BANGOR — The Navy is supplying a home bordering Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor with bottled water after testing found potentially dangerous levels of contamination caused by a firefighting foam used on the base.

Concerned about the accumulation in local aquifers of what are commonly called PFAS, the Navy has funded testing for homes on private wells that surround Bangor. Of the preliminary water tests that have been completed, Naval Base Kitsap Commander Capt. Richard Rhinehart said Tuesday there's been one "exceedance" out of 73 wells examined.

"As environmental stewards, allowing our neighbors to drink water that's above the EPA's suggested health advisory level would be unacceptable," said Rhinehart, adding that delivering the bottled water will continue "until we find a long-term solution."

"As we're also members of this community, we'll be here for however long it takes to resolve this problem," he said.

Firefighters at Bangor have used aqueous film-forming foam, known as AFFF for short, during training and emergencies. It is no longer used for training but is still relied upon for emergencies, officials said previously.

The contaminants in AFFF — known as "per and polyfluoroalkyl substances" and commonly called PFAS — have been in use for decades. They're found in everything from cookware to rain jackets and can build up in humans' bloodstream. The Environmental Protection Agency says once there's too much in drinking water — above 70 parts per trillion — it can be dangerous, with testing on animals showing increased risks of cancers. There are also demonstrated effects on the body's immune system, liver and thyroid and impacts on human development.

Water districts also serve the area that surrounds the base, including Silverdale and the Kitsap Public Utilities District (KPUD). Morgan Johnson, general manager of the Silverdale Water District, said its test results found no indications of PFAS.

Mark Morgan, water resources manager for the KPUD, said water tests of two neighborhoods — Avellana and Brianwood south of Bangor — showed trace parts per trillion on four of 18 compounds tested. He noted their readings were, at highest, 2.58 parts per trillion, below the 70 parts per trillion advisory level for PFAS. The KPUD plans to test the water in those two neighborhoods every six months, he added.

The Navy previously tested Bangor's drinking water on base, with results also below the EPA's health advisory level.

More than 1,000 letters were mailed in late January to homes on wells that surround Bangor. Lonnie Collier, a Naval Base Kitsap spokesman, said the Navy has permission to sample 282 wells. A total of 160 have undergone testing. Results have been received from 73 tests.

One home was found to have more than 70 parts per trillion for PFAS, he said. The residence is south of the base, though Navy officials declined to disclose the address, citing privacy.

Teams of workers from the Jacobs Engineering Group have fanned out around Bangor to conduct the testing on behalf of the Navy on private wells. Workers with the company declined to comment while they worked to survey one well off Olympic View Loop Road Friday, saying they did not have permission to do so.

More:Navy to test drinking water from wells bordering Bangor for contamination