Forever chemicals are in more than half of America's tap water. Here’s how to reduce your exposure

By Tim Heffernan | New York Times | May 27, 2026

Read the full article by Tim Heffernan (New York Times)

"The tap water of 176 million Americans contains at least one of the so-called forever chemicals, or PFAS, according to an Environmental Working Group analysis released in March 2026.

The data come from the Environmental Protection Agency, which requires public water utilities to test for 29 PFAS under the Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 5). You can search and download all of the test results via the EPA’s UCMR 5 Data Finder. And if you’re reasonably handy with spreadsheets, you can pinpoint exactly what your water utility found, as well as when it was found and where.

Some caveats apply to the EWG report. Most of the UCMR 5 readings for PFAS are microscopically low, often in the single-digit parts per trillion. Many fall below the EPA’s minimum reporting limits, which are close to the limit of reliable detection. And the EPA has not set a health-based reference concentration for the majority of the 29 PFAS, which means there’s no federal standard for assessing how much of a risk they present."