EPA sets first national limits on PFAS in drinking water

Every municipal water system in the country must test for, and limit, the presence of five PFAS chemicals within five years, according to new guidelines set by the federal government. It's the first time these toxic chemicals have been regulated at the national level.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations limit the two most common PFAS chemicals — PFOA and PFOS — to four parts per trillion in drinking water, close to the lowest level at which the chemicals can be detected. The EPA also set a non-enforceable goal for these two compounds at zero, reflecting that "there is no level of exposure to these contaminants without risk of health impacts," according to a press release.

The new standard for three other PFAS chemicals — PFHxS, PFNA, and GenX — in drinking water is 10 parts per trillion. The EPA will also set a limit for any mixture of PFBS, PFHxS, PFNA, and GenX.

Speaking Tuesday, EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said that the new regulations will reduce PFAS exposure for about 100 million people.

"This action will prevent thousands of deaths and reduce tens of thousands of serious illnesses," Regan said. "We are one huge step closer to finally shutting off the tap on forever chemicals."

The EPA estimates that 6% to 10% of the 66,000 public drinking water systems subject to this rule may have to reduce PFAS to meet these new standards.

Public water systems have three years to complete their initial monitoring for these chemicals, and must inform the public of the level of PFAS measured in their drinking water. Where PFAS is found at levels that exceed these standards, systems must reduce PFAS in their drinking water within five years.

In addition to the new rule, the agency also announced nearly $1 billion in new funding through the Bipartsan 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 federal government has already dedicated $9 billion to address PFAS in water, and another $12 billion in other water improvement projects.

Massachusetts is one of 11 states with existing limits on PFAS, officially called per- and polyfluorinated substances, in drinking water. Set in 2020, the state limit is one of the strictest in the country: 20 parts per trillion for the sum of six PFAS chemicals, including PFOA and PFOS.

However, the PFAS chemicals in the EPA regulation are not the same six currently regulated in Massachusetts. The state now must rewrite its current PFAS standard to align with the EPA, said Wendy Heiger-Bernays, a toxicologist at the Boston University School of Public Health.

Heiger-Bernays applauded the new regulations, saying that ultimately they will protect human health, but "DEP now has to go back to the drawing board."

In a statement, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection spokesman Ed Coletta said the state will set PFAS standards "at least as stringent as the new federal regulatory level," and complete the regulatory process within three years.

Water industry advocates expressed concern that the four parts per trillion measurement standards for PFOS and PFOA will be nearly impossible to meet, given current testing technology.

"We have seen systems send the same sample of water to two separate labs and have an eight part per trillion difference in the result," said Jennifer Pederson, executive director of the Massachusetts Water Works Association, an industry group.

Pederson also expressed concern that stricter regulations will be costly for Massachusetts communities — either because more towns will now need to treat their water for PFAS, or towns already treating their drinking water may have to swap out filters more often. MassDEP estimates that the strict new PFOS and PFOA standards of 4 ppt will impact 181 public water systems in Massachusetts, including 95 that will need to address PFAS for the first time.

And Massachusetts already has a costly backlog of water infrastructure needs, Pederson said.

"We need $15 billion over the next 20 years to maintain compliance with existing Safe Drinking Water Act standards," said Pederson, citing a  2021 EPA assessment. "So any money that we're getting isn't sufficient to cover what we need."

PFAS chemicals were invented in the early 20th century and are used in thousands of products, from food packaging to waterproof jackets and firefighting foam. Over time the chemicals wash or flake off these products into landfills, soil and water.

Because PFAS molecules don't break down easily, they are often called "forever chemicals." In Massachusetts, they're widespread in ground and surface waters, rivers and even Cape Cod ponds. Studies estimate that 98% of Americans have detectable levels of PFAS in their blood.