West Point US Military Academy
DRINKING WATER
The Army is committed to ensuring quality drinking water is provided to its Soldiers, family members, and civilians. Proactive sampling is performed by the Army on its drinking water systems and coordination with other purveyors of drinking water to installations occurs to ensure PFOS/PFOA remains below 70 parts per trillion (ppt) for PFOS and PFOA (individually or combined). While not an enforceable regulatory standard, this represents a concentration in drinking water that is not expected to produce adverse health effects if the water is consumed over an entire lifetime.
Status: Finished drinking water, which is the treated water people drink at the West Point U.S. Military Academy, does not contain PFOS/PFOA in exceedance of the EPA2016 lifetime health advisory levels. Army-provided drinking water complies with the standards contained in the Safe Drinking Water Act, a federal law designed to protect the quality of drinking water supplied to the American public. The Army will continue to test and monitor on-base drinking water.
PFOA + PFOS Results: 3.0 parts per trillion (ppt) in finished drinking water
Test results date: August 2021
Testing Frequency: every 2 or 3 years depending on system
Future Testing Event: September 2024
Type of drinking water systems: Army-owned, purchased, and privatized
For questions contact: Public Affairs
Office phone number: (845) 938-8832 or (845) 938-8520
Office e-mail address: beth.r.smith.mil@army.mil
Water Quality Reports
CLEANUP ACTIONS
The Army follows the federal cleanup law, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980 (also known as “Superfund”), and long-standing Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations for all chemicals in its cleanup program, including PFAS. In collaboration with federal and state regulatory agencies and interested stakeholders, the Army follows the CERCLA process to investigate a release resulting from Army activities and to assess the appropriate cleanup actions based on risk to human health and the environment.
When the Army identifies that it has impacted drinking water above 70 parts per trillion for PFOS/PFOA (individually or combined) on or off an installation, it takes appropriate actions to provide alternate water and ensure drinking water levels are promptly reduced (for example, by providing bottled water, shutting down wells, installing treatment systems or connecting to municipal water).
Final reports, points of contact, and/or site specific web links will be updated on this page as cleanup actions progress.
CERCLA is a complex, multi-phase process that provides a consistent, science-based approach across the nation for cleanup and may take years to complete. Read more about CERCLA and the phased approach here
CERCLA INFORMATION
Current CERCLA Phase: Remedial Investigation planned
DOCUMENTS
- Final Preliminary Assessment and Site Inspection of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances United States Army Garrison - West Point, New York (September 2022) Appendices available upon request.
CONTACT INFORMATION
For more information, contact: Public Affairs
Office phone number: (845) 938-8832 or (845) 938-8520
Office e-mail address: beth.r.smith.mil@army.mil