Published: December 2024 | Medically reviewed by: [REVIEWER NAME, CREDENTIALS]
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical or legal advice. Consult a qualified professional for guidance specific to your situation.
The EPA’s new drinking water standard for PFOA and PFOS is 4 parts per trillion. At least 20 American cities have recorded contamination levels hundreds or thousands of times above that number. One exceeds it by a factor of 90,000.
These aren’t abstract figures. They represent tap water flowing into homes, schools, and hospitals right now. The data in this article comes from the EPA’s fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 5), the EWG PFAS contamination database, state department of environmental quality reports, and DoD PFAS Task Force findings.
Water utilities have until 2029 to comply with the new federal limits. The EPA estimates between 6,000 and 10,000 public water systems will need to take action. Your city might not be on this list, but the only way to know what’s really in your water is independent home testing.
