City of Fountain highlights efforts to keep water safe following past PFC contamination

FOUNTAIN, Colo. (KKTV) - A community once plagued with water contamination problems is now in the clear.

The city of Fountain says a years-long process to improve water quality following the discovery that chemicals from military firefighting foam had seeped into the groundwater has paid off.

“We’re going above and beyond even what the EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] is asking,” said Fountain Mayor Gabriel Ortega.

Lab tests have shown the water has been safe to drink for more than a year now. City officials say they want to show they are dedicated to making sure it stays that way.

A new PSA made its debut at Tuesday night’s city council meeting, which aims to alleviate any concerns by neighbors still worried about drinking the tap water. Some families still only feel safe with filtered water.

The issue dates back to 2016, when perfluorinated chemicals, or PFCs, were found in several wells in Fountain, Widefield and Security. The chemicals were in a firefighting foam used by the Air Force to put out jet fuel fires. It wasn’t until after decades of use that the chemicals were found to be harmful. The Centers for Disease Control says PFCs have been linked to health effects like high cholestoral and cancer. All of our coverage on the water issue can be found here.

Fountain city officials say that over the years, millions of dollars have been put toward water filtration technology, with even more filtration coming in the next year. The video highlights that journey and explains how residsents can stay updated on their water quality.

“It’s been a years-long process to get to where we are, and we worked in partnership with the Air Force and the Pentagon and congressional delegation to ensure we can get the proper tools needed,” Ortega said.

Fountain says they test samples of the water frequently. They put all of that data on their website, which can be found here.