Frequently Asked Questions

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large group of human-made chemicals that have been used in industry and consumer products worldwide since the 1950s. Their ability to repel water and oil and withstand high temperatures has made PFAS a particularly useful ingredient in industrial and commercial products, including non-stick products, stain- and water-repellent clothing and fire-fighting foams. These chemicals do not easily break down in the environment and have been known to accumulate in the environment and humans. In a nationwide study, low levels of PFAS were determined to be present in the blood of most Americans. Two PFAS, perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), are the most extensively studied of these chemicals.

Currently, there is limited regulatory authority of PFAS at the federal level. In 2016, the EPA issued a non-enforceable Lifetime Health Advisory level for PFOA and PFOS of 70 parts per trillion (ppt) in drinking water. EPA is expected to update its advisory in late 2022.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has proposed drinking water and groundwater standards for 18 PFAS compounds. These standards are based on recommendations that DHS established in 2019 and 2020. To learn more about how groundwater standards are developed, visit the DHS groundwater standards website at dhs.wisconsin.gov and search “groundwater standards”.

For more information on groundwater standards, visit The Department of Natural Resource’s page NR 140 groundwater quality standards update.

The proposed drinking water standard for PFOA and PFOS was changed from 20 ppt to 70 ppt to reflect EPA’s 2016 health advisory, but this change does not impact DHS’ health-based recommendations. DHS concluded that EPA’s health advisory of 70 ppt does not reflect the latest science on health effects of PFOA and PFOS – particularly those on the immune system – and it does not adequately estimate exposure risks to infants. DHS recommends that everyone take action when levels of PFOA and PFOS in their drinking water are above 20 ppt.  

Although PFAS have been used extensively since the 1950s, experts are only beginning to understand their potential impacts on human health. This understanding continues to evolve based on ongoing research. Two of the most studied PFAS chemicals are perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA). Current studies suggest that exposure to high levels of PFOS and PFOA may:

• increase cholesterol;
• decrease antibody response;
• decrease fertility in women;
• increase the risk of certain types of cancer; and
• increase the risk of thyroid diseases.

Scientists are still learning about the health effects from exposures to mixtures of PFAS. For more information, visit the CDC's PFAS and Your Health website and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) PFAS webpage.

The major routes of exposure to PFAS are:

• drinking water contaminated by PFAS;
• eating fish caught from water contaminated by PFAS;
• accidentally swallowing contaminated soil or dust.

Additionally, limited exposure may occur from consumer products:

• eating food that was packaged in material that contains PFAS; and
• using some consumer products* that contain PFAS.

*Research has shown that today's consumer products usually have low amounts of PFAS, especially when compared to levels found in contaminated drinking water. However, small exposures to PFAS are possible when a person comes in contact with or uses products such as:

1. some grease-resistant paper, fast food containers/wrappers, microwave popcorn bags, pizza boxes and candy wrappers;
2. nonstick cookware;
3. stain resistant coatings used on carpets, upholstery and other fabrics;
4. water resistant clothing;
5. cleaning products;
6. personal care products (shampoo, dental floss) and cosmetics (nail polish, eye makeup); and
7. paints, varnishes and sealants.

If you have questions or concerns about products you use in your home, contact the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission at 1-800-638-2772.

Because PFAS are found at low levels in some foods and in the environment (air, water, soil, etc.) completely eliminating exposure is unlikely. However, certain actions can be taken to reduce your overall exposure to PFAS, including the following.

• If your public water supply or private well water has PFAS levels at or above the DHS health advisory levels, use an alternative water source for drinking and preparing foods which absorb (rice, oatmeal) or have water as a main ingredient (soups, coffee, tea), and preparing infant formula. 
  1. Use purified or filtered bottled water,
  2. Filtered water from a pitcher, sink, or whole-house filter system with a certified filter technology. A granular activated carbon (GAC) filter that meets ANSI/NSF Standard 53 or a reverse osmosis (RO) filter with an included GAC component can filter out PFAS. These numbers will be printed on the filter and/or packaging. More information about filtering out PFAS from drinking water is available here: Reducing PFAS in Your Drinking Water.  
  3. Other sources of water that have been tested for PFAS and do not have levels above health advisories. 
• Follow fish consumption advisories. By following the consumption advisories currently in place where you fish, you will reduce potential health risks not only from common fish contaminants such as PCBs and mercury, but also from PFAS. More information can be found on DNR's fish advisory page and by using the DNR's online query tool to check advisories in places where you fish. The DNR's current fish consumption advisories are also available in Choose Wisely: A Health Guide for Eating Fish in Wisconsin [PDF]
• Vacuum your home routinely, preferably using a vacuum with a HEPA filter. Soil containing traces of PFAS can be tracked into the home from outside. In addition, dust can contain PFAS from common household products, like stain resistant carpeting or water repellent clothing. Vacuuming reduces the overall amount of dirt and dust in a home.
• Limit contact with consumer products containing PFAS*. These may include:
  1. some grease-resistant paper, fast food containers/wrappers, microwave popcorn bags, pizza boxes and candy wrappers;
  2. nonstick cookware;
  3. stain resistant coatings used on carpets, upholstery and other fabrics;
  4. water resistant clothing;
  5. cleaning products;
  6. personal care products (shampoo, dental floss) and cosmetics (nail polish, eye makeup); and
  7. paints, varnishes and sealants.

