PFAS “forever chemicals” found in Warner Springs groundwater: Navy to host open house January 12 and provide testing of wells at nearby properties

By Miriam Raftery

December 27, 2025 (Warner Springs) -- The U.S. Navy has announced that PFAS, known as “forever chemicals” have been detected in groundwater in Warner Springs.  The contamination is believed to be linked to a former landfill, wastewater treatment site and spray aeration field at the Navy’s Remote Training Site in Warner Springs.

The Navy is offering to test well water on private properties nearby and will hold a public meeting on January 12 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Cal Fire Station, 31049 State Route 79 in Warner Springs.

The tests will be conducted from January 13 through 20th, with additional times available on request.  

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances known as PFAS are a family of chemicals used by many industries and in numerous products since the 1940s. They are known as forever chemicals because they do not break down in the environment.

Peer-reviewed scientific studies have shown that exposure to certain levels of PFAS may cause serious harm to human health as well as to animals.

These include:

• Reproductive effects such as decreased fertility or increased high blood pressure in pregnant women.
• Developmental effects or delays in children, including low birth weight, accelerated puberty, bone variations, or behavioral changes.
• Increased risk of some cancers, including prostate, kidney, and testicular cancers.
• Reduced ability of the body’s immune system to fight infections, including reduced vaccine response.
• Interference with the body’s natural hormones.
• Increased cholesterol levels and/or risk of obesity.
• Livestock exposed to high levels of PFAS have suffered cancers, birth defects, and death.

The Navy is asking permission of property owners to test well water in a sampling area up to one mile downstream from the contamination sites.  Property owners with a drinking well in the sampling area can call 1-800-523-1297 to schedule a sampling appointment. 

The map below shows the sampling area:

Testing results will be available 30 days after testing. If results show PFAS levels at or above the Department of Defense’s PFAS interim action levels for private drinking wells, the Navy says it will work with property owners to implement an “enduring solution as soon as possible,” according to a website that the Navy has set up on the Warner Springs water issues.

Options for enduring solutions may include connection to a public water supply or installation of a drinking water treatment system.

For any drinking water wells with PFAS levels above 70 parts per trillion, the Navy says it will provide bottled water for drinking and cooking to property owners or tenants until a more enduring solution is implemented.

For PFAS levels below that threshold, the Navy will address lower levels down to EPA standards in accordance with requirements of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act.

The Warner Springs area is home to farms and ranches that may rely on groundwater for livestock such as cattle and horses to drink, or to irrigate crops. The region also has businesses including wineries that rely on water for wine production.

The Navy has not indicated what testing or mitigation, if any, it may provide for local farmers, ranchers, wineries or other business owners, nor whether it would provide drinking water for pets in households where water is found to have concerning levels of PFAS contamination. 

East County Magazine has reached out to the Navy on these issues, and will publish the Navy’s response if received.

Neither the Navy nor the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has any guidance that we4 could find on use of water with PFAS contamination for bathing, showering, washing dishes or clothes. However the New York Department of Public Health has published that it is considered “safe” to bathe or shower even if there are PFAS in the water, since studies have shown only minimal absorption through the skin.

The Navy’s public meeting on January 12 in Warner Springs will include support from the Regional Water Quality Control Board, the County of San Diego’s Public Health Services, and the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessments. 

Representatives from each of these agencies will be available to answer questions and provide more information.

For much more information, visit the Navy’s website on the Warner Springs PFAS groundwater issues at https://www.navfac.navy.mil/Divisions/Environmental/Products-and-Services/Environmental-Restoration/Southwest/Warner-Springs-SEREC/PFAS-Sampling/.

The map below shows PFAS release areas: