Increased pollution in drinking water found across U.S.
Water professionals routinely check drinking water for PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), research found that these levels are increasing in cities nationwide. Smaller municipalities utilities might not check for PFAS, but the Louisville Water Company, does. Peter Goodmann, the city utility’s director of water quality and research found in December 2024, GenX (HFPO-DA) levels were 15 times higher than the previous month. In water, PFAS concentration is measured in parts per trillion. The GenX levels went from 3.4 parts per trillion to 52 parts per trillion.
PFAS are known as “forever chemicals” because they are extremely slow to degrade in the natural environment. PFAS are linked to a variety of health risks, yet around 50% of our rivers and streams contain measurable PFAS concentrations. Water utilities will be increasingly tasked with the challenge to remove these from drinking water. On April 10, 2024, EPA announced the final National Primary Drinking Water Regulation, including standards for PFOA and PFOS. At that time, EPA established legally enforceable levels for these PFAS in drinking water and gave public water systems until 2029 to comply with the Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs). While this date was recently delayed, utilities still expect to upgrade their infrastructure. One method is a powdered activated carbon system, which Louisville is spending about $23 million to redesign.
