Cleaning up our water

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set the first national standards for PFAS, commonly known as “forever chemicals,” via the National Primary Drinking Water Regulation announced in April.

As a result, public water systems need to start testing for six different contaminants - and implementing filtration solutions by 2029 if levels prove to be above the new, stringent benchmarks.

The new regulations will “reduce PFAS exposure for approximately 100 million people, prevent thousands of deaths and reduce tens of thousands of serious illnesses,” according to the EPA’s announcement.

Most municipalities and water utility companies are testing for two of the chemicals listed in the new federal mandate, PFOS and PFOA, to comply with current state standards:

• In New York, the Maximum Contaminant Level for both PFOA and PFOS is 10 parts per trillion

• In New Jersey, the maximum is 14 parts per trillion for PFOA, and 13 parts per trillion for PFOS

While most local water systems’ PFOA and PFOS levels are below their state maximums, many exceed four parts per trillion, the new nationwide maximum contaminant level going into effect in 2029.

How Much PFOA and PFOS are in your water?

The chart below shows detected PFOA and PFOS levels detected the latest Water Quality Reports from each municipality. All testing was done in 2023. New York’s state standard is a Maximum Contaminant Level of 10 parts per trillion for both chemicals. According to the National Primary Drinking Water Regulation, public drinking water sources nationwide must meet a Maximum Contaminant Level of 4 parts per trillion by 2029.

Infiltrating local water

Unsurprisingly, forever chemicals are hard to eliminate from the environment: They do not biodegrade and have been widely used by U.S. consumers since the 1940s.

Teflon, originally used for the Manhattan Project during World War II, became commercialized with the additive of PFOA, discovered by 3M in 1945. Teflon containing the PFOA forever chemical was mass-produced in cookware starting in 1951 - and wasn’t phased out by American manufacturers until 2015.

PFOS and PFOA can be found in products that resist grease, water, stains and oil, such as nonstick cookware, water-repellent clothing, and stain-resistant fabrics and carpets. The chemicals also were used in firefighting foams for decades, seeping into groundwater in the process.

After the associated health risks, including cancer, pregnancy complications and liver disease, became public knowledge, U.S. manufacturers phased out the use of PFOS and PFOA in 2002 and 2015, respectively.

But they still may be found in imported goods, and after decades of use in this country, the “forever chemicals” persist in our soil, water and air.

Settling the costs

The new maximum contaminant level of four parts per trillion for PFOS and PFOA is such a scant measurement, it can be hard to conceptualize. It could be compared to a single drop of water in five Olympic-sized swimming pools or four inches in 16 million miles.

Many local water systems exceed that benchmark and, according to the new regulations, will have to implement solutions by 2029 if levels remain high.

“One of the challenges we’re up against is funding this,” said James “Pat” Patterson, highway superintendent in Monroe, N.Y.

The routine PFAS testing, which the town does annually to comply with state standards, costs $1,500 each time a sample is sent to the lab.

Town Supervisor Tony Cardone said Monroe has been investigating ways to improve PFAS filtration for more than a year. There are plans to install granular activated carbon filters in one of the water districts, but first the town would need to secure funding to cover the $200,000 expense.

“Plus there’s maintenance fees; we haven’t really gotten into that yet,” said Patterson. “We are rapidly seeking grants on all of this.”

In an attempt to improve water system filtration, some local municipalities have joined lawsuits against the chemical manufacturers that have been found responsible for contaminating water supplies. The Village of Warwick, N.Y., joined the 3M lawsuit, which will pay out $10.3 billion dollars during the next 13 years.

In addition to passing a bond ordinance to improve its water filtration infrastructure, Sparta, N.J., is seeking funding through settlements with major chemical manufacturers.

“Sparta has joined a lawsuit, along with other municipalities that have to incur increased remediation costs, as a result of companies like BASF, Dupont - who it’s alleged knowingly and negligently allowed these dangerous chemicals into the water supply,” said Mayor Neill Clark. “Once they get settled, we’ll get hopefully a distribution from the settlement based upon whatever formula the judge approves.

“Listen, it’s not going to pay for 100% of the costs we have to incur to get within the guidelines but it’s more than zero,” he said.

“But a lot of municipalities are going to have a lot of increased costs to do this, and in my view, this is sort of the asbestos litigation all over again.”

Health Risks and Exposure

The EPA’s maximum contamination level of four parts per trillion is the agency’s “enforceable” standard for public water systems – but its health-based goal is to have PFOA and PFOS levels at zero, because the latest science shows that no safe amount of exposure to these chemicals.

Health risks include:

• Changes in liver enzymes (PFOA, PFOS)

• Small decreases in birth weight (PFOA, PFOS)

• Pregnancy-induced hypertension and preeclampsia (PFOA, PFOS)

• Kidney and testicular cancer (PFOA)

• Lower antibody response to some vaccines (PFOA, PFOS)

One can be exposed to PFAS by:

• Drinking contaminated municipal or private well water

• Eating food grown or raised near areas that were used to make PFAS

• Eating fish caught in contaminated waters

• Accidentally swallowing contaminated soil or dust

• Eating food wrapped in PFAS-containing packaging

• Accidentally swallowing residue or dust from PFAS-containing consumer products like water-repellent clothing or stain-resistant carpeting.

How to filter PFAS at home

There are a variety of options available to homeowners who wish to filter PFAS out of their water: from inexpensive pitchers, to faucet filters, to whole-home filtration systems.

The EPA recommends checking your filter’s packaging for certification to “NSF/ANSI 53” or NSF/ANSI 58” PFAS reduction.

The following forms of filtration are effective at removing PFAS from water:

• Charcoal (Granular Activated Carbon or GAC): These filters use carbon to trap chemicals as water passes through them.

• Reverse Osmosis (RO) Systems: Reverse osmosis is a process that forces water through an extremely thin barrier that separates chemicals from the water.

• Ion Exchange Resins: Resins are tiny beads that act like powerful magnets that attract and hold the contaminated materials from passing through the water system.