Park City becomes first in Utah to gain state approval for PFAS water safety plan

Photo: Photo by Bluewater Sweden

City ties contamination to ski wax, launches fluoro-free initiative amid new EPA standards

PARK CITY, Utah — Park City says it has become the first water system in Utah to get state approval for dealing with harmful chemicals in its drinking water, according to the city’s annual water quality report.

The Utah Division of Drinking Water approved Park City’s compliance plan after the Environmental Protection Agency finalized new regulatory standards for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAS, in April 2024.

Park City’s well water has tested above newly adopted PFAS standards, but the city’s other drinking water sources — treated at the new 3Kings and Quinns Junction Water Treatment Plants — remain free of the harmful chemicals, according to the report.

“This really has been a labor of love,” Water Quality & Treatment Manager Michelle De Haan said.

The city’s compliance strategy involves blending PFAS-free water from the 3Kings facility with well water containing PFAS before delivery to customers. Testing conducted throughout 2024 at the blending compliance location verified the plan achieves PFAS levels below the new maximum contaminant levels, the report states.

With the 3Kings Water Treatment Plant now delivering drinking water, the city is using very little water from two of the wells, has discontinued use of the well with the highest PFAS concentrations, and is on track to achieve compliance with the new rule.

The city has identified fluoro ski wax as the probable contamination source. In 2023, the source protection ordinance was updated to prohibit fluoro ski wax due to its contributions to PFAS detections in the wells. Park City has partnered with the community and retailers on a ski wax take-back program that encourages everyone to ski fluoro-free.

New Treatment Plant Operational

The 3Kings Water Treatment Plant, located along Three Kings Drive in Thaynes Canyon, has been successfully producing drinking water for one year, treating water from Judge and Spiro Mine Tunnels as well as Thiriot Springs.

The facility can produce up to 7.2 million gallons of drinking water daily using conventional surface water treatment technology including pre-oxidation, flocculation, sedimentation, filtration and adsorption to remove heavy metals to non-detectable or ultra-low levels.

The plant removes arsenic, antimony, iron, manganese, zinc, cadmium, thallium and lead, while using ultraviolet light and chlorine to eliminate viruses and pathogens.

Water Quality Meets Standards

All drinking water met or exceeded quality standards set by the EPA and Utah Division of Drinking Water during testing from January through December 2024, according to the report.

The city operates one of the most complex municipal water systems in the United States for a community its size, with eight sources and three water treatment plants despite being classified as a “small water system” by the EPA.

Park City completed an initial lead service line inventory and determined that all service lines are non-lead. The inventory identified service line materials including galvanized, copper and plastic connections.

In 2024, the city collected 43 lead and copper samples from customer taps. One home exceeded the action level from an underused tap but was below the action level when resampled at a regularly used tap.

Conservation Measures Continue

The city will implement even-odd landscape watering restrictions from May 1 through Sept. 30, 2025. Residents with even-numbered addresses may water on even-numbered days, while odd-numbered addresses may water on odd-numbered days. Outside watering is permitted only between 7 p.m. and 10 a.m.

Park City offers cash incentives of $3 per square foot for turf removal and other water conservation rebates through partnerships with Utah Water Savers.

The report emphasizes customer responsibilities beyond the meter, including flushing water pipes in homes or businesses closed for extended periods and preventing cross connections that could contaminate the water supply.

The complete water quality report and testing results are available at parkcity.org/water-quality.