*Recent federal efforts to remove PFAS from consumer products have reduced the likelihood of exposure in consumer products; however, some products may still contain them. If you have questions or concerns about products you use in your home, contact the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission at 1-800-638-2772.

PFAS do not easily enter the body through the skin. Therefore, touching or having skin contact with water, products or packaging containing PFAS is not a major source of PFAS exposure. Even if your water supply contains PFAS, it is still safe to use it for showering, bathing, and washing hands. However, when bathing infants and children, be sure to monitor them and discourage swallowing of bath or shower water. 

If your municipal or private well water has PFAS levels at or above DHS health advisory levels:

• We recommend that you use bottled water, an approved treatment device or another alternative water source for drinking and preparing foods which absorb water (e.g., rice or oatmeal), have water as a main ingredient (e.g., soups, coffee, or tea), and preparing infant formula.
• You may use your tap water for doing laundry, washing dishes, washing produce brushing teeth, and filling your swimming pool. These activities are not expected to be a significant exposure source. However, to reduce the chance of accidental ingestion of small amounts of PFAS, remind swimmers not to swallow pool water.

• Breastfed infants: Nursing mothers should continue to breastfeed. Nursing mothers should also drink bottled water that has PFAS levels below DHS health advisory levels or use water treated with an approved treatment device. Women can pass PFAS onto infants through breastfeeding; however, our current understanding is that the health benefits from breastfeeding outweigh the negative effects of PFAS exposure through breastmilk. While we do not know a lot about the health effects of exposure to PFAS in breastmilk, we do know that the benefits of breastfeeding are well-documented. For more information about the benefits of breastfeeding, please visit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Women's Health breastfeeding webpage.
• Formula-fed infants: If your potable well water has PFAS levels at or above the DHS health advisory levels, we recommend that you use an alternative water source such as bottled water or water treated with an approved treatment device to make infant formula.

A blood test can measure PFAS in your blood, but this is not a test routinely done in a doctor's office. While it is possible to get your blood tested for PFAS, test results will only tell you how much PFAS is present in your blood and not whether your health has been, or will be, affected by PFAS. At this time, the scientific understanding of PFAS is not sufficient to determine health risks based on the level of PFAS in a person's blood. Most people in the U.S. have measurable amounts of PFAS in their body because PFAS are commonly used in many consumer and industrial products.

If you have specific health concerns or would like to have your blood tested, please talk with your doctor. Some of the health effects possibly linked to PFAS exposure, like high cholesterol, can be checked as part of your annual physical. It is important to have regular check-ups and screenings.

Additional information on blood testing can be found on the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry's (ATSDR) PFAS Blood Testing page. You can also read their Talking to Your Doctor about Exposure to PFAS fact sheet. The ATSDR is a federal public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Most people in the U.S. have been exposed to PFAS and have PFAS in their blood, especially PFOS and PFOA. During 2013-2014, the general population had, on average, below 5 micrograms per liter, or µg/L, of PFOA in their blood. In comparison, in 2000, highly exposed workers in PFAS manufacturing facilities had average measurements of more than 1000 µg/L of PFOA in their blood. As the production and use of PFOS and PFOA in the United States has declined, their levels in blood have gone down as well. From 1999 to 2014, blood PFOA levels among the general U.S. population have declined by more than 60% and blood PFOS levels have declined by more than 80%. For more information on PFAS blood level trends in the U.S., please read the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry's (ATSDR) fact sheet on PFAS in the U.S. Population. The ATSDR is a federal public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Contact the Wisconsin Department of Health Services by emailing DHSEnvHealth@dhs.wi.gov.

DHS PFAS Information

DHS PFAS Filtration Brochure

DNR PFAS Information

DNR Fish Consumption Advisories

ATSDR: PFAS and your health

ATSDR: Talking to your doctor about exposure to PFAS

EPA PFAS Information

This referendum requests a single, permanent increase to the operating tax levy. If approved, the levy would go up once $600,000 and be the new starting point for the annual levy amount. 

The $600,000 is a one-time increase to the levy. The amount does not increase annually. The number could only increase through another referendum.

Under Wisconsin law, most municipalities (cities, villages, towns, and counties) are restricted in how much they can increase their property tax levy each year. The basic rule is that the levy can only go up by a percentage tied to net new construction (i.e., growth from new buildings and improvements) in the community — not the overall increase in property values. This effectively freezes the base tax on existing property unless there’s growth or a permitted exception. Even with healthy development, the net new construction percentage could not have covered the addition of six additional staff.  

Since the creation of the District in 2014, staffing numbers have remained fairly consistent.  At the same time the District has experienced a significant increase in call volume. This has resulted in the District requesting mutual aid in excess of 100 times annually and has resulted in an increase in response times that continues to grow each year.

This has been an issue for several years. At the direction of elected officials, the District has attempted several less expensive options, none of which have been successful. Current taxing restraints set forth by state government have led to the request for referendum.

SAFER has robust mutual and automatic aid agreements with multiple agencies in the area. The three metro area departments responded to 12,221 incidents in 2025. Neighboring municipalities are not always available to assist. The District’s reliance on mutual aid is already significant and has more than tripled in the past five years.   

The District attempted to begin a paid per call firefighter program. The program had 12 applicants, unfortunately only 1 of those applicants completed the process and remains with the District. A FEMA grant was applied for in 2025, unfortunately that grant was denied. The Village explored the possibility of a fire fee. After several discussions that option was paused in favor of moving forward with a referendum.  

This expense was not the result of overspending; it reflects a new cost to add six additional staff. This is not a case of exceeding allocated funds but rather incorporating an identified need for additional personnel due to:

• increased call volume,
• changes in total population,
• changes in practices for Fire and EMS departments, including increased training hours, and 
• current workload levels contributing to staff burnout.

There are four primary goals for the referendum:

1. Reduce the number of times the SAFER District needs to request mutual aid by 80%.
2. Reduce the number of medical calls that have a response time of greater than 10 minutes by 80%.
3. Return a second tender (fire truck able to carry water) and have the ability to staff the tender therefore reducing the Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating.
4. Increase the number of firefighters on scene by at least three. 

This number can vary based upon the value of your home. On a per capita basis Weston residents pay approximately $90 per year for fire and emergency medical services. A study by the University of Oshkosh in 2020 calculated an average per capita cost of $170 in Wisconsin. Following the referendum, it is estimated that the per capita cost in the Village will increase to approximately $120 still well below the state average.

If approved, $600,000 would have an approximate impact of $0.34/per $1,000 assessed value on a home. The chart below displays annual impact on a home based on the 2025 assessed values.

If additional staffing would be rejected by the residents the District would continue to operate as is. SAFER would continue to provide the most rapid and effective service possible with the allocated resources allowed.

Yes, if approved, the levy limit exemption could be an amount up to the $600,000. However, if we determined a lesser amount was needed, the capacity or difference could not be saved for a future year. The adjustment can only be made in the first year after it is approved and there is no inflationary amount in referendum questions. 

The Village’s public safety partnerships are funded through general levy. Other facilities improvements, such as road reconstruction or park projects, have a variety of different funding sources, possibly through debt service, grants, fundraising, or restricted funding sources. These investments allowed the Village to build and improve facilities, but they do not provide the ongoing funding to operate.

Not at this time. The April Referendum is for the addition of six staff to the SAFER Department. The potential of a new MBMPD headquarters is a separate topic. At the January 19, 2026, Board meeting, Trustees approved continuing efforts to pursue a new headquarters building for the MBMPD.

MBMPD is requesting the Village’s support for borrowing $4.5 million, representing the Village’s 65% share of the estimated $7 million project. Building design and final cost estimates are still under development and will be finalized prior to proceeding with any borrowing.

While the operations of the Village’s public safety partnerships, i.e. salary, benefits, office supplies, insurances, etc., are funded through general levy, capital investments, such as a new facilities or equipment, could be funded through debt service. Operations of a new MBMPD headquarters would be the responsibility of the department following construction.

Village of Weston voters can case their ballot in one of three ways: through absentee mail-in ballots, in-person absentee voting, or in-person voting on election day, April 7, 2026.

Voting hours on election day are 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Weston Municipal Center, 4747 Camp Phillips Road, Weston. Wisconsin voters are required to show an acceptable voter ID in order to vote. Additional voting information can be found on myvote.wi.gov.