National limit for PFAS in drinking water affects all public wells in WA | The Seattle Times

The Environmental Protection Agency announced the first national drinking water standard for so-called “forever chemicals” Wednesday that will require testing of thousands of drinking water systems across Washington.

The EPA’s legally enforceable limits for two of the most persistent of these chemicals, PFOA and PFOS, are set at 4 parts per trillion, which is less than half the advisory levels that were put in place by Washington state in 2021. The EPA is also setting a nonenforceable goal, of zero, which the agency says reflects the latest science showing that there is no level of exposure to these contaminants without risk of health impacts, including certain cancers.

So far, the chemicals have been detected in 253 water systems in Washington state, but that doesn’t include thousands of households who drink from private wells, or those that serve 15 or fewer households, which are not subject to state or federal testing requirements.