PFAS and Nitrate Testing in school drinking water (FOI)

​Request 697611966

1. PFAS and Nitrate Testing in School Drinking Water:

• Have any PFAS tests or Nitrate tests been conducted on the drinking water in Jersey’s schools (including primary, secondary, nurseries, and special education facilities) in the past 3 years?
• If yes, please provide:
• The dates and locations of these tests.
• A summary of the results, including any instances where PFAS levels or Nitrate levels exceeded safety guidelines.

2. PFAS Testing in School Soil:

• Have any schools undertaken soil testing for PFAS contamination, particularly in areas where biosolids (sewage sludge) or fertilizers have been applied?
• If yes, please provide:
• The dates and locations of these tests.
• A summary of the findings, highlighting any contamination concerns.

3. PFAS-Related Health Advisories:

• Have any health advisories or guidelines been issued to schools concerning PFAS exposure risks to students and staff?
• If yes, please provide copies or summaries of these advisories.

4. How is the public kept informed of the levels and the testing that is done and the comparisons to other jurisdictions and the health implications of exposure to pfas and other chemicals in water ?

Response​​

1

All schools are supplied by the mains water system, therefore, the information requested is exempt under Article 23 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 as the information is accessible on the Jersey Water annual report linked below.

Water Quality Report

2

No soil testing has been undertaken on soil in school grounds. Biosolid sludge is not applied to any school grounds

3

No health advisories or guidelines have been issued to schools concerning PFAS.

4

The Government of Jersey maintains a PFAS informational website  www.gov.je/PFAS.   This website contains the publicly available information on testing mainly in the PFAS Hydrogeological Phase One Report and the first and second Reports of the Independent PFAS Scientific Advisory Panel for Jersey Reports and Draft report 3.  Report Four to be published late 2025 will focus on the environment and include significant testing and Comparisons to other jurisdictions. 

Additional information is provided in the Water Quality Report​.

Article applied 

Article 23 - Information accessible to applicant by other means

(1) Information is absolutely exempt information if it is reasonably available to the applicant, otherwise than under this Law, whether or not free of charge.

(2) A scheduled public authority that refuses an application for information on this ground must make reasonable efforts to inform the applicant where the applicant may obtain the information.