in consumer goods, these chemicals are in your home in everything from food packaging, cookware, carpet, furniture, and more. In addition, living around a military base where PFAS-containing fire fighting foams were used for jet fuel fires increases your risk of exposure through drinking water. Once exposed to PFAS, there are many ways in which these chemicals can hurt your health, including:

• Cancer: Linked to kidney, testicular, and breast cancers.
• Endocrine Disruption: Interference with thyroid function, leading to hypothyroidism or other thyroid disorders.
• Immune System Suppression: Reduced vaccine response and weakened immunity.
• Liver Damage: Elevated liver enzymes, leading to liver toxicity and potential damage over time.
• Developmental Issues: Impaired fetal development, low birth weight, skeletal variation, and developmental delay.
• Cholesterol Elevation: Increased levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL).
• Reproductive Effects: Disrupted fertility in both men and women, menstrual irregularities/lower sperm quality.
• Kidney and Liver Disease: Increased risks of chronic kidney disease and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

​Drinking Water
Public water systems in New Mexico are regulated by the New Mexico Environment Department’s Drinking Water Bureau. However, water quality for private wells, also known as domestic wells, is not regulated under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. Therefore, private well owners are responsible for testing the quality of their drinking water and maintaining their wells.

On April 10, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the first-ever national drinking water standards for several PFAS in drinking water. The final rule establishes maximum contaminant levels for PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, PFHxS, and HFPO-DA (also known as GenX chemicals) as individual contaminants, and will regulate PFNA, PFHxS, HFPO-DA, and PFBS as a mixture through a Hazard Index. This new rule will significantly reduce the level of PFAS in drinking water across the United States. However, these standards do not apply to private wells.

Although the New Mexico Environment Department’s Drinking Water Bureau does not regulate water quality for private wells, we tested a limited number of private wells for PFAS with the U.S. Geological Survey. Results showed that PFAS occur in some private wells in New Mexico, but no PFAS were detected in the majority of wells that were sampled. Other organizations may have conducted or are in the process of conducting PFAS studies as well.

Private well owners who would like to collect their own water samples for PFAS testing may contact a certified drinking water laboratory. Laboratories can provide instructions for collecting water samples.
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To learn more, please see the New Mexico Environment Department’s Drinking Water Bureau factsheet PFAS and Your Private Well (English) (Español). Other useful links for private well owners are provided below:

• Certified Drinking Water Laboratories – A PDF file of laboratories around the United States that can perform PFAS testing.

• Drinking Water Bureau – General Guidance for Owners of Private Wells – Link to a New Mexico Environment Department webpage with additional resources for private drinking water well owners.

• New Mexico Environmental Public Health Tracking – Private Wells – Link to a New Mexico Department of Health webpage with additional resources for private drinking water well owners.

• US Environmental Protection Agency – Private Drinking Water Wells – Link to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency webpage with additional resources for private drinking water well owners.

Testing Initiatives

In the fall and winter of 2024, the New Mexico Environment Department offered residents who live around Cannon Air Force Base an opportunity to have their private drinking water wells tested for PFAS contamination. The testing was available to anyone who lived in areas around Cannon Air Force Base on a first come, first serve basis (up to 150 households). To inquire about future private drinking water well testing, please email us at [email protected] with your full name, email address, street address, and phone number.

• State offers free private well water tests for PFAS near Cannon Air Force Base