One hundred ninety-three facilities that discharge into local waterways, including wastewater treatment plants and manufacturing sites, reported the presence of long-lasting and dangerous PFAS chemicals, according to a state health department survey.

“We send our thanks to the facilities who followed through with this survey. Knowing where the chemicals are is an important first step in protecting public health,” said John Putnam, environmental programs director for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS for short, are associated with an elevated cancer risk and other health problems in humans. The chemicals, which are resistant to grease, oil, water and heat, are found in consumer products and firefighting foams.

Earlier this week, CDPHE and the Colorado Department of Agriculture announced they were reviewing the results of a Colorado School of Mines modeling study that determined lettuce irrigated with contaminated water contained toxic levels of exposure from PFAS.

The state intends to use the water survey data to determine whether any entities should regularly sample their water for PFAS or implement additional protections. A map of discharge permit-holders mostly indicated a potential or actual presence of foam or other PFAS-containing material along the Front Range and pockets of the Western Slope. In Denver, those locations include the Regional Transportation District shops, Amtrak’s fueling pad at Denver Union Station and the Auraria Campus.