The board that oversees Dalton Utilities will meet Tuesday at 2 p.m. in the Dalton Utilities boardroom, 1200 V.D. Parrott Jr. Parkway.
The board members are scheduled to vote on whether to approve a request for quotes for an engineering consultant for a drinking water emerging contaminant study.
Dalton Utilities CEO John Thomas said the study is related to chemicals known as per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS).
“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published a proposed rule that would create limits for certain PFAS continuants in drinking water,” he said. “This project will evaluate our raw water sources and help us understand any potential impacts this rule would have on operations at our existing drinking water plants.”
The EPA website says the chemicals have “many important manufacturing and industrial applications.” It reports PFAS is “persistent in the environment,” “remains in people for a very long time” and “causes developmental and other adverse effects in laboratory animals.”
PFAS were widely used in many industries for decades to fireproof, stain proof and waterproof various materials. Many industries, including the carpet industry, began phasing them out years ago.
The EPA website says PFAS “break down very slowly over time” and are “found in the blood of people and animals all over the world and are present at low levels in a variety of food products and in the environment.”
The website says it is not clear how harmful PFAS are to people and the environment or the best way to remove the chemicals from drinking water.
The board is also scheduled to vote on a request for proposals for a lagoon dredging project at the Riverwater Treatment Plant.
The board members will also receive a monthly financial report.
The meeting is open to the public.