EPA Announces First-Ever PFAS National Drinking Water Standard

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced in April the first national, legally enforceable drinking water standard to protect communities from exposure to per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Commonly referred to as forever chemicals, exposure to PFAS has been linked to cancers, impacts to the liver and heart, and immune and developmental damage to infants and children.

According to the agency:
EPA is taking a signature step to protect public health by establishing legally enforceable levels for several PFAS known to occur individually and as mixtures in drinking water. This rule sets limits for five individual PFAS: PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, PFHxS, and HFPO-DA (also known as “GenX Chemicals”). The rule also sets a limit for mixtures of any two or more of four PFAS: PFNA, PFHxS, PFBS, and “GenX chemicals.”

Public water systems have three years to complete initial monitoring. They must inform the public of the level of PFAS measured in their drinking water, and where PFAS is found at levels that exceed these standards, systems must implement solutions to reduce PFAS in their drinking water within five years. EPA also announced almost $1 billion in funding to help states and territories implement testing and treatment at public water systems and to help private well owners address PFAS contamination.

“EPA claims the final rule will reduce PFAS exposure for approximately 100 million people, prevent thousands of deaths, and reduce tens of thousands of serious illnesses,” said Jeff Bannon, PG, Vice President of Environmental Services at Clark Seif Clark (CSC). “An estimated 6% to 10% of the 66,000 public drinking water systems in the U.S. that are subject to this rule may have to take action to reduce PFAS to meet the new standards.”

To help water utilities, private well owners, companies and regulatory agencies test for PFAS, the environmental professionals at CSC offer testing, consulting and monitoring services. These resources help to protect the public and support health and safety compliance efforts. Several years ago, CSC even sponsored an educational video about PFAS and potential exposure risks that can still be seen at: https://youtu.be/skLIprCGeX4

To learn more about PFAS testing or other environmental, health and safety services, please visit www.csceng.com, email csc@csceng.com or call (800) 807-1118.

About Clark Seif Clark
CSC was established in 1989 to help clients in both public and private sectors address indoor air quality, occupational, environmental, and health and safety (EH&S) issues. CSC is a leading provider of these services with multiple offices along the western seaboard and southwest. The company believes in science-based protocols and has a strong background in engineering, making them the preferred environmental consultants to industrial clients, healthcare facilities, architects, schools, builders, contractors, developers and real estate professionals.

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Cochrane & Associates, LLC

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