Officials in the Spokane suburb of Airway Heights on Thursday said city tap water is now safe to drink, more than three weeks after tests found chemical contamination.
On May 16, residents were told not to drink city water or use it to cook after tests by nearby Fairchild Air Force Base found groundwater tainted with two industrial chemicals used for years in firefighting foam and consumer products such as nonstick cookware. The latest round of tests found 20 of 21 samples at acceptable levels for the compounds commonly known as PFOS and PFOA, said Airway Heights Assistant Fire Chief Don Malone. Officials have closed off the site where the one sample detected contamination above federal guidelines, he said.