What To Do If Your City Is on This List
If you live in or near any of these communities, test your water independently. Municipal testing data won’t tell you the whole story. Municipal testing measures water leaving the treatment plant, not what reaches your tap. That gap matters, especially for private well users. Home PFAS test kits from certified labs typically cost $150 to $300 per sample.
Does your water test above the EPA’s 4 ppt threshold for PFOA or PFOS? Install a reverse osmosis or high-quality granular activated carbon filter certified for PFAS removal. Look for NSF/ANSI 53 or 58 certification that specifically lists PFAS. Standard pitcher filters won’t cut it. The APEC Water Systems ROES-50 (NSF-certified, removes 99%+ of PFAS) and the Aquasana OptimH2O (designed specifically for PFAS, PFOA, and PFOS removal) are strong picks based on independent lab testing and long-term value.
[INTERNAL_LINK: Best PFAS Water Filters: Complete Buyer’s Guide]You should also check whether you’re eligible for compensation. Over 6,000 PFAS lawsuits have been consolidated in federal multidistrict litigation in South Carolina, and many states have filed their own suits against manufacturers and the Department of Defense.
Residents of communities with PFAS-contaminated water may be eligible for compensation through ongoing lawsuits. Consulting a qualified attorney is a recommended first step.
[INTERNAL_LINK: How to Test Your Home Water for PFAS]The Bottom Line
These 20 cities represent the most extreme documented cases of PFAS contamination in American drinking water. They aren’t outliers, though. EPA and EWG data suggest PFAS contamination affects thousands of water systems serving over 100 million Americans. The new federal standard of 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS will force action at many of them by 2029.
Test your water. That’s the single most direct step you can take. Municipal data tells part of the story. A certified lab test of your own tap tells the rest.
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.
Sources
- EPA, Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 5)
- Environmental Working Group, PFAS Contamination Map and Database
- Department of Defense PFAS Task Force, Remediation Reports (2020-2024)
- North Carolina DEQ, Cape Fear River PFAS Investigation Reports
- Michigan EGLE, PFAS Response and Action Levels
- Maine DEP, PFAS in Biosolids Program Records
- Wisconsin DNR, Marinette/Peshtigo PFAS Investigation
- Minnesota Attorney General’s Office, 3M Settlement Documentation (2018)
- New York State, Newburgh PFAS Settlement Records (2023)