Kennewick, Wash., Notifies Water Customers as PFOS and PFHxS Averages at Ranney Collector 5 Top State Limits

The City of Kennewick, Washington, has sent drinking water customers a required public notice after testing at its Ranney Collector 5 water source found two PFAS, the “forever chemicals” PFOS and PFHxS, above the state’s drinking water standards. The notice, sent October 25, 2026, says third-quarter 2026 samples put the running annual average at 10.7 parts per trillion (ppt) for PFOS, against a State Action Level (SAL) of 4.0 ppt, and 13.4 ppt for PFHxS, against an SAL of 10 ppt.

What the notice says

• Which source: City of Kennewick Water System (ID #38100, Benton County), Ranney Collector #5, sources S04 and S05, blended, according to the notice.
• Why now: In January 2026, the Washington State Board of Health aligned the state’s SALs with the U.S. EPA’s PFAS maximum contaminant levels, which take effect in April 2029, so there is one consistent standard, the city says.
• What customers are told: “There is nothing required of you at this time,” the notice says. It also says not to boil water to reduce PFAS, because boiling will not reduce PFAS levels, and it includes Washington State Department of Health guidance for some households. Read the full notice on the city’s website.
• More notices coming: The city expects to issue quarterly notices like this one for Ranney Collector 5 until its new PFAS treatment project is complete.

What happens next

The city says it is designing a treatment system for the source, expected to be online and operational no later than April 2029, with staff planning for earlier. KEPR reported that Kennewick is working with engineering firm Hazen and Sawyer on the design and recently received a $15 million award through the Washington Department of Health’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loan program to help pay for it. Questions go to the City of Kennewick at (509) 585-4419 or PWinfo@ci.kennewick.wa.us, the notice says.

Why WaterVO™ follows this

Notices like this one are how utilities handle PFAS in water drawn from the ground or a river: the treatment happens after the water is collected. Atmospheric water generation, which we call vapor optimizing (VO), starts from a different source: it filters incoming air and condenses drinking water from humidity instead. We believe VO is likely the best option for drinking water. It uses energy, but we think cleaner drinking water is worth it.

WaterVO prices go up December 1. Order before Dec. 1: the Spout Monolith is $1,495, the Countertop Vapor Optimizer is $1,499 and the Floor Model Vapor Optimizer is $1,999.

Sources

• City of Kennewick, “Notice to Drinking Water Customers – PFAS Detection,” sent October 25, 2026 (Water System ID #38100): go2kennewick.com
• Austin Reed, “Kennewick warns of PFAS in drinking water at Ranney Collector 5,” KEPR, October 26, 2026: KEPR (syndicated)

Photo: Kennewick and the Columbia River from the air, by formulanone via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0); cropped, headline added in the featured image. Illustrative.

Keep learning

More from WaterVO News: Suffolk County Water Authority wins $4.55 million for PFAS treatment · ‘Not detected’ isn’t zero: TCU-led PFAS study

Go deeper with the water experts at Hydrology University: the PFAS guide.

Page link: https://watervo.com/blogs/news/kennewick-pfos-pfhxs-ranney-collector-5-state-action-levels