PFAS may be contaminating drinking water for up to 27% of Americans – study

By Tom Perkins | The Guardian | November 13, 2024

Read the full article by Tom Perkins (The Guardian)

"PFAS may be contaminating drinking water for up to 70% of about 140 million people in the US who draw water from the nation’s aquifers via private or public wells, a new federal government study estimates. The findings show a potential impact on about 95 million people, or 27% of the nation’s population.

The US Geological Survey sampling and modeling of groundwater contamination found readings up to 37,000 times higher than the EPA’s new drinking water limits. In some regions virtually all of those using public systems that draw from groundwater may be drinking contaminated water.

This is especially a problem for those who draw from private wells, or small public wells, because neither is covered by strong new PFAS limits implemented by the Environmental Protection Agency – those people represent about 13% of the US population."