Will LGUSD's artificial turf contribute to the contamination of Los Gatos drinking water?

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Image from report by EWG.org
"PFAS Contamination of Drinking Water Far More Prevalent Than Previously Reported"


Wind and rain blow or wash pollutants off hard surfaces like streets, parking lots, sidewalks, and artificial turf systems into storm drains that flow untreated directly into our creeks and waterways. In LGUSD's proposed artificial turf "fields", water will rinse the chemicals off the weathered and worn plastic blades of "grass" as well as off the perforated carpet backing and perforated shockpad beneath. The chemicals will be rinsed into drainage pipes that flow directly to storm drains. Why wouldn't PFAS forever chemicals, lead, infill, plastic grass blades, microplastics, cleaning chemicals, and weedkillers be carried by rainwater and sprinkler runoff from local artificial turf systems into the surrounding storm drains that flow into Los Gatos Creek? Even David Teter acknowledged at our Town Hall meeting the greater volume of chemicals measured in the "first flush" after a rain. No, Los Gatos's monthly street sweepers aren't capturing all this stuff and keeping it out of our local watershed. While pollution of our local waterways is of course a concern for local aquatic life, what many might find more alarming is that it begs the question, is some amount of this stuff, particularly the PFAS, coming right back to us in our drinking water? If we can't say for certain and we have alternatives, why take the risk?
As usage of artificial turf increases in our community, will Los Gatos become due for its own "rude awakening" like other Silicon Valley suburbs? Maybe, like Willow Glen residents, we won't know about it for awhile.

In November 2021, California's largest groundwater agency has sued 3M Co, Corteva Inc, the Chemours Co and other manufacturers and sellers of industrial and consumer products over claims they contain a toxic PFAS chemical that contaminated drinking water in Los Angeles.

Should we trust somebody else to look out for us and our kids like those now-suffering families of Flint did?

Only rain in the storm drain!  
#OnlyRainInTheDrain #CleanCreeks