INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A local environmental group is launching a program to help residents with private wells test for so-called “forever chemicals” in their drinking water, as concerns grow about contamination across the Treasure Coast.
The Indian River Neighborhood Association (IRNA) developed the initiative after hearing from residents seeking more localized information about PFAS, also known as PFOAs, a group of long-lasting synthetic chemicals.
Missy Weiss, the organization’s chief science officer, said the effort emerged directly from community demand.
“This quickly became one of the topics that our community members were coming to us looking for information, data particular to our location in Indian River County, and so this program organically grew from the concerns of our community,” Weiss said.
PFAS compounds are known for their persistence in the environment, a characteristic tied to their chemical structure. Weiss said the strength of their molecular bonds prevents them from breaking down easily over time.
“And so each of these compounds have a really strong carbon-fluorine bond. It’s one of the strongest in inorganic chemistry. And because of that, they don’t readily break down, which is why they’re called forever chemicals,” Weiss said.
Those properties have made PFAS widely used in consumer and industrial products, increasing the likelihood of environmental exposure.
“They’re found in our food wrappers, our personal care products, nonstick cookware, carpets, clothing, firefighting foam, paints, and even in the waste product of our wastewater treatment plants or biosolids,” she said.
Contamination has already been detected in some local water systems, underscoring the need for increased monitoring.
“In the city of Vero Beach, as well as Barefoot Bay, their water utility supplier or services did detect higher or elevated concentrations of PFOAs in early 2026. And so this is something that is happening real time. And everybody is working now to better understand these compounds and what we can do to mitigate or respond to these elevated levels,” she said.
Exposure to PFAS has been associated with a range of health risks, according to Weiss, raising additional concerns for residents relying on untreated water sources.
“They’ve been linked to many human health issues like pancreatic and kidney cancers, testicular cancer, thyroid disease, high cholesterol, decreased responses to vaccines, decreased fertility in women, high blood pressure. So there’s a whole host of these human health implications because of these PFOAs compounds,” she said.
While public water systems are regularly tested and treated, Weiss said private well users are often responsible for monitoring their own water quality — something that can be overlooked or unaffordable for some households.
“If you use a private well for your drinking water purposes or cooking or bathing, then ultimately that homeowner or property owner is responsible for testing their water to determine whether or not there are PFOS compounds in it,” she said. “So with a lot of people either not knowing that, maybe they’re economically vulnerable and they can’t afford to test for that. IRNA wanted to be able to provide pilot study to be able to test private wells for people who rely on it for drinking water for free.”
Under the program, qualifying residents who rely solely on private well water can receive free testing kits designed to detect multiple PFAS compounds.
“These are validated test kits that measure for 55 different PFAS compounds, including two of those legacy compounds, PFOA and PFAS. The caveat is that these individuals must only rely on private well water for their drinking water. And if they do, then we will provide that kit for free of charge,” she said.
Samples collected through the program will be analyzed by a third-party water purification company, with IRNA providing guidance on how to interpret results and next steps if contamination is found.
Weiss said solutions are available for homeowners who discover PFAS in their water.
“Luckily, there is technology that will remove PFOAs from our water. So there are things that homeowners people can do or apply to their homes, like adding carbon-activated filters, reverse osmosis. There’s even smaller on-the-counter filtration systems that homeowners can use if they choose to based off of the data,” she said.
Residents can choose to collect samples themselves or request assistance from IRNA staff.
“The sample kit is so user-friendly. There’s really easy to follow directions. There’s also a video that they can watch to help them. So it can certainly be administered by the homeowner. But if there’s any uneasiness or they want assistance, then I’m happy to help them or do it on the spot as soon as I drop it off to them,” she said.
To help residents learn more, IRNA is also hosting informational webinars later this month.
“You’ll see that we’re actually offering two informational webinars on the study. One is on April 22 and one is on April 28. They can sign up for one of those webinars or they can directly email me, Missy@IndianRiverNA.com, and I will be able to help them along with the process,” she said.
Information can be found on the IRNA website.