About 176 million people in the United States are drinking tap water contaminated by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly called "forever chemicals," according to new test data released by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). That's four million more Americans than previously known, and the number keeps climbing closer to earlier estimates that suggested 200 million Americans have PFAS in their water supply. What Are Forever Chemicals and Why Should You Care? PFAS are human-made chemicals that have been used for decades in nonstick cookware, water-resistant fabrics, and aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF)—a firefighting foam commonly used at military bases and airports. The reason they're called "forever chemicals" is simple: once released into the environment, they don't break down. Instead, they accumulate in your body over time. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has detected PFAS in the blood of 99% of Americans, including newborn babies. Studies show that even extremely low doses of PFAS can suppress the immune system, increase cancer risk, harm fetal development, and reduce vaccine effectiveness. In Virginia, residents have filed lawsuits against companies that contaminated drinking water supplies, with victims developing kidney, pancreatic, breast, testicular, and liver cancers, as well as thyroid disease and ulcerative colitis. The EPA's Troubling Reversal on Water Safety Standards In 2024, the EPA finalized the first-ever limits on six PFAS chemicals in drinking water. However, in a significant reversal announced last May, the agency announced plans to roll back limits on four PFAS compounds: GenX, PFBS, PFNA, and PFHxS. The EPA plans to keep standards for PFOA and PFOS at 4 parts per trillion but wants to extend the compliance deadline to 2031. "The EPA is abandoning science-based protections at the exact moment its own tests prove we need them most," said Melanie Benesh, vice president for government affairs at the Environmental Working Group. "This isn't just a regulatory rollback. It's a deliberate exposure of American families to chemicals linked to cancer and other serious health issues." The EPA's own toxicity assessments found that GenX and PFHxS—chemicals designed as replacements for PFOA and PFOS—pose similarly serious health risks even at extremely small doses. Where Is PFAS Contamination Coming From? The Environmental Working Group estimates that nearly 30,000 industrial polluters could be discharging PFAS into the environment, including into sources of drinking water. Military installations, airports, industrial sites, and chemical plants have been major sources of contamination. In Virginia, defense operations and airports that used AFFF firefighting foams created hotspots of contamination, with the chemicals seeping into groundwater and poisoning drinking water supplies. The new EPA data comes from tests conducted as part of the Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 5), which requires U.S. water utilities to test drinking water for 29 individual PFAS compounds. The 2.3% increase in known exposures—from 172 million to 176 million Americans—underscores how widespread the problem has become. How to Protect Your Family From PFAS in Drinking Water - Test Your Water: The only way to know if your water contains PFAS is to test it, since these chemicals cannot be seen, smelled, or tasted. If you're on a public water supply, request your local utility's Consumer Confidence Report, which details testing results. If you have a private well or spring, the Vermont Department of Health recommends testing every year for total coliform and E. coli, and every five years for inorganic chemicals and gross alpha radiation. - Install Home Filtration: Reverse osmosis and activated carbon water filters can be extremely effective at removing PFAS from tap water. The Environmental Working Group tested 10 popular water filters and found that these two types performed best at reducing PFAS levels detected in home tap water. - Know Your Water Source: If you live in a community near military bases, airports, or industrial sites that have used AFFF firefighting foams, your water may be at higher risk. Virginia residents, for example, can check whether their area is part of the state's PFAS reduction program for the Occoquan Reservoir, which requires certain facilities to track and report PFAS levels. Public Concern Is Growing—But Trust in Government Is Declining Americans are increasingly worried about chemical safety in their drinking water. According to a new national survey by the Pew Charitable Trusts, about 70% of U.S. adults fear for the safety of family members' exposure to chemicals in drinking water. More than four out of five people, or 83%, believe the government must do more to protect people from harmful substances. This loss of confidence comes at a critical moment. David Andrews, acting chief science officer at the Environmental Working Group, emphasized the urgency: "The EPA's own data proves the known extent of PFAS contamination is getting worse. In 2020, we estimated PFAS were in the water of 200 million Americans. This new data confirms what we feared: PFAS are widespread in Americans' drinking water. Yet the Trump administration is preparing to abandon protections by rolling back limits on four PFAS that can be detected in water. Delaying, weakening or abandoning PFAS limits is a public health betrayal". What Comes Next? Addressing widespread drinking water contamination requires action at multiple levels. The EPA's plan to weaken protections likely contradicts an anti-backsliding provision in the Safe Drinking Water Act, which requires any revision to federal drinking water standards to "maintain, or provide for greater, protection of the health of persons." Meanwhile, states like Virginia are taking their own steps, with researchers at Virginia Tech working to develop PFAS-free firefighting foams and the state creating PFAS reduction programs for contaminated reservoirs. For now, experts recommend that consumers take action at the household level. "Consumers should be able to get clean water straight from the tap," Andrews said. "With 176 million people now exposed to PFAS in their drinking water, government regulators must step up to ensure utilities have the resources to remove these toxic forever chemicals. Safe, clean drinking water should be guaranteed. While the cost of removing PFAS from drinking water should not fall on consumers, there are home filters that can help".
