Water supplied to a primary school in Pennsylvania has tested positive for dangerous levels of cancer-causing 'forever chemicals', after decades of leakage from a nearby unsealed landfill.
A Legacy of Pollution from a Historic Dump
The contamination stems from the Boyertown Landfill, a 30-acre site located less than a mile from Gilbertsville Elementary School. The landfill, which operated from at least the 1950s until its closure in 1985, served as a dumping ground for municipal office waste, construction debris, sewage treatment by-products, and industrial refuse.
Critically, because it was established so long ago, the dump lacked an impermeable liner designed to stop toxic liquids from seeping into the surrounding environment and groundwater. The small town of Boyertown, with a population just over 4,000, sits less than 50 miles northeast of Philadelphia.
Chemical Levels Exceed Future Federal Standards
According to data released by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection on 10 December, water from a public well used by Gilbertsville Elementary School contained 6.7 parts per trillion (ppt) of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). One source alleged to local paper The Mercury that some test results showed levels 'over 14'.
While this is below Pennsylvania's current maximum contaminant level of 14 ppt, it exceeds the stringent federal standard of 4 ppt set to take full effect in 2031. The man-made PFAS chemicals, widely used since the 1940s, are known for their persistence in the environment and the human body.
School superintendent Scott Davidheiser informed parents of the situation in a letter on Monday, stating the district 'remains committed to safety in all areas, including water safety.' The school, which opened in 1996 after the landfill had closed, is now working with Suburban Water Technology Inc. to reduce PFAS levels to meet the future federal benchmark, with plans to be discussed in January.
Wider Community Impact and Health Concerns
The problem extends beyond the school. Water sampling from 2024 and 2025 indicated multiple locations within the landfill boundary were heavily contaminated with PFAS compounds, which have also migrated into nearby residential areas.
State officials have already provided filtration systems and bottled water to Boyertown residents living within a half-mile radius of the landfill whose private wells tested above 4 ppt. However, The Mercury reports that the DEP will not provide the same to the elementary school because it is on a public water system.
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) links PFAS exposure to an increased risk of prostate, kidney, and testicular cancers. The chemicals can also weaken the immune system and disrupt hormonal functions. The EPA is currently evaluating whether to designate the Boyertown Landfill as a Superfund site, a move that would unlock federal funds for a major cleanup. The site was already named to the state's hazardous sites cleanup programme in 2001.
The lasting health effects of these 'forever chemicals' continue to be a major focus of scientific and regulatory research.
