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Environmental groups praised the Biden administration Wednesday for finalizing strict drinking water limits on toxic substances commonly referred to as “forever chemicals.”
The new rules will require utilities to reduce the per- and polyfluorinated chemicals, also known as PFAS, to the lowest level that can be reliably measured.
The rule is the first national drinking water limit on PFAS chemicals, which are widespread and long-lasting in the environment. Environmental Protection Agency officials said the move will reduce exposure for 100 million people and help prevent thousands of illnesses.
PFAS have been linked to adverse health effects, including cancers, compromised immune systems, poor reproductive health and child developmental issues, thyroid disease, liver damage and digestive conditions.
Because they have strong chemical bonds that prevent them from naturally degrading completely in the environment, PFAS have been coined “forever chemicals.”
Health and environmental advocates celebrated the EPA not backing away from the strict PFAS limits that were proposed last year.
“I think that not only will this set clear limits on these toxic substances in our drinking water, but it sends a message to the companies using these substances that the days of PFAS are over, and they should be moving to safer alternatives,” said John Rumpler, clean water director and senior attorney for the Denver-based advocacy group Environment America. “We are unequivocally praising EPA for this step forward, even though we recognize that more work needs to be done.”
“This is certainly something to celebrate. We are appreciative of the administration and the EPA moving forward with this rule,” said Michelle Naccarati-Chapkis, executive director of Western Pennsylvania environmental advocacy group Women for a Healthy Environment. “This announcement today is really going to have a fundamental impact on public health.”
Related:
• Study finds elevated levels of forever chemicals in rivers near Western Pa. wastewater plants
New regulations
The new regulation limits two common types of PFAS, known as PFOA and PFOS, at 4 parts per trillion. Three other types are limited to 10 parts per trillion, and combinations of some PFAS types will be limited, too.
Water providers will have to test for these PFAS chemicals and inform the public when levels are high.
They will get three years to conduct testing, and if tests exceed the limits, they’ll have two more years to install treatment systems, according to EPA officials.
The EPA estimates that between about 6% and 10% of the 66,000 public drinking water systems subject to the rule will have to take action to lower PFAS to acceptable rates. According to the agency’s estimate, compliance with the rule will cost about $1.5 billion to implement each year, but will prevent nearly 10,000 deaths over decades and significantly reduce serious illnesses.
Some funds are available to help utilities do the job. Manufacturer 3M recently agreed to pay more than $10 billion to drinking water providers to settle PFAS litigation.
The EPA also announced nearly $1 billion in new funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to help states and territories implement PFAS testing and treatment at public water systems, and to help owners of private wells address PFAS contamination.
The funds are part of a $9 billion fund to help communities with drinking water impacted by PFAS and other emerging contaminants. An additional $12 billion is available for general drinking water improvements.
Some water utilities and chemical companies took issue with the new rule, saying treatment systems are expensive to install and that customers will end up paying more for water. In a statement, the American Chemistry Council said it would oppose the rule, calling it “rushed” and “unscientific.”
In Western Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority senior manager of water quality Kevin Wood noted that the authority actually already keeps track of PFAS levels and doesn’t anticipate needing additional treatment. The PWSA plans to continue to monitor for PFAS and adjust to comply with the new regulations if needed, he said.
“We first began monitoring for PFAS in 2018 as a proactive measure and are well ahead of the new national standard,” he said in a statement, adding that the PWSA also complies with state regulatory requirements for PFAS, including mandated testing.
“Through our proactive monitoring and our historic data on PFAS, we have not detected concentrations exceeding the EPA’s maximum contaminant level over the past six years.”
The Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County states on a PFAS informational page on its website that it is under the limits for PFAS compounds as first proposed in 2023.
“Our most recent results don’t demonstrate the need for treatment at this time,” MAWC spokesman Matthew Junker said.
Public health moves
PFAS have been used in everyday products including nonstick pans, firefighting foam and waterproof clothing. Although some of the most common types are phased out in the U.S., others remain.
EPA Administrator Michael Regan said the rule is the most important action the EPA has ever taken on PFAS.
“The result is a comprehensive and life-changing rule, one that will improve the health and vitality of so many communities across our country,” Regan said.
Stephanie Wein, clean water advocate with PennEnvironment, the Pennsylvania branch of Environment America, praised the rule for protecting Pennsylvanians’ water.
“By setting these really strong limits, we are taking the first big step in protecting the public from the impacts of PFAS in their drinking water,” she said. “This was something that has been considered an emergent contaminant for years. Some water authorities have been doing testing, but it wasn’t required until now.”
While the regulation doesn’t address every type of PFAS, methods used to clear PFAS from the water are likely to have an impact on many different chemicals within the category. Many environmental organizations, however, still seek further regulation to encompass the entire category of PFAS chemicals.
“Even if there are PFAS in the water that aren’t covered by the new EPA rule, it’s similar treatment technology,” she said. “There is some amount of protection — if you find PFOS, and you treat for PFOS, you’re likely also catching some of the less common chemicals.”
Environmental groups are still looking ahead to further rules that would capture and regulate more types of PFAS chemicals and places where PFAS can be found, such as wastewater.
“This is a huge step forward to keep us safe from PFAS in our drinking water, but the big picture is we need to stop pushing this class of pollutants out into the environment in general,” Wein said. “What this doesn’t do is turn off the tap on toxic PFAS. It still is being discharged, whether that’s entering our water through the spraying of firefighting foam, or through discharges from industrial manufacturers.
“We know that it’s still entering our environment, and because it’s in our wastewater. That means it’s coming through our wastewater treatment plants, which, right now, don’t have requirements of their own.”
The regulation also brings PFAS more into the public conversation.
“By making PFAS so much more well-known, it gives an opportunity for us to be thinking about PFAS regulations that are needed in other areas,” Naccarati-Chapkis said. “I think that this is an extreme step in the right direction.”
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Julia Maruca is a TribLive reporter covering health and the Greensburg and Hempfield areas. She joined the Trib in 2022 after working at the Butler Eagle covering southwestern Butler County. She can be reached at jmaruca@triblive.com.
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