RALEIGH, N.C. – A newly released study from the U.S. Geological Survey may have people thinking twice before they order takeout or drink the water from their kitchen sink. 

What You Need To Know

  • A new study from the U.S. Geological Survey found some form of PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” in nearly half of the nation’s tap water

  • According to the EPA, PFAS are widely used, long-lasting chemicals that can cause both human health and environmental risks

  • Utility companies around the state and U.S. are awaiting guidance from the EPA on safe drinking standards to show how much, if any, PFAS will be accepted in water sources

At least 45% of the nation’s tap water may be contaminated with PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals,” according to the USGS report.

Epidemiological studies have shown that exposure to the chemicals have been shown to have a variety of adverse health effects, including cancer, obesity, fertility issues, liver damage and more.

PFAS stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. The man-made chemicals can be found in food wrapping, water-resistant products, cleaning products, nonstick cookware and others. Scientists say some forms of PFAS can take more than 1,000 years to degrade.

Edward Buchan, a senior communications analyst for Raleigh Water, says the report confirms what many have suspected for about a decade. 

“I think the biggest takeaway from this is that it confirms what us in the utility world have suspected, that PFAS is a ubiquitous chemical in the environment,” Buchan said. “It’s been manufactured since the forties, and it is in practically every corner of the Earth.”

“This confirms that, unfortunately, it is pretty much in every element of the environment — the air, the water, the soil,” he said.

Buchan says PFAS can be found in common products and items we use every day, including many that are water-resistant.

“It's often found in food wrapping, like Chick-fil-A, for instance,” Buchan said. “Anything that's basically waterproof, it's in there. So, if you say Chinese takeout, those little cardboard boxes, there's a reason why it's waterproof.”

Buchan hopes this report will shed light on the need to crack down on companies to ensure the safety of drinking water in our state and country.

“We've tried to broach that subject through our industry organizations that represent all the utilities, water utilities and approach our congressional delegates and, you know, elected officials in Washington, D.C., and I don't think we've made much headway there,” he said. “So, that's frustrating because inevitably our concern is if we do have to really invest in new and, quite frankly, very, very, very expensive treatment technologies, who is going to cover [that] cost?”

He believes the type of treatment it would take to reduce or eliminate the chemicals from tap water would cost billions of dollars.

Utility companies around the country are waiting on guidance from the EPA on what the drinking water standards are going to be.

“There's a lot of aspects to this that I think a lot of this is going to depend on what the EPA decides the limit should be, because right now ... we feel like we can meet their proposed limits, but there's no guarantee that's what they'll be. And if they're lower than four parts per trillion, then we're going to have to get the checkbook out.”

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