Hundreds of drinking water systems exceed new PFAS standards. It could grow to thousands.

By Austin Fast and Cecilia Garzella | USA Today | May 24, 2024

Read the full article by Austin Fast and Cecilia Garzella (USA Today)

"After more than a year of collecting test results for toxic “forever chemicals,” the Environmental Protection Agency says almost 300 of America’s public drinking water systems – including some that serve hundreds of thousands of people – exceeded newly established annual limits. 

That means these water utilities may need to start filtering their water or find new sources to comply with new rules limiting PFAS, or per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances. PFAS are nearly indestructible chemicals that have been shown to build up in human bodies, increasing the risk for certain types of cancer and other serious health complications.

USA TODAY recreated the EPA’s analysis and found public systems in Fort Worth, Texas; Fresno, California; Pensacola, Florida; and Augusta, Georgia, were among the hundreds whose sample averages landed above the new annual limits."

Topics:

• ChemicalsPFAS
• Remediation
• Filtration
• ImpactDrinking water
• ImpactDrinking waterPrivate wells
• Affected community
• Health
• AgenciesEPA
• Measurement Techniques
• Monitoring Data
• PFAS Uses