For the first time in U.S. history, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set limits on the presence of “forever chemicals” in drinking water. Forever chemicals, also known as polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), are a group of human-made chemicals that can pose a health risk to people at even small traces of detectable exposure.
Forever chemicals have been around since the 1940s and are used in many everyday items, including non-stick pans, makeup, firefighting foam, semiconductors and astroturf.
The chemicals also pose a health risk. Some of the compounds are reportedly linked to cancer, liver damage, cardiovascular problems, and immune and developmental damage in infants.
There are thousands of reported PFAS compounds and nearly every American has measurable amounts of PFAS in their blood. In addition, nearly half of the nation’s tap water has one or more types of PFAS, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
However, the EPA said that it will only target six specific PFAS. One of the forever chemicals targeted is a known carcinogen and another is a “likely” carcinogen. Although only six will be targeted, the EPA said that more will be eliminated indirectly through the process.
The most concerning forever chemicals will need to be reduced to four parts per trillion or less.
The EPA estimated that the regulations will eventually improve the drinking water for around 100 million Americans. The agency said that the cost of the new rules will be around $1.5 billion per year for water utilities.
The announcement received pushback from the water industry, some of whom claimed that the industry bears the brunt of the costs of “forever chemicals in water” despite not having created the problem.
However, the EPA said that the health benefits will exceed the costs by reducing rates of cancer, strokes and heart attacks.
The Biden administration is providing $9 billion through the bipartisan infrastructure package for implementation of the new regulations. An additional $12 billion from the package will be reportedly used for improvements to other drinking water infrastructure.
Meanwhile, environmental groups commended the EPA’s actions.
“I think a lot of us that have worked in this field for a long time wondered if the EPA would ever be able to get this rolled out,” Erik Olson, the senior strategic director for health at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said.
The new EPA rules for drinking water will be fully implemented by 2029. Water utilities will be given five years to comply with the standard, three years for testing of the water system and two years for installation.
