EPA proposes to limit 'forever chemicals' in US drinking water

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
20 Mar 2023 08:58

The US Environmental Protection Agency proposes a national standard to limit 'forever chemicals' from drinking water.

A man drinks from a water fountain on a hot summer day in Central Park, Manhattan, New York, US, July 1, 2018 (Reuters).

A national standard for six chemical pollutants, related to Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), contaminating US drinking water, has been advocated for by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) after studies concluded these substances have a negative impact on health.

The EPA's proposed standard sought to nationalize what has previously existed at the states' own discretion. The regulations would cover six PFASs including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA); perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS); perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA); perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS); perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS); and hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA, commonly known as GenX compounds).

Michelle Crimi, an environmental engineer at Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York explained that "this is a huge deal, in terms of protecting public health, but also in terms of what it’s going to take to accomplish."

According to the EPA, the government would monitor the quantities of PFAS in potable water by implementing specific requirements that maintain its allowed levels from being exceeded.

Under new regulatory guidelines, water utility management will be compelled to take measures to lower PFAS levels in drinking water if certain levels are surpassed. Moreover, the organization stated that it anticipated final approval of the standards by the end of the year and added that if properly enforced, the rule will avert tens of thousands of PFAS-related diseases and thousands of fatalities.

Significantly, Chris Moody, a regulatory analyst with the American Water Works Association (AWWA) argued that "for facilities large and small, adding PFAS filtration will have to be weighed against other priorities, such as replacing lead pipes."

According to the EPA, adopting and putting into practice the recommendations would cost around $772 million annually. Yet according to a study paid for by the AWWA, the price may be as high as $2.9 billion annually. The US Infrastructure Act, which was approved in late 2021, is credited with making more than $9 billion already accessible, according to the EPA, while the AWWA estimates the cost over 20 years at $58 billion.

It is worth noting that although the EPA originally issued a warning concerning the presence of PFAS in drinking water in 2001, no national standard has ever been approved.

Around 14,000 chemicals, known as PFAS, are frequently employed to shield a range of consumer goods against humidity, heat, and contamination. Due to the fact that these compounds do not naturally decompose, they are referred to as "forever" chemicals. PFAS has been linked in numerous studies to the emergence of cancer, autoimmune illnesses, liver and kidney damage, as well as other grave conditions